Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that superiority among people rests solely upon godliness (Surat al-Hujurat, 13). In societies in which such elements as faith, fear of Allah and proper morality are ignored, the criteria by which superiority is measured are rather different. These people imagine that superiority lies with the most prominent members of society and can be acquired with the acquisition of goods and property, recognition or fame. Since this perspective is generally shared by most members of such a society, those without goods and property are generally thought of as "inferior" to those who are wealthy and enjoy wide circles of acquaintance.

The manner in which people treat those around them in such societies, the decisions they take, the way they evaluate events, and the conclusions they draw from them are all directly related to the perspective they hold. For that reason, it is impossible to speak of a true idea of justice among people who act in the light of that conception.

Such a thing is out of the question for those who have faith. Believers always act by taking the moral values revealed by Allah in the Qur'an as their yardstick. They therefore always attach the greatest weight to justice and truth. They do not judge people according to worldly values but according to whether they have the requisite fear of Allah and to their moral values. They favor not the powerful and those with material means but always what is right and those in the right. They make no concessions on justice, even if this works against them and those closest to them. They decide not according to earthly values but in the manner ordained by Allah, Who has revealed the yardstick regarding justice in the Qur'an thus:

You who believe! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat an-Nisa', 135)

Jun 02, 2009

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