The Value of the Divine Justice Concept and Its Background

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و صلی الله علیک یا ولی العصر(عج الله تعالي فرجه)

ادرکنا و ارشدنا

HADI VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY

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For ISLAMIC STUDIES (ICIS)

Essay Subject:

المعارف الالهیة  

العدل الالهیة المقدمة الثانیة

Divine Justice

Introductory Notes No. 2

The Value of the Divine Justice Concept and Its Background

Ver 01 Jan 2023

1. Necessity of Discussion about The Divine Justice, among Muslims

Allah has nominated names and attributes for Himself, based upon his Knowledge, Power, Singularity, Life, Justice, Intention, Will, Creation and so on. Shiite supplications الادعیة and Pilgrimages  الزیاراتare full of Allah’s names and attributes.

العلم –العلیم  القدرة-القادر الوَحدَة-الواحد(التوحید) الحیاة-الحیّ  العدل-العادل  المشیّة-الشائی الارادة-المزید  الخلقة-الخالق...

 “The Divine Justice العدل and the Monotheism التوحید” , are the two principles with significant importance. They are the principles of Shi’ism. To clarify why, the Divine Justice is one of the principles of Islam, we need to set up a specific discussion. Such discussion is necessary from different aspects, as follows:

1. Maintaining individual and social rights, is one of the requirements in a social system. Human beings normally live socially. People face injustice, unfairness and cruelty in their daily interactions, from one anothers. Some of these oppressions will never be compensated in the process of human courts. Therefore, man can ask, whether, the basis of this world, is upon justice or not! Can events and deeds be evaluated by goodness, badness, beauty and ugliness? Is human free to do anything, they wish? Is man responsible for the consequences of their acts and behavior?
2. Is human being compelledالمجبور  in doing their deeds or they enjoy free-will الاختیار? What is the relation and influence of different factors such as Divine Knowledge and Power, Genetics & Inheritance, History, Society, Family and environment with man’s free-will in his deeds? Is there fixed fate and predestinationالقِسمَة و القَدَر for man? If they are real, then, how serious is their share in man’s freedom?  They are frequent questions which keep man’s mind busy and man tries to find their answers by descent dialogues.
3. Human aware conscience, has always been seeking justice, against oppression. Human being has found harmony and compliance with law of the nature and the universe. But sometimes, natural disasters occur, whose explanation and relation with Divine Justice, requires a serious discussion. To what extent, are events, such as: floods, earth quack, pandemic diseases, babies with birth defect, and accidental death, related with human deeds and behavior on one hand and with the Divine Justice on the other hand? Truth seekers are persuaded to find answers to the above questions!!
4. Why is the Divine justice, discussed individually along with Monotheism?

2. The origin of disputes which are raised around The Divine Justice!

The frequent occurrence of a topic, in various essays and literature, shows the importance of the subject. One of such subjects which are mentioned in the Holy Quran, is the Divine Justice. The derivatives of the expressions “ Just and Justice ” have been employed in the Holy Quran, beside “oppression” for three hundred times. Treating people by justice is recommended and ordained by Allah whereas oppression is prohibited and condemned. The Holy verses have negated oppression from Allah the Exalted the sublime more than forty times.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَ الْإِحْسانِ وَ إيتاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبى‏ وَ يَنْهى‏ عَنِ الْفَحْشاءِ وَ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ الْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون‏

Indeed, Allah enjoins justice and kindness, and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and aggression. He advises you, so that you may take admonition.

و تَمَّت کَلِمَةُ رَبِّکَ صِدقًا وَ عَدلًا

The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَماناتِ إِلى‏ أَهْلِها وَ إِذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْل

Indeed, Allah commands you to deliver the trusts to their [rightful] owners, and to judge with fairness when you judge between people.

In other Holy verses, Allah the Exalted has been transcended from committing oppression as follows:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّة

Indeed, Allah does not wrong [anyone] [even to the extent of] an atom’s weight

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئا

Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least

مَنْ عَمِلَ صالِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ أَساءَ فَعَلَيْها وَ ما رَبُّكَ بِظَلاَّمٍ لِلْعَبيد

Whoever acts righteously, it is for [the benefit of] his own soul, and whoever does evil, it is to its detriment, and your Lord is not tyrannical to His servants

 Upon the above facts, two sects of Muslims: Shia and Mu'tazila المعتزلة on the contrary to Ash'ari الاشعَرِيَّة and Traditionalists, believe in the importance of the Divine Justice concept and have accounted it, one of fundamentals of Islam. They believe that some religious beliefs, are subset of the Divine justice. A Muslim who denies the Divine Justice, cannot justify some of Islamic concepts such as: man’s obligation, enjoining & prohibiting الامر و انهی الشرعیة , reward & chastisement الثواب و العِقاب , Felicity السعادة & Wretchedness الشقاوة , Paradise & Hell. If Muslims are unable to maintain reasons for the above facts and concepts, then the religion would become vain and void. That is why, all the religions have approved the Divine Justice as a principle of religion.

Unless man can prove the Divine Justice, the belief in Monotheism, will no benefit him.

Until Divine Justice is proven, Allah cannot be announced exalted from oppression and as the motivation of oppression is the need الحاجة, Allah will be needy, thus, He cannot be complete and flawless, which it ruins Monotheism.

3. The position of the Divine Justice in Islamic Traditions

According to Prophet’s Household علیهم السلام, there is a high position and value for “the Divine Justice” concept. They have accounted “the Divine Justice” as important as “Monotheism”. They have announced both of them as the Religion Principles.

Imam As-Sadiq ^{علیه السلام} has emphasized on this fact as follows:  

انَّ اَساسَ الدّینِ التوحیدُ و العدلُ[1]

The principles of Islam are Monotheism and Divine Justice.

Imam Reza ^{علیه السلام} narrated from His Respectful Grand Ancestor and the Great Prophet ^{صلی الله علیه و آله} as follows:

« مَا عَرَفَ اللَّهَ مَنْ شَبَّهَهُ بِخَلْقِهِ وَ لَا وَصَفَهُ بِالْعَدْلِ مَنْ نَسَبَ إِلَيْهِ ذُنُوبَ عِبَادِه‏ » [2]

Whoever likens Allah to His creatures, has not recognized Him.

whoever ascribes the sins of His slaves to Him, has not described Him by Justice (do not believe in His Justice).

It is narrated in one of Nahjul Balaghah Spiritual Advices, as follows:

« سُئِلَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَ الْعَدْلِ فَقَالَ ^{علیه السلام} التَّوْحِيدُ أَلَّا تَتَوَهَّمَهُ وَ الْعَدْلُ أَلَّا تَتَّهِمَه‏ » [3]

He was asked about Monotheism and Divine Justice

He answered: Monotheism is that, one does not Imagine Him (Allah)

And Divine Justice is that, one does not accuse Him (Allah)

In major Hadith references, it has been clarified that Monotheism and Divine Justice are congruent principles and of the same importance and value in Islam. People asked their religious questions according to the importance of the concepts.

4. Backgrounds of the Divine Justice Concept

Since ages, scholars have discussed about the Divine Justice and its relation with human voluntary deeds and free-will.  Among written documents, there are Greek manuscripts from six hundred years before Islam (190 AD) which proves “the Divine Justice” as the subject of their discussion.

The Holy Quran explains:

« سَيَقُولُ الَّذينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شاءَ اللَّهُ ما أَشْرَكْنا وَ لا آباؤُنا وَ لا حَرَّمْنا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ

كَذلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِم‏ حَتَّى ذاقُوا بَأْسَنا » [4]

The polytheists will say, ‘Had Allah wished we would not have ascribed any partner [to Him], nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.’ Those who were before them had denied likewise until they tasted Our punishment.

Two defected beliefs

In the very early Islamic era and specifically after the demise of the holy prophet ^{صلی الله علیه و آله}  human voluntary deeds and free-will have been the subject of Muslims’ dialogues. Historically, the discussion about the Divine Justice was initiated among theologians, right after their arguments about “ Are human beings, autonomous or compelled doer?” Under the Great Prophet ^{صلی الله علیه و آله}’s direct teachings, Muslims were neither for determinism nor for Absolute Delegation الجبر و التفویض. Believing in determinism, had multiple reasons such as: political, religious and philosophical ones[5].

1. A group of Muslims who followed determinism, were called “ المُجَبِّرَة“.

They believed that “God is the real preparator of Human evil acts”[6]. (the belief was too offending for Muslims) then they raised a justification to glorify Allah from injustice. They stated that, Allah is the real owner of human beings. Owner has the right to interfere in His belongings. Therefore, it is not injustice of Him if He forces human beings to do evil and then punish them. Thus fundamentally, Cruelty and Injustice, are not applicable to Allah[7]. Umayyad dynast rulers, specially, Muaviah^{لعنة الله علیه}   used to justify their evil deeds and to legitimize their government by using the belief in Determinism.

 Ash'aris (the followers of Hadith) used to widespread the belief in Determinism by employing and misinterpreting the Holy Quran verses and hadiths about the Divine Ordain, Measurement, Guidance, Misguidance and etc[8]

2. A group of theologians who believed in Absolute Delegation[9] were called " المفَوَّضَة ".  

They believed that God has entrusted all human affairs to themselves, then He has retired Himself from the Throne. He has no more control over the deeds which is performed by human being. Therefore, human being is free to do what they wish in a limited field of acts. Originally, they have gained the control and ability from God. But after the completion of power transfer from God to human, they are independent from God’s control on their deeds[10].

In Shiite traditional sources, both "المفوضَّة و المُجَبِّرَة" are called Fatalists "القَدَرِیَّة" .

The first group المُجَبِّرَة were called Fatalists because they believed in inevitable Divine Ordain & Measurements القضاء و التقدیر الالهیه in human voluntary deedsافعال الانسان الاختیاریة  in a way that they confined human being ability. 

It is narrated from the Great Prophet ^{صلی الله علیه و آله}  that Fatalists القدریة are the group who are cursed by all the Divine Prophets. People requested Him to introduced Fatalists. He explained as follows:

« قَوْمٌ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ قَدَّرَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَعَاصِيَ وَ عَذَّبَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا »

They are the people who imagine that Verily Allah the Glorified has decreed for them disobedience and punished them for it. [11]

Mutazila followers have inclined to Indeterminism, due to some of their beliefs[12]

The second group are " مفوّضة" were called Fatalists as they imagine that Allah’s power and ability is confined by human voluntary deeds, they also denied Divine Ordain and Measurement القضاء و القدر الهیة.

Imam ul-Baqir ^{علیه السلام} once said:

« الْقَدَرِيَّةُ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ لَا قَدَرَ وَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَى الْهُدَى وَ الضَّلَالَةِ

وَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِمْ, إِنْ شَاءُوا اهْتَدَوْا وَ إِنْ شَاءُوا ضَلُّوا وَ هُمْ مَجُوسُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّة »

Fatalists are the people who state that there is no preplanned fate for them and they are the decision maker for Guidance or Misguidance and

It is up to them, either intend to be guided or intend to be misguided

They are the Magian of this nation. [13]

 المفوضه: لا قدر           The followers of Indeterminism denied Allah’s measurements in events in this world

المجبرة : فیه قدر – الله  قَدَّرَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَعَاصِيَ The followers of determinism denied man’s free-will in their wrong-doings

In the atmosphere of indulgence and negligence الافراط و التفریط, there were only Shiite theologians who followed the Prophet Household, took the path of moderation, promoted the Divine Justice and denied both determinism and indeterminism. They believed in “a path other than the two امر بین الامرین“ which emphasizes on human free-will in their voluntary deeds, along with avoiding confinement of Divine Sovereignty in relation with human voluntary deeds. [14]