Allah descended the Quran upon us as a source of guidance for this world. Islam is a religion that believes in social progress such that every individual in society benefits from it. Before Islam, concepts of justice and fairness were unknown. The rich were powerful. Women, the poor, and slaves were treated poorly. Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a Ray of Hope for the aggrieved. He explained the concept of justice in Islam after which many people came to Allah’s religion.
In Islam everyone is equal. No individual is superior to another because Allah created everyone from one father and mother, that is Hazrat Adam (AS) and Bibi Hawa. And then Allah divided everyone into different tribes, races, and nations only to make people cooperative and courteous toward each other. Here are some important matters where justice in Islam is greatly emphasized.
Fairness in Wealth and Inheritance
Islam has proportioned respective shares of wealth in inheritance for both men and women. Allah has explained the concept in detail in the Holy Quran. Therefore parents must treat their children fairly when it comes to matters of inheritance. Similarly, if there are other heir relatives, they must also be given their fair share of inheritance. Those who usurp the rights of their daughters will face severe consequences on the Day of Judgement.
Justice in Islam for Women
Before Islam women were among the most badly treated members of the society. Female infanticide was very common. People would disgrace their women and offer them in trade or gambling. Islam raised the stature of women in society. Allah orders in the Holy Quran to treat women with respect, equity, and kindness. Surah Al Nisa is dedicated completely to safeguarding women’s rights. Islam lays down rights for women in financial, marital, and other matters. If a woman seeks divorce from her husband, she has the complete right to it without being pressured to exist in the relationship forcefully. Hence, Islam gave immense respect, freedom, and protection to women.
Equal Treatment for Rich or Poor
Allah emphasizes in many places in the Holy Quran that believers must treat each other with respect and kindness. Especially show immense compassion towards the underprivileged people in society such as orphans, the poor and needy, and slaves. Similarly, treat your relatives with kindness and equality. If one treats rich relatives favorably and poor ones with contempt, Allah shall punish them severely. So spread kindness and warmth in the society with justice and equality.
Punishment for injustice in Islam
Justice in Islam is so important that the one who practices it gets closer to Allah, for justice is a Divine attribute of Allah. Allah created this world and ordained his men to become protectors of justice and equality in the world. Hence it is obligatory upon every Muslim to stop corruption and injutsice wherever they see. Those who engage in such activities shall suffer gravely from Allah’s wrath. Those who deal with matters unfairly, Allah makes them suffer in both worlds. There are examples of many nations that Allah destroyed completely since they were disturbing the scale of balance.
The importance of justice in Islam is evident from the concept of Zakat. Allah made zakat obligatory upon wealthy Muslims so that wealth flows from the rich to the poor, creating an equitable distribution of wealth. Zakat is the third pillar of Islam on which the religion stands firmly. This shows how important justice is in Islam. Today all the socialists and philosophers agree that a society or country based on injustice and inequality cannot thrive for long, for injustice is bound to end.
