Promoting peace and harmony from an Abrahamic perspective

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What is Justice?

 

Justice is generally understood as the quality of being ‘fair’ and ‘reasonable.’ It is the principle that people receive that which they deserve; with the interpretation of what then constitutes ‘deserving’ being impacted upon by numerous fields; including the concepts of morality- based on ethics, rationality, law, religion, equity and fairness. 

 

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Why is Justice important?

 

To help us explore this, let's consider: what would the world be like without 'Justice'?

Can we achieve True Peace without Justice? Can genuine kindness exist without Justice? Is true compassion possible without justice? How can we become truly righteous both individually and globally if we ignore injustice? How can we love God, who is All-Just, if we fail to establish justice in our lives? How can we treat others as we wish to be treated if we do not strive to overcome oppression and corruption in our societies? How can we demonstrate our 'justice' to our Creator without being true to what we understand to be the 'purpose of our existence?'

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By establishing 'Justice,' we learn to protect ourselves and our communities from 'harm,' thus creating a foundation on which we can do 'good.' Without the foundation of 'cause no harm,' how can we establish peace and unity among ourselves, where we can form trusting relationships and show boundless loving kindness to one another?

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Some argue that 'justice' is a form of oppression and control, but let's view it differently: how can we ever be 'free' while living in a world of 'fear,' which prevents us from truly expressing ourselves and respecting diversity? True Justice, according to Abrahamic Scripture, is about enabling humanity to feel 'free' again to pursue their true soul purpose without causing harm to others or infringing on others' rights to express themselves. It is about building a 'safe' foundation where we are inspired to treat others as we wish to be treated.

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How can establishing Justice help us and our societies?

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Being just and fair in our interactions fosters trust, enabling the formation of strong personal and societal relationships. This understanding of boundaries provides individuals with the freedom to live authentically, respecting diversity and allowing cultural expression without fear. When societies uphold democratic principles through established laws and justice systems, individuals feel valued, respected, and free to live to their fullest potential.

However, a critical question arises: should there be a foundational set of rules for governments and societies to base their laws upon? History shows that intertwining religious beliefs with civil law can lead to coercion, forcing individuals to adhere to practices they do not believe in, which may drive them away from faith entirely. Instances of corruption and oppression have occurred under the guise of religion, prompting the question of whether this constitutes true justice.

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Scripture indicates that God advocates for the freedom of religious practice without coercion. It also suggests a minimum set of commandments from Abrahamic texts that could serve as a foundation for justice systems. Societies must choose whether to adhere to these guidelines, but historical reflections reveal that when governments overstep or neglect these boundaries, societal issues such as racism, oppression, and crime often arise, leading to a breakdown of relationships and increased struggles on multiple levels.

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Social justice is deeply rooted in our relationships with one another, which, in turn, depend on our relationship with our Creator. To strengthen this connection, we must align our morals and behaviors with the principles of humanity, ensuring we do not harm others. Ultimately, the extent of good one chooses to pursue is a personal decision.

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How can we become more Just as individuals and societies?

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Scripture teaches that Justice is established through 'Respect'—for our Creator, for each other, and for all creatures, big and small. But how can we be compelled to respect something we may not know? How can we adhere to a Law that isn't inscribed in our hearts? The answer lies in Knowledge and Wisdom, and the pursuit of 'Truth.' This requires self-reflection, reasoning, and understanding, as well as questioning ourselves, others, and the information we receive. One cannot seek truth without being 'truthful.' How else will they recognize its validity? How will they genuinely respect the truth they discover if they don't embody it in their behavior? Perhaps the key is 'Truthfulness.' The more truthful we are in our words and deeds—aligning our hearts with our speech and actions—the more likely we are to be 'true' to our soul's purpose. When we grasp this, the path to true Justice may naturally unfold...

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The more we strive for righteousness, the more we pursue justice.. so let us reflect on this: how can we become more righteous? The Abrahamic Scriptures urge us to reflect on God's Attributes and integrate them into our lives as much as possible. This brings wisdom, and with wisdom comes the ability to 'judge' between right and wrong. Acquiring wisdom empowers us to make judgments about behaviour in various situations and understand what makes societies function effectively. As we each take responsibility for this on an individual level, our democratic society will move closer to establishing peaceful leadership and justice systems that provide security and support for its people. We can then freely express our talents, cultures, and diverse identities through creativity, while helping and learning from one another, despite our differences in color, culture, race, and gender.

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A good place to start is to ask for our Creator's guidance... through mindfulness, prayer and meditation, through self-reflection and engaging in acts of sacrifice and loving kindness.

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Scripture quotes on Justice

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'It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating God, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful." But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves, [being merely] the enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do.' Quran 10:22-23

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‘The Rock, His work is Perfect, for all His ways are Justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and Upright is He.’ Deuteronomy 32:4

‘Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of Your Throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before You.’ Psalm 89:14

‘Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.’ Psalm 82:3

‘Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause.’ Isaiah 1:17

‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ Micah 6:8

‘But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.’ Luke 11:42

‘When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.’ Proverbs 21:15

‘Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.’ Proverbs 24:24-25

‘Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.’ Proverbs 28:5

‘You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.’ Mathew 5:38-39

‘But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!’ Amos 5:24

‘Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed ; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.’ Psalm 37:27-29

‘Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you.’ Isaiah 30:18-19

‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ Micah 6:8

‘For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.’ Isaiah 61:8-9

‘Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.’ Psalm 106:3

‘This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’ Zechariah 7:9

‘Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.’ Deuteronomy 16:20

‘The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.’ Proverbs 29:7

‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.’ Leviticus 19:15

‘The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.’ Psalm 33:5

‘Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.’ Isaiah 51:4-5

‘Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8

‘And let there always be among you a body of men who should invite to goodness, and enjoin virtue and forbid evil. And it is they who shall prosper.’ Quran 3:105

‘Do not kill any person; God has prohibited that, except in the course of justice.’ Quran 6:151

‘You shall surely be tried in your possessions and in your persons and you shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set upon equals to God. But, if you show fortitude and act righteously that indeed is a matter of strong determination.’ Quran 3:187

‘O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of God, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people‟s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear God. Surely, God is aware of what you do.’ Quran 5:9

‘And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order and call upon Him in fear and hope. Surely, the Mercy of God is nigh unto those who do good.’ Quran 7: 57

‘Verily, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others: and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.’ Quran 16:91

‘And the servants of the Gracious God are those who walk on the earth in a dignified manner and when the ignorant address them, they say “Peace”....’ Quran 25: 64

‘O ye who believe; let not one people deride another people, who may be better than they; nor let women deride other women, who may be better than they.’ Quran 49:12

‘And defame not your own people nor call one another by nicknames. Bad indeed is evil reputation after the profession of belief; and those who repent not are the wrong doers.’ Quran 49:12

‘O mankind, we have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and subtribes that you may know one another. Verily the most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous among you. Surely God is All-knowing, All-Aware.’ Quran 49: 14

‘And never think that God is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].’ Quran 14:42

‘O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for God, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, God is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed God is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.’ Quran 4:135

 

' Believers, be steadfast for the cause of God and 'just' in bearing witness. Let not a group's hostility to you cause you to deviate from justice. Be just, for it is closer to piety. Have fear of God; God is Well Aware of what you do.' Quran 5:8

‘And eat up not one another's property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), nor give bribery to the rulers (judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully.’ Quran 2:88

‘Verily! God commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (God) gives you! Truly, God is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.’ Quran 4:58

‘It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood-money, i.e. Diya) be given to the deceased's family unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (is prescribed); and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood-money - Diya) must be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And who so finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from God. And God is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise’. Quran 4:92

‘O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations. Lawful to you (for food) are all the beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you (herein), game (also) being unlawful when you assume Ihrâm for Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage). Verily, God commands that which He wills.’ Quran 5:1

‘... And if you judge, judge with justice between them. Verily, God loves those who act justly.’ Quran 5:42

‘But how do they come to you for decision while they have the Taurât (Torah), in which is the (plain) Decision of God; yet even after that, they turn away. For they are not (really) believers.’ Quran 5:43

‘Verily, We did send down the Taurât (Torah) [to Mûsâ (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to God’s Will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged for the Jews by the Taurât (Torah) after those Prophets], for to them was entrusted the protection of God’s Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what God has revealed, such are the Kâfirûn (i.e. disbelievers - of a lesser degree as they do not act on God’s Laws). Quran 5:44

‘And We ordained therein for them: "Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be for him an expiation. And whosoever does not judge by that which God has revealed, such are the Wrongdoers.’ Quran 5:45

‘Let the people of the Injeel (Gospel) judge by what God has revealed therein.... ‘ Quran 5:47

‘And so judge among them by what God has revealed and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn you far away from some of that which God has sent down to you. And if they turn away, then know that God’s Will is to punish them for some sins of theirs.’ Quran 5:49

‘Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgement than God for a people who have firm Faith.’ Quran 5:50

‘O you who believe! Kill not the game while you are in a state of Ihrâm [for Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage)], and whosoever of you kills it intentionally, the penalty is an offering, brought to the Ka‘bah, of an eatable animal (i.e. sheep, goat, cow) equivalent to the one he killed, as adjudged by two just men among you; or, for expiation, he should feed Masâkîn (poor persons), or its equivalent in Saum (fasting), that he may taste the heaviness (punishment) of his deed. God has forgiven what is past, but whosoever commits it again, God will take retribution from him. And God is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution.’ Quran 5:59

 

"...and oppression is severer than slaughter... and do not fight them in the sacred mosque until they fight with you in it..." Quran 2:191

‘God will not punish you for the oaths you make accidentally, but He will punish you for the oaths you make intentionally; for the expiation of oaths made or violated accidentally feed ten Masakin (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families; or clothe them; or manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths that you have sworn or broken accidentally. So protect your intentional oaths as God has made it clear to you in His Ayat so that you may be grateful.’ Quran 5:89

‘... and He is the Best of judges." Quran 6:57

Then they are returned to God, their True Maulâ [True Master (God), the Just Lord (to reward them)]. Surely, for Him is the judgement and He is the Swiftest in taking account. Quran 6:62

‘Say: “Shall I seek a judge other than God while it is He Who has sent down unto you the Book (the Qur’ân), explained in detail." Those unto whom We gave the Scripture know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth. So be not you of those who doubt’. Quran 6:113

‘God does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, God loves those who deal with equity.’ Quran 60:8

‘What is the matter with you? How judge you?’ Quran 68:36

‘Or have you oaths from Us, reaching to the Day of Resurrection, that yours will be what you judge?’ Quran 68:39