Hadiths on Justice
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of justice and equality through various hadiths, including:
- Abu Wahab Al-Samati reported that he pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to listen and obey in ease and hardship, and not to contest matters with those in charge. He was to speak the truth wherever he was, and fear no blame in the cause of Allah.
- According to An-Nu’man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him), his father gave him a gift, but Amrah bint Rawahah insisted that the Prophet (peace be upon him) be a witness to it. The Prophet asked if he had given equal gifts to all his children, to which he replied no. The Prophet then told him to fear Allah and maintain justice among his children, leading him to return the gift.
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Three supplications are not rejected: The supplication of a fasting person until they break their fast, the supplication of a just ruler, and the supplication of the oppressed.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that “There are three types of judges: one in Paradise and two in Hell. The one in Paradise is a person who knows the truth and judges accordingly, while the two in Hell are those who know the truth yet rule unfairly and those who judge out of ignorance.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “The best jihad is a word of justice before a tyrannical ruler or leader.”
- He warned: “Indeed, the thing that destroyed those before you was that when a noble person among them committed theft, they let it go, but if a weak person did, they enforced the punishment. By Allah, if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would cut off her hand.”
- He also said: “Every joint of a person is a form of charity; every day the sun rises, doing justice between two people is an act of charity.”
The Rewards of Justice on the Day of Judgment
On the Day of Judgment, those who uphold justice will be rewarded greatly. Some hadiths that highlight the rewards for justice include:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “Seven types of people will be shaded by Allah on the Day when there will be no shade except His shade: a just ruler…”
- He said: “Those who act justly will be seated upon pulpits made of light, to the right of the Most Merciful, and both of His hands are right hands. They are those who act justly in their judgments and among their families.”
- Furthermore, he remarked: “The Imam is a shield. They fight behind him and are protected by him. If he commands righteousness and acts justly, he will receive a reward for it; if he commands otherwise, it will be against him.”
- He also noted: “The inhabitants of Paradise consist of three types: a just ruler, a kind-hearted individual devoted to his close ones and the Muslims, and a humble, charitable poor person.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) proclaimed: “Whoever seeks justice for the Muslims and allows their justice to overcome their injustice will attain Paradise, and whoever’s injustice overtakes their justice will end up in Hell.”
Warnings Against Injustice
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cautioned against the dire consequences of injustice through several notable hadiths:
- He warned: “Whoever has two wives and favors one over the other will come on the Day of Judgment with a tilted side.”
- As narrated from Allah (blessed and exalted be He), the Prophet (peace be upon him) relayed: “O My servants, I have declared injustice forbidden upon Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not commit injustice to one another.”
- He further stated: “Injustice will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection.”
- He advised: “Seek refuge in Allah from poverty and being oppressed, and from being unjust or being treated unjustly.”