Stand Up for Justice

This Verse is from Surat an-Nisâ' (lit. "Women") that focusses on the rights of people whose social position is considered weak, depending on how a particular society works, in this case the rights of women, children, orphans and slaves. Traditionally it is often recited as a general admonition in the second part of the Friday sermon. Today I would like to use it as a foundation to reflect on justice.

To begin with: what is the concept of justice this text is referring to? I am not going to lecture about Arabic etymology, but we should keep in mind that the terms qist and adl that are used here represent the idea of a balanced relationship. That is why the symbol of the scales is used for illustration: if something is missing in one scale, it is to be added, or something is to be taken away from the other side, in order to restore the balance. Ideally, the task of a judge is to restore the balance between conflicting parties. This is why a judge must be free of self-interest and must not permit himself to be influenced by emotional impulses like anger, pity and the like. The Prophet expressedly prohibited to pronounce a judgement while angry.

The image of the scales is quite appropriate to demonstrate how delicate the balance is. Justice is more than mere equality: most often it is about different but equally valuable things. But it is also very simplified and can be misleading if taken too literally. The everyday reality of justice generally implies more than two sides. Parents of two or more childen probably understand immediately what I mean if they remember all those attempts to coordinate family life including seemingly insignificant matters like the discussion of what is for dinner or how to spend the family summer holidays without making one of the children feel neglected in favour of another. Because of the parents' love for their children, there is quite an emotional challenge involved. It sometimes takes a lot of self-control to avoid an unjust slap caused by frustration and anger rather than by the necessity to punish a child for an actual offense.

It is therefore said that family life is a training ground for behaviour in society because preserving and restoring balance in a network of multifaceted relationships cannot be learned through theoretical study alone. Political decisionmaking demands a permanent attention on the interaction between various social groups with their different interests and the natural environment. As "God's trustees on earth", we are to preserve the balance with ourselves, between human beings and between various aspects of creation. This demands self-control and wisdom.

Things become even more complicated when we are ourselves part of a conflict and there is no neutral mediator to rely on. Even the most careless and ignorant individuals will notice when they are treated unjustly and make a move to claim their rights or to make the opponent know how hurt they are. Vengeance is based on the idea to repay an injury in kind. But instead of restoring the balance lost through the initial injustice, experience shows that this is more likely to lead to an escalation or an endless feud, and soon the concept of justice is lost altogether in a meaningless exchange of reactions.

In a verse that sounds rather similar to the one quoted in the beginning, the Qur'an says,

You who have faith, stand up for God as witnesses of justice. And the hostility of a group of people must not incite you to act other than justly. Be just, that is nearer to God-consciousness. And be conscious of God's presence. God is well aware of what you do. (Surah 5:9)

The current conflict about the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad has reached a stage where it is constructed by some as a symptom of the Clash of Civilizations conjured up by Samuel Huntington several years ago. In their love for the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims feel anger and pain at any disrespect shown to him. The situation has been further complicated by unscrupulous attempts to exploit these emotions for destructive overreactions that cause some Muslims to forget their self-control, dignity and values and to react with physical violence and attempts to retaliate with generally aggressive statements and with caricatures that are equally tasteless and insulting.

I am not saying that we should deny our feelings. After all, we are human beings and it is only natural to feel pain and anger and concern. Rather we should be aware of these emotions and controle their energy and try to use it in a reasonable, responsible and constructive way. Al-Ghazzali described in a very detailed manner how uncontrolled anger works like a drug that clouds the human mind and impairs the ability to speak and act rationally. Among the techniques he recommends to master it is visualizing one's face when angry: it is a distorted image of our real face, a caricature of our real dignified self. He then proceeds to recommend various methods to relax, to cool down, if necessary by performing a new ritual washing, and to remember God's presence.

During the past few days, several Muslims thinkers asked a very appropriate question: what would the Prophet himself have done? Aren't we, as Muslims, to follow his example? After all, that is why prophets are human beings. So was he. He certainly felt anger and pain, especially when confronted with injustice against the poor and the weak. He clearly knew what he was talking about when he said, "A strong person is not someone who is physically strong but one who is best at controlling himself when angry." If we read his biography, we repeatedly come across examples where he sought reconciliation rather than retaliation, the most well-known one among them being his return to Makkah where he forgave those who had committed crimes against him and the Muslim community.

Demonstrating our loyalty for the Prophet by yelling and screaming and trying to violently smash any distorting mirror in which he is portrayed in these days would only be a caricature of what he stands for. Far less easy but more in tune with our sincere love for him is to follow his examples of self-control and generosity and to use our energy for constructive ends. May God help us in this.

The Messenger has faith in what was sent down to him from his Creator and Sustainer, and so do the faithful. They all have faith in God and His angels and His Scriptures and His messengers - we do not make a difference between His messengers - and they say, "We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Creator and Sustainer, and to You is the final return.
God does not demand of any soul anything beyond its capacity. It receives what it deserves and it is accountable for what it acquired. Our Creator and Sustainer, do not take us to account when we forget or commit errors. Our Creator and Sustainer, and do not place on us a burden like that which You placed on those before us. Our Creator and Sustainer, and do not burden us whith something that we cannot bear, and wipe out our faults and forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Master, therefore help us against the forces of denial. (2:285-286)

(c) Halima Krausen, 2006