Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, Allah orders justice and benevolence} [An-Nahl: 90] He also says: {And act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.} [Al-Hujūrāt: 9]
1) Justice is an obligation, while benevolence is a virtue and grace. Part of the obligatory justice is to give everyone their due rights.
2) The rulers are urged to act justly, as justice is the pillar of the heavens and the earth.
659/1 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Seven people Allah will give them His shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces but he (rejects her advances and) says: ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes flow with tears.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) The best form of justice is to rule in the land according to the Shariah of Allah.
2) It points out the high standing of the just ruler; that is why he is mentioned first in the Hadīth.
The shade of Allah is actually the shade of His Throne, based on another version of the Hadīth that says: “Seven people Allah will give them the shade of His Throne...” [Narrated by Ahmad] The Prophet’s Hadīths complete one another. Something may be briefly mentioned in one Hadīth and explained in another.
660/2 - ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Those who are just will be on pulpits of light with Allah. They are those who are fair with regard to their judgment, their families, and what they are in charge of.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) It points to the great reward promised to those who are just in their judgments and in dealing with their families, as well as in their private and public leadership roles.
2) Recompense for a deed should be of the same nature of the deed. So, since justice is an illuminating light in the life of this world, Allah will reward the just people with pulpits of light on the Day of Judgment.
661/3 - ‘Awf ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, and who invoke Allah’s blessings upon you and you invoke His blessings upon them. And the worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and they hate you, and whom you curse and they curse you.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, shouldn’t we rebel against them?” He said: “No, as long as they establish prayer amongst you. No, as long as they establish prayer amongst you.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Rulers are of two types:
- There are rulers who fulfill their duties, and so people love them and they love the people, and each of them supplicates Allah for the other. Such are the best of rulers.
- There are rulers who hate the people and the people hate them, and they curse and revile each other. Such are the worst of rulers.
2) The rulers are urged to act justly toward their subjects, and people are urged to obey them where no sin is involved, so that their interests can be served and cordiality and love can prevail amongst them.
662/4 - ‘Iyād ibn Himār (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The people of Paradise are three: a ruler who is just and guided to goodness and success; a man who is compassionate and soft-hearted toward every relative and Muslim; and a man with dependents who is chaste and abstains from begging.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) If Allah Almighty wills good for a ruler, He guides him to establish justice among his subjects. Indeed, justice is a sign of success ad guidance.
2) It urges us to deal with everyone in a gentle kind manner.
3) Justice, benevolence, mercy, and chastity are among the noble manners that lead to Paradise.