Fairness and Justice

مَنْ يَضْمَنُ لِي أَرْبَعَةً بِأَرْبَعَةِ أَبْيَاتٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ[1] أَنْفِقْ وَ لَا تَخَفْ فَقْراً وَ أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ فِي الْعَالَمِ وَ اتْرُكِ الْمِرَاءَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُحِقّاً وَ أَنْصِفِ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ.

“Whoever likes to guarantee four things for me, I guarantee four homes in paradise. (He should guarantee me) to give charity without fear from his poverty, to speak out loud the greetings of peace in the world and quit excessive argumentation even though he is on the side of right. He must yield to justice for people a

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ سَيِّدُ الْأَعْمَالِ ثَلَاثَةٌ إِنْصَافُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ حَتَّى لَا تَرْضَى بِشَيْ‌ءٍ إِلَّا رَضِيتَ لَهُمْ مِثْلَهُ وَ مُوَاسَاتُكَ الْأَخَ‌[2] فِي الْمَالِ وَ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ لَيْسَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ فَقَطْ وَ لَكِنْ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ أ

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The masters of good deeds are three things: To yield to justice for people against one’s own soul. So what you do not like to happen to you, do not agree to happen to people also, to cooperate with your fellow believer in matters of properties and to speak of Allah in all conditio

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ‌ أَلَا إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُنْصِفِ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ لَمْ يَزِدْهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا عِزّاً.

“Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) has said in one of his speeches, ‘You must note that due to a person’s yielding to justice for people against his own self, Allah increases his respect and honor.’”

ثَلَاثَةٌ هُمْ أَقْرَبُ الْخَلْقِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنَ الْحِسَابِ رَجُلٌ لَمْ تَدْعُهُ قُدْرَةٌ[1] فِي حَالِ غَضَبِهِ إِلَى أَنْ يَحِيفَ عَلَى مَنْ تَحْتَ يَدِهِ وَ رَجُلٌ مَشَى بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَلَمْ يَمِلْ مَعَ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَى الْآخَرِ بِشَعِيرَةٍ وَ رَجُلٌ قَالَ بِالْحَقِّ فِيمَا لَهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ.

“Three people of all creatures will be the closest to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, on the Day of Judgment until all accounting is finished: a man whose power does not lead him in anger to do injustice to his subjects, a man who mediates between two people and does not lean toward anyone of them even to the

فِي حَدِيثٍ لَهُ‌ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِأَشَدِّ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ فَذَكَرَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَشْيَاءَ أَوَّلُهَا إِنْصَافُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ.

“In a Hadith he has said, ‘What is the most forceful obligation from Allah upon His creatures? I must ask you.’ The Imam mentioned three things of which the first was yielding to justice for people against one’s own soul.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ سَيِّدُ الْأَعْمَالِ إِنْصَافُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ مُوَاسَاةُ الْأَخِ فِي اللَّهِ‌[2] وَ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘The masters of deeds are yielding to justice for people against your own soul, cooperation with your fellow believers for the sake of Allah and to speak of and remember Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, in all conditions.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِأَشَدِّ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ ثَلَاثٌ‌[3] قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ إِنْصَافُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ مُوَاسَاتُكَ أَخَاكَ وَ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ أَمَا إِنِّي لَا أَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا مِنْ ذَاكَ وَ لَكِنْ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ فِي كُلِّ مَوْط

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said to me, ‘Should I tell you about what Allah has emphatically made obligatory on His creatures (are three things)?’ I said, ‘Yes, please do so.’ The Imam said, ‘You must yield to justice for people against your own soul, cooperate with your fellow believers, and speak of and remember Allah

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا ابْتُلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ أَشَدَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خِصَالٍ ثَلَاثٍ يُحْرَمُهَا قِيلَ وَ مَا هُنَّ قَالَ الْمُوَاسَاةُ فِي ذَاتِ‌ يَدِهِ وَ الْإِنْصَافُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً أَمَا إِنِّي لَا أَقُولُ- سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ لَكِنْ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ عِنْدَ مَا أَحَلَّ لَهُ وَ ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ عِنْدَ مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِ.

‘The believer is not tried with anything more difficult than three depriving things.’ It was asked, ‘What are they?’ The Imam said, ‘They are to cooperate with one who has an established relation with you with whatever financial means available, to yield to justice for people against one’s own soul and to speak of and

جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ بَعْضَ غَزَوَاتِهِ فَأَخَذَ بِغَرْزِ[1] رَاحِلَتِهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِّمْنِي عَمَلًا أَدْخُلُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَالَ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْكَ‌[2] فَأْتِهِ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ مَا كَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا تَأْتِهِ إِلَيْهِمْ خَلِّ سَبِيلَ الرَّاحِلَةِ.

“Once an Arab man came to the Holy Prophet when he was about to leave for an armed campaign. The Arab held on to the harness of the horse of the Holy Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me a deed with which I can go to paradise.’ He said, ‘Do to people what you like them to do to you, and do not do anything

الْعَدْلُ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْمَاءِ يُصِيبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَا أَوْسَعَ الْعَدْلَ إِذَا عُدِلَ فِيهِ‌[4] وَ إِنْ قَلَّ.

“Justice is sweeter than water for a thirsty man. How vast is justice if exercised on an issue, even if it is a little one!”

مَنْ أَنْصَفَ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ رُضِيَ بِهِ حَكَماً لِغَيْرِهِ.

“Whoever yields to justice for people against his own soul is accepted to judge others’ cases.”

أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى آدَمَ ع أَنِّي سَأَجْمَعُ لَكَ الْكَلَامَ فِي أَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ وَ مَا هُنَّ قَالَ وَاحِدَةٌ لِي وَ وَاحِدَةٌ لَكَ وَ وَاحِدَةٌ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَكَ وَ وَاحِدَةٌ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ بَيِّنْهُنَّ لِي حَتَّى أَعْلَمَهُنَّ قَالَ أَمَّا الَّتِي لِي فَتَعْبُدُنِي‌ لا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئاً وَ أَمَّا الَّتِي لَكَ فَأَجْزِيكَ بِعَمَلِكَ

13. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Yusuf ibn ‘Imran ibn Maytham from Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent a revelation to Adam that said, ‘I will gather together all words fo

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَ اعْدِلُوا فَإِنَّكُمْ تَعِيبُونَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَعْدِلُونَ.

“Be pious before Allah and practice justice; you blame other people for not doing justice to others.”

الْعَدْلُ أَحْلَى مِنَ الشَّهْدِ وَ أَلْيَنُ مِنَ الزُّبْدِ وَ أَطْيَبُ رِيحاً مِنَ الْمِسْكِ.

“Justice is sweeter than honey, softer than butter and smells sweeter than musk.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ ثَلَاثُ خِصَالٍ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ أَوْ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَ فِي ظِلِّ عَرْشِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّهُ‌[2] رَجُلٌ أَعْطَى النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ مَا هُوَ سَائِلُهُمْ وَ رَجُلٌ لَمْ يُقَدِّمْ رِجْلًا وَ لَمْ يُؤَخِّرْ رِجْلًا حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لِلَّهِ رِضًا وَ رَجُلٌ لَمْ يَعِبْ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِمَ بِعَيْبٍ حَتَّى يَنْفِيَ ذَلِكَ الْعَيْبَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَإِنَّهُ ل

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever has three things, or even one of them, will have a place under the shadow of the Throne of Allah on the Day when nothing will have any shadows (protective shelter). A man who gives to others what he asks from them, one who does not prevent another man from a forward position o

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ وَاسَى الْفَقِيرَ مِنْ مَالِهِ وَ أَنْصَفَ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ فَذَلِكَ الْمُؤْمِنُ حَقّاً.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever comforts the poor with his property and yields to justice for people against his own soul indeed is a believer.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا تَدَارَأَ[3] اثْنَانِ فِي أَمْرٍ قَطُّ فَأَعْطَى أَحَدُهُمَا النَّصَفَ صَاحِبَهُ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْهُ إِلَّا أُدِيلَ مِنْهُ‌[4].

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) say, ‘If two people disagree in something, one of them gives half as much to his companion, but if he would not accept, it will be compensated for him (recipient of more than half for his injustice).’”

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ جَنَّةً لَا يَدْخُلُهَا إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةٌ أَحَدُهُمْ مَنْ حَكَمَ فِي نَفْسِهِ بِالْحَقِّ.

‘Allah has a paradise wherein no one is admitted except three kinds of people of whom one is he who judges himself with the truth.”

الْعَدْلُ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْمَاءِ يُصِيبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَا أَوْسَعَ الْعَدْلَ إِذَا عُدِلَ فِيهِ وَ إِنْ قَلَ‌[1].

“Justice is sweeter than water is for a thirsty man. How vast is justice when it is practiced in an issue even though it would be very little!”