Divine Justice @ Opinions Concerning God's Justice

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The problem of justice as one of God's attributes has had its own
distinct history. Various schools of thought in Islam have held
different views on the subject, interpreting it in accordance
withtheir own distinctive principles.
Some Sunnis who follow the views of the theologian Abu'l Hasan Ash'ari
do not believe in God's justice as a matter of faith, and they deny
that justice is accomplished by the divine acts.
In their view, however, God treats a certain person, and whatever
punishment or reward He gives him, irrespective of what he might
appear to deserve, will represent justice and absolute good, even
though it might appear unjust when measured by human standards.
These Ash'aris, thus, distinguish God's attribute of justice from
Hisacts and they, therefore, regard as just whatever can be attributed
to God. If He rewards the virtuous and punishes the sinful, this is
justice, but so wouldbe the reverse; it would still be inthe broad
sphere of His justice.
Their claim that the very terms"justice" and "injustice" are
meaningless when applied to God is no doubt intended to elevate God's
most sacred essence to the position of the highest transcendence. But
no thoughtful person will regard these superficial and inadequate
notions as having anything to dowith God's transcendence. In fact,
they involve a denial of order in the world, of the principle of
causality both in the general order of the world and inthe conduct and
deeds of individual men.
The followers of al-Ash'ari believe, moreover, that the brightlamp of
the intellect is extinguished whenever it is confronted with the
perceptions and problems of religion, that it is unable to benefit man
or light up his path.
This claim conforms neither to the teachings of the Quran nor tothe
content of the sunnah. The Quran considers disregard for the intellect
to be a form of misguidance and repeatedly summons men to reflection
and meditation in order to learn divine knowledge and religious
beliefs. Those who fail to benefit from this bright lamp within them
are compared to the animals. The Quran says: "The worst of creatures
in the sight ofGod are those persons who are deaf and dumb and do not
reflect." (8:22)
The Prophet of Islam says: "God has assigned two guides to man: one
external to him, the messengers of God, and the other internal, his
own power of thought.
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The Mutazilites and Shi'ast and in opposition to al-Ash'ari and his
school. Out of all the attributes ofGod, they have selected justice
tobe a principle of their creed. Relying on both transmitted and
rational proofs, they have also refuted and rejected as incompatible
with the principle of justice, the doctrines of the unmediated effect
of divine destiny and the predetermination of man's acts.
They believe that justice is the basis of God's acts, both in the
ordering of the universe and in the establishing of laws. Just as
human acts can be weighed according to the criteria of good and bad,
the acts of the Creator are also subject to the same criteria. Since
the logic of reason determines that justice is inherently praiseworthy
and injustice inherently reprehensible, an object of worship whose
characteristics include infinite intelligence and spirit, will never
undertake an actthat reason regards as impermissible.
When we say that God is just, it means that His all-knowing and
creative essence does nothing that is contrary to wisdom and benefit.
The concept of wisdom, when applied to the Creator, doesnot mean that
He chooses the best means for attaining His goals or remedying His
deficiencies, for it is only man who is called on to move from
deficiency toward perfection. God's concern is to make beings emerge
from deficiency and impel them toward perfection and the aims inherent
in their own essences. God's wisdom consists of this, that He first
implants a form of His favor within each phenomenon, and then, after
bestowing existence upon it, impels it toward the perfection of its
capacities through a further exercise of His generosity.
Justice has, then, an extensive meaning, which naturally includes the
avoidance of oppression and all foolish acts. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq,
peace be upon him, says in explanation of God's justice:
"Justice in the case of God meansthat you should not ascribe anything
to God that if you were to do it would cause you to be blamed and
reproached."[ 1 ]
With man, oppression and all the forms of corrupt activity in which he
engages, derive, without doubt, from ignorance and lack of awareness
and need coupled with innate lowliness; sometimes, too, they are the
reflection of hatred and enmity, which leap forth from man's inner
being like a spark.
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