Al-ḥamdu lillāhi wa kafā, wa salāmun ʿalā ʿibādihi alladhīna iṣṭafā… ammā baʿd.
Justice and fairness (ʿadl wa insāf) are such virtues upon which the entire system of the universe and its order depend. Allāh Almighty Himself has mentioned this attribute for His own dhāt (essence) in the Noble Qurʾān, meaning that the machinery of creation and its perfect balance operate upon the foundation of Allāh’s justice and fairness. Thus, this same attribute existed within the blessed personality of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ in its most complete and perfect form.
Justice and fairness form the backbone of governance and rule, yet their relevance extends deeply into both the collective and individual lives of human beings and into every aspect of existence. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ stood upon the loftiest peak of justice in all these spheres—higher than which no imagination can reach. Every dimension of his personal life was a complete embodiment of justice. He was simultaneously a Prophet and a Messenger, a ruler and a sovereign, a judge and an administrator, a husband and a father, a friend and a reformer. To uphold perfect justice across all these roles was, in truth, a station befitting only him.
The essence of justice is to act in a manner where not the slightest right of anyone is violated. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ practiced this justice in both his private and public life. He would fulfill the rights of his blessed body as well as his noble soul—resting during times of rest, and working during times of work. He would eat and drink, yet also fast; he would sleep, yet also stand in prayer.
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī it is narrated that some of the noble Companions ʳᵃ observed the Prophet ﷺ engaging in abundant worship despite being free from every sin and imperfection. They said, “We, being sinners, must devote even more to worship.” One of them vowed to fast continuously, another to pray all night without sleep, and a third resolved never to marry so that he could devote himself entirely to worship. When the Prophet ﷺ heard this, he corrected them publicly and said, “Look at me—I fast and I break my fast, I sleep and I pray.” The meaning was that one must maintain moderation and balance in life—for therein lies true justice and fairness.
The most delicate form of justice is to uphold truth and rectitude even in one’s own personal matters. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was foremost in this as well. He would begin by practicing justice upon himself. It is narrated that a Jew once demanded repayment of a debt from him in a disrespectful manner. Sayidunā ʿUmar ʳᵃ sought permission to punish him, but the Prophet ﷺ forbade it. On another occasion, a Bedouin roughly demanded his due, and when the Companions ʳᵃ reprimanded him saying, “Do you know to whom you are speaking?” he replied, “I am merely demanding my right.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not stop him; the one with a right has the right to speak.”
For a recluse, exercising justice is easy—but one engaged with family, companions, and diverse temperaments faces immense challenge. Yet even here, the Prophet ﷺ was peerless. Despite his vast missionary and reformative engagements, he maintained complete fairness among his wives and family. Not a trace of partiality was ever seen. Once, while he was with Sayidatunā ʿĀʾishah ʳᵃ, another noble wife sent a dish of food. Out of jealousy, ʿĀʾishah ʳᵃ struck the dish, breaking it. The Prophet ﷺ calmly sent a dish from ʿĀʾishah’s house in its place.
Similarly, neither kinship nor friendship ever influenced his justice. Once a woman from Quraysh committed theft and her guilt was proven. Due to her noble lineage, some desired that she be spared and that the matter be hushed. They urged Sayidunā Usāmah ibn Zayd ʳᵃ—dearly beloved to the Prophet ﷺ—to intercede for her. When he did, the Prophet ﷺ became displeased and said, “Do you intercede concerning one of Allāh’s prescribed punishments? The people before you were ruined because they enforced the law upon the poor but spared the rich. By Allāh, if Fāṭimah, the daughter of Muḥammad, were to steal, I would cut off her hand.”
The Prophet ﷺ constantly dealt with diverse tribes and individuals—friends and foes, loyal supporters and bloodthirsty enemies—but when it came to justice, he judged solely according to truth without bias. In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, it is related that Ṣakhrah, a tribal leader who had compelled the people of Ṭāʾif to submit to Islam, once had a dispute brought before the Prophet ﷺ. Despite Ṣakhrah’s great past favor, the Prophet ﷺ ruled against him, caring only for justice.
The enmity of the Jews toward the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims was no secret, yet when a matter of justice arose and a Jew was in the right, the Prophet ﷺ ruled in his favor. In Musnad Aḥmad, it is narrated that a Companion named Abū Ḥaddād ʳᵃ was indebted to a Jew. When he could not repay, the Jew brought him before the Prophet ﷺ. After hearing the matter, the Prophet ﷺ instructed the Companion to repay the debt. When he explained that he owned nothing besides the clothes on his body, the Prophet ﷺ instructed him to retain what was necessary to cover his body and pay the rest to the creditor. He thus removed his lower garment, tied his turban in its place, and paid his debt.
Likewise, at Khaybar—where the population was entirely Jewish—a Companion was found murdered. The killer was unknown, though suspicion naturally fell upon the Jews. The heirs appealed to the Prophet ﷺ, but as there was no proof, he demanded nothing from the Jews and ordered the blood-money to be paid from the public treasury (bayt al-māl).
Such was the effect of this perfect justice that not only Muslims but even the Jews—his sworn enemies—brought their disputes to his court, confident in receiving fairness. He judged between them with equity, and they returned pleased. The Jews themselves had a corrupt practice of pardoning the powerful while punishing the weak; when such a case came before him, the Prophet ﷺ ordered retaliation (qiṣāṣ) even against the strong. Thus, among Muslims it is an undisputed truth that no being on earth ever exercised justice and fairness as perfectly as the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.
He established a government founded upon this justice and fairness—so strong and enduring that for a thousand years it remained unshaken by turmoil or storm. If that same standard of justice were upheld, such a system could never perish till the end of time.
May Allāh Almighty grant us all the ability to act upon righteousness and to uphold justice and fairness. Āmīn.
taken from
Mahnama al-Balāgh, Ṣafar al-Muẓaffar, 1440 H / 2019 CE.
Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Saḥbān Maḥmūd Ṣāḥib raḥmatullāh ʿalayhi
Former Nāẓim-e-Aʿlā (Director General) and Shaykh al-Ḥadīth, Jāmiʿah Dār al-ʿUlūm Karachi