Is It True That There Is No Justice, Only Power?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

A non-Muslim said that there is no justice, only power. Is this true?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

No, this is not true. Yet, the question deserves a thoughtful answer. There is a reality in what is being described: often, those with power set the rules. Many times, appeals to justice are ignored in favor of force.

Anyone who observes the world can see this. May Allah bless you for asking a question that touches on a deep and important matter.

Begin With the Sobering Realities of This Life

We must begin by recognizing what is true in this claim. Revelation does not hide the reality that wrongdoing is common in this world. Allah, in His mercy, forbade wrongdoing for Himself before forbidding it for us.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us that Allah said, “O My servants, I have forbidden wrongdoing upon Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.” [Muslim] This shows that wrongdoing does occur in this world, and we are called to avoid it.

However, this claim does not fully describe reality. When someone calls something unjust, they are appealing to a standard higher than power. This shows that justice is not simply what the strong prefer.

Imam Ghazali explains that justice is ‘the placing of matters in their proper places, as they must be and how they must be’ [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din — 1]. He also notes that justice, unlike other virtues, has only one opposite: wrongdoing. [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din — 2]

The Quran teaches us the right order: ‘And sent down with them the scripture and the true scale, that mankind may champion justice; And We have sent down Iron, in it unsparing dire might.’ [Quran 57:25; Keller, The Quran Beheld]

This means that Allah sent the Book first, then the Balance, and only after that, Iron.

This claim also fails as a conclusion. Even if we accept every example he gives, it only shows that justice is not always enforced in this life. It does not mean that justice does not exist. This is an important difference.

We are told that there will be a Day when ‘final judgment is given between all with the supreme justice of Truth, and none are wronged.’ [Quran 39:69]

Ask Him Where His Own Outrage Comes From

The key principle is that justice is based on the wisdom of Allah, not on the wishes of those who have power. This is why wronging someone is truly wrong, and not just a matter of losing. You can ask him: if there is only power, then on what basis does he call anything unjust?

Our duty is to remain just and not to be swayed from it. Allah commands us to be completely fair and just. [Quran 16:90]

Every wrong that is not repaid is recorded and will be settled. Yet, Allah’s mercy is even greater: ‘despair not of the mercy of Allah: Verily Allah forgives all sins soever.’ [Quran 39:53]

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related SeekersGuidance Answers

• [Ustadh Mohammed Tayssir Safi, Allah Claims That He Is Just, but We Cannot Find God’s Justice Anywhere. Where Is God’s Justice?] — Corrects the premise that justice means identical treatment: justice is giving each what is owed, Allah owes us nothing, and unequal shares of health, wealth,h or lineage are generosity rather than injustice, with every wrong suffered taken into account.
• [Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Why Do the Corrupt Hold Power While the Righteous Are Constrained?] — The alternation of worldly power is part of the test of this life; success for a wrongdoer may be a slow drawing-out rather than approval, and the believer’s duty to uphold justice is unchanged.
• [Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat, Injustice On The Day of Judgment] — No one is wronged on that Day: either the wrongdoer answers for what he did, or the one wronged is given so much good that the claim no longer matters to him.
• [Faraz A. Khan, The Problem of Evil and a Summarized Islamic Response] — A summary response to the problem of suffering: our scope is too narrow to see the whole of the wisdom, and oppressors, not Allah, are held to account for what was their own choice.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects its commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.