Voices of Faith: Seeking justice is key to Islam

In a world where injustice seems to be around every corner, it becomes increasingly easy to turn a blind eye and ignore it. Islam has taught me that no matter what, I should stand up for what is right, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Islam, like nearly every religion, commands its followers to stand up for justice and to stand with the oppressed. Doing so means you stand firm on what you believe in and obey direct commands from Allah.

The Quran’s core teachings and messages are to guide all of mankind to become righteous, thus establishing justice and order in this life. In the Quran, Allah says: “O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness.” [Quran 5:8]

Anger can cloud one’s judgment, leading them to enact injustice against people. This verse is explicitly telling us to stay away from that and to stay truthful and to remain just. Being a believing Muslim means to actively uphold and protect our values such as equality and justice.

Justice is a very integral in Islam. The Arabic word for justice is “adl” and is used 28 times in the Quran, and “qist” meaning fairness and equity is used 22 times in the Quran, meaning Allah has placed a big emphasis on them. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity ... He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.” [Quran 19:60]

This divine commandment summarizes a Muslim's political and social responsibility: to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, to promote goodness and strive against evil in every capacity that's possible.

Muslims are also required to establish social justice. The Prophet Muhammad may peace and blessings be upon him, as well as his early followers, established zakat, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is the practice of almsgiving, and it means “purification” and “growth.” The general rule is 2.5% and the money goes to the poor, the needy, those in debt, and other candidates specified by Islamic law. By making this an obligatory act for Muslims, this creates an economic situation in which the advantaged look after those less fortunate. During the reign of Omar ibn Abdul Aziz, this practice brought about a state in which there was such prosperity, there were no more people in the society who were eligible to receive Zakat money! While we don’t often think about it, economic justice is something we need to build into our infrastructure, as all forms of fairness and justice are connected.

Islam has taught me that no matter the situation, to always stand firm against injustice no matter who they may be. Treating others like how you’d like to be treated is the golden rule. This means always treat the other person justly, even if they act with animosity and injustice against you. Ultimately, these lessons teach us that it is a moral obligation to stand up for what is right.

Our actions today set a standard of what will happen tomorrow. Standing up against injustice will not only ensure that justice prevails, but it creates a world in which compassion, kindness, and fairness will be the standard, and the status quo of wrong and oppression will be defeated.

Yazun Issawi is president of Kent State Students for Justice in Palestine.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Seeking justice is key to Islamic faith