Al-Adl

Adl means justice. Allah Ta'ala is known as Al-Adl because He himself is the source of justice. Justice is found in whatever Allah Ta'ala says. Justice is found in whatever Allah Ta'ala does. Justice is found in whatever Allah Ta'ala decides.

A car in which there are two persons, met into an accident. One is a very bad person and the other is a pious person. Allah Ta'ala willed that the pious person pass away while the other person be saved. In this case, we say that goodness and justice lie in whatever Allah has done. Similarly, a lady passed away after childbirth. This newborn has no one besides his mother. As a Muslim, we should say that whatever Allah Ta'ala has decided is justice.

One cannot say anything regarding the decision of Allah Ta'ala, because whatever Allah Ta'ala does is justice. And a negative attitude towards justice is injustice. Such cases make everyone sad. It is not within the capacity of a human being not to feel sad. That is why there is no blame on a person who feels sad in such circumstances but we should accept the decision of Allah Ta'ala because Allah Ta'ala is Al-Adl. Whatever He does is just and equitable.

Zulm (injustice) is something that Allah Ta'ala has made haraam on Himself just as he made it Haraam on human. Zulm is a defect and Allah Ta'ala is beyond all defects. Thus, there is nothing wrong in whatever Allah Ta'ala does. This is to such an extent that if Allah Ta'ala puts all the good people in Jahannam and all the bad people in Jannah, then even this will not be against justice.

People often question some laws of Deen such as amputating the hand of a person who steals, stoning to death a married person who commits adultery, cutting the neck of an assassin, lashing the one who accuses an innocent of Zina 80 times, executing the one who abandons Deen. They describe these laws as barbarism, tyranny or cruelty but yet they are laws prescribed by Allah Ta'ala. The fact that Allah Ta'ala is Al-Adl, his prescribed laws must also be just, perfect and equitable. There is no defect or fault in the law of Allah Ta'ala. The law of Allah Ta'ala protects the vulnerable. It relieves the victims. It provides security for the weak. It curbs the abuses of criminals at all levels so that Insaan (man) can live in peace and security because it protects the life, honour, wealth and family of a person. Deen aims to clean the society of anything that can harm the life of an individual. This cleaning sometimes requires amputation of the hand, stoning or execution.

Sometimes, certain situations arise in the life of a person where he has to choose between the bad and the worst. One does not do it for pleasure. One does it rather by obligation. Who would accept to have his arm or foot amputated without being forced to take such a decision! Similarly a head of state will find it logical to crash a plane which is coming to attack his country although there may be innocents on board. The reasoning is simple. One should agree to sacrifice a small group of innocents to secure and protect the greater majority. It is unfair to put the victims and the vulnerable at risk for the well-being of criminals and perpetrators.

Allah Ta'ala is Al-Adl (just) and His prescribed laws guarantee justice. Injustice lies in rejecting these laws or trying to change or modify them. The desire or wish to replace them with another system is merely a deviation that leads to adopting the worst to the detriment of the perfect, equitable and just. The firm belief in the attribute of Al-Adl helps a person not to be upset in difficult situations. He is conscious that everything comes from Allah. Thus, he seeks help solely from Allah Ta'ala to ease him and relieve him from his difficult conditions. 

[English version of "Al-Adl" – Al Jamiat – Vol.6 No.14]