In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful   
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.
 

Known as the reference to a standard of rightness, Justice is often used with regard to the ability to judge without reference to one's feelings or interests. It is through justice that fairness and peace is administrated, and is an aspect that ensures just treatment towards every individual as it rightfully judges between the right and wrong. Known as moral rightness and equitableness, justice protects the rights of those within society and protects against crimes and criminals. This aspect is not something that occurred recently like most people view it; in fact justice came with the relation of the prophets and Allah SWT message.

In the holy Quran it states: “We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Measure in order to establish justice among the people…” (Quran 57:25)

The phrase ‘Our Messengers’ shows that justice has been the goal of all revelation and scriptures sent to humanity.  The verse also shows that justice must be measured and implemented by the standards and guidelines set by revelation.  Islam’s approach to justice is comprehensive and all-embracing and any path that leads to justice is deemed to be in harmony with the laws Allah SWT pointed out in His messages. The main message Allah SWT pointed out in his message and emphasized on numerous times is the whole aspect of justice as it acts as the solid foundation that ensures peace and eliminates chaos and mayhem. These messages act as a track that each individual must follow in order to create equilibrium in the distribution of rights and duties within each society.

The importance of this virtue is so great and obvious that one witnesses it through everyday life. Without the justice systems that exist and without the equality that exists, although in today’s world there is a very limited amount, this entire universe would in complete chaos and dysfunction, which is something Allah SWT did not want for his creations. In fact Allah SWT pointed the importance of justice numerous times throughout the holy Quran and mentioned that it was one of the most important virtues and it is one of the foundation principles in which the religion of Islam is built upon. This is seen as justice stands next to the belief and worship of Allah SWT, and believing in the Prophet, Ahulbayt and the Afterlife.

Imam Ali AS also mentions the importance of justice in one his hadiths as he eloquently says: “Nothing can cause nations to flourish like justice”

This hadith on its own reveals the greatness of this virtue as the Imam is saying that it is through justice that a society flourishes and develops in a beautiful manner where it is built upon peace, respect and equality.

Now one may wonder, why does justice play an important role in life, and what would happen without it? Justice means punishing actions or words that are wrong and upholding things that are good. This helps ensure that wrongs will be ended and rights will be upheld thereby leading to a safer society for everyone. However in today’s world it is clearly seen that Justice is not carried out the way it should and the way Allah SWT wants as justice in society is often reflected poorly in the way people treat others of a different race, national origin, or religion. This is because, the fear of such differences seems to cause many minor and major problems, and justice is not served when minority groups are disproportionately punished for crimes for which majority groups are not similarly punished. This reveals that through ignoring or having the wrong understanding of the correct meaning of justice, much unfairness and inequality is committed.

If one wants to see a perfect example of justice embodied in an individual one must surely take a look at the life of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talab AS. Known as the voice and embodiment of human justice, Imam Ali fought against oppression and inequality up until his very last breaths. He symbolized equality and justice and whenever his name is mentioned one cannot help but think about the power the Imam contributed to the justice that exists in Islam. It was the Imam that insisted everyone his community is treated with fairness, no matter what race or religion they belong to; however he was faced with many who opposed him and the justice he spread in his community, which lead to his martyrdom. Many stories have been narrated as to how the Imam used to defend those who were treated unrightfully due to their religion, social status, color or race and was known for giving each individual what they deserved.

Through examples that one sees in today’s world, and through the messages of the Holy Quran and Imam Ali AS, one realizes the importance of the virtue of justice.