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Justice, Not Equality: The True Aim of Shari‘ah

  • Writer: Omar Elnahwy
    Omar Elnahwy
  • May 30
  • 3 min read

Shari‘ah Prioritises Justice Over Equality

When discussing justice in Islam, many well-meaning Muslims unknowingly adopt secular assumptions. Their understanding often drifts from the Qur’anic conception of justice, which is classically defined as: “Putting things in their proper place.”1 In essence, justice in Islam means giving everyone and everything their due—at the right time, in the right manner, and in the right proportion.
To act justly, one must possess knowledge of the true worth and roles of things as defined by Islam. As Ibn al-Qayyim insightfully wrote:
“Knowledge and justice are the root of all good, while ignorance and injustice are the root of all evil.” 1

Qur’anic Emphasis on Justice

The Qur’an repeatedly calls for justice in its legal and moral teachings:
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people, to judge with justice.”(Qur’an 4:58)
“O you who believe! Stand firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives, whether one is rich or poor.”(Qur’an 4:135)
Yet, despite these clear calls to justice, some modern Muslims equate justice with equality —a concept that, while occasionally overlapping, is not the same. Justice in Islam is not a flat, identical treatment of all people regardless of role or circumstance; rather, it is about giving each person what is rightfully due to them.

Islam Does Not Equate Justice with Uniform Equality

Although there are verses in the Qur’an that promote aspects of equality (such as moral accountability), others affirm divinely-ordained distinctions:
“Is the one who believes equal to the one who defiantly disobeys? They are not equal.”(Qur’an 32:18)
“Not equal are the people of the Fire and the people of Paradise. The people of Paradise — they are the successful ones.”(Qur’an 59:20)
“And the male is not like the female.”(Qur’an 3:36)
“Allah commands you regarding your children: for the male, a share equal to that of two females.”(Qur’an 4:11)
These verses affirm that justice in Islam often involves differentiation based on roles, capacities, or responsibilities — not unjust discrimination. Equality, as used in modern discourse, often ignores these distinctions and imposes a one-size-fits-all model that is foreign to Islamic teachings.

Justice as the Core of Shari‘ah

When Muslims abandon Qur’anic language and absorb the unexamined vocabulary of modern ideologies — particularly feminism — they risk distorting Islamic concepts. The Qur’an speaks the language of justice, not equality, and the difference matters.

Ibn al-Qayyim beautifully summarised the essence of Islamic law by stating:
“Indeed, Allah — exalted is He — has made clear in His revealed laws that their purpose is to establish justice among His servants and fairness among people. So whatever brings about justice and fairness is part of the religion, even if it was not explicitly mentioned therein.”3

He also wrote:
“The Shari‘ah is founded upon wisdom and the welfare of people in this life and the next. It is entirely justice, entirely mercy, entirely benefit, and entirely wisdom. Anything that deviates from justice to injustice, mercy to its opposite, benefit to harm, or wisdom to folly is not part of the Shari‘ah, even if it is claimed to be so by some interpretation.”4
Islam’s commitment is to justice, not abstract or mechanical equality. Justice considers context, nature, and responsibility. As Muslims, returning to the Qur’an’s language and framework is essential to understand and articulate our values correctly in a world full of conflicting narratives.


For more about Islam visit: https://www.howtomuslim.org
Who was Prophet Muhammed (PBUH): https://www.howtomuslim.org/prophet-muhammed

References

  1. Al-Rāghib al-Asfahānī, Mufradāt Alfāẓ al-Qur’ān, Dar al-Qalam, 2002, p. 537.

  2. Ibn al-Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, Dar Ṭayyibah, 2008, vol. 4, p. 556.

  3. Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Ṭuruq al-Ḥukmiyyah, Dar ʿĀlam al-Fawā’id, 2007, p. 31.

  4. Ibn al-Qayyim, Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn, Dar Ibn al-Jawzī, 2002, vol. 4, p. 337.



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