The Concept of Justice in Islam — Page 3
The Concept of Justice in Islam A broad definition of justice, of course, is to render to everyone his due. Islam, however, proceeds further in its definition of justice. It lays down that to maintain a proper standard of justice it is necessary that recompense of good should in no case be less than what a person has earned, and that, on the other hand, the penalty for a wrong should not exceed the wrong or transgression committed. A contravention of either of these principles would amount to injustice. It has sometimes been suggested that the first part of this concept, namely that reward or recompense should not fall short of that which has been earned, is just so far as it goes, but that a strict concept of jus- tice demands that reward or recompense should not be in excess of what may have been earned. Islam does not accept this limitation. It pro- ceeds upon the principle that good multiplies itself and has the quality of prevailing against, or of driving away, evil and that, therefore, the beneficence put in motion by good has no limit. Consequently, there is no reason to put a limit upon the reward or recompense of good. Surely, good works drive away evil works. This is a reminder for those who would remember. (The Holy Quran XI. 115) Summary ?f an address delive. red by Sir Mu~ammed Zafrullah Khan, Judge of the InternatiOnal Court of Justtce, to the Semmar on Islamic Studies at the Institute of I~lamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, on November 4. 1954. Edttor.