A JEWISH-CHRISTIAN- MUSLIM DIALOGUE

JUSTICE IN JUDAISM,
CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM
ARNOLD BENNETT
Award-winning Filmmaker of The Newfoundland Passion and Messiah
from Montreal

Rev. PHILLIP LEWIS

Retired Roman Catholic Priest, Community Chaplain and Catholic
Chaplain in St. John's

Dr. MAHMOUD HADDARA

President, Muslim Association of Newfoundland & Labrador. Professor of
Engineering, Memorial University
Justice in Islam

Mahmoud Haddara
February 2007
What is Justice
 Justice is the ideal, morally correct
state of things and persons,
whatever that contested ideal may
turn out to mean (Wikipedia)
 Justice is a concept involving the
fair, moral, and impartial
treatment of all persons, especially
in law
What is Justice
 Justice is the condition in which
every person and every part of a
whole (e.g. every part of the soul
of a person, or every citizen or
group in the state) performs its
proper function and receives its
proper reward. (John Howard
Sobel)
Definitions
 Islam = Submission
 Salam = Peace

 Allah = God
Islam
 Doctrine
 The set of beliefs

 Law (shariah)
 The systems that organize the
relationships between Muslims, their
Lord, their community, fellow human
beings, the environment, and all
creation
Justice follows from the
purpose of creation
“We have indeed offered the Trust to
the heavens, to the earth, and to
the mountains, but they refused to
undertake it and were afraid, but
man undertook it.”(33:72)
 Human trust
Justice is an objective of
the Divine messages
“Indeed, we sent our messengers
with clear signs, and sent down
with them The Book and The
Scales of Justice that people may
establish justice”(57:25)
Justice follows from faith
 “I have decreed that injustice is
unlawful”
 “Say, my Lord has commanded
justice” (7:29)
 “Certainly God commands
justice”(16:90)
 The Just, the Equitable
Justice follows from
equality
“O’ People, We have created you
from a single pair (a male and a
female), and We have made you
nations and tribes so that you get
to know each other, the best of
you is the one that is most
conscious of God” (49: 13)
Comprehensiveness of
Justice
 Justice in dealing with God
 Justice in dealing with oneself
 Justice in court
 Justice in testimony
 Justice with enemies
 Social justice
 Justice between nations
Areas of Applying Justice
 Personal
 Social
 Legal
 Justice between nations
Personal Justice
 “One who transgresses the limits
set by God has committed injustice
against oneself”(65:3)

 “When you speak be just even if

the subject is of your kin”(6:152)
Social Justice
 Ownership of wealth
 “and to Him belongs the dominion of
heavens and earth and what is in
between” (5:17)
 Trusteeship over wealth
 “and spend of that which He had
made you trustees over” (57:7)
Distribution of wealth
“So that it would not be an exclusive
property of the those who are
wealthy among you” (59:7)

 Zakat (poor dues)

 Inheritance laws
Legal judgments must
uphold justice
 “God commands you to return
trusts to their rightful owners, and
when you judge between people,
judge with fairness” (4:58)
Witnesses must bear
testimony for justice
“O’ you who believe, stand firm for justice and
bear witness for the sake of God, even though
it be against yourselves, your parents, or your
relatives. It does not matter whether the party
is rich or poor” (4:135)

“O you who believe, Be steadfast for the sake of

God and bear true witness and let not the
enmity of a people incite you not do justice. Be
just, this is nearer to righteousness.”(5:8)
Justice must be observed
in legal transactions
 “O believers! When you deal with
each other in lending for a fixed
period of time, put it in writing. Let
the scribe write it down with
justice between the parties.”
(2:282)
Justice between nations
 Peace
 Treaties
 Just war
 Justice in dealing with captives
Justice and Righteousness
 Righteousness is an ideal
 Justice is an integral part of
Righteousness
“be just, this is nearer to
Righteousness” (5:8)