iron, in which there is great might and benefits for people, and so that Allah may know those who support Him and His messengers without seeing Him. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty.”

He, glorified and exalted, thus makes clear that He sent down the Book, justice, and the means by which justice is known, so that people may uphold justice; and He sent down iron. Whoever departs from the Book and the balance is fought with iron. The Book and justice are inseparable. The Book explains the prescribed law; thus, the law is justice, and justice is the law. Whoever judges justly has judged according to the law. Yet many people attribute their statements to the law when they are no part of it. They make such statements out of ignorance, error, or deliberate fabrication. This is the altered law whose proponents deserve punishment, not the revealed law that Gabriel brought from Allah to the last of the messengers. That revealed law is entirely just: it contains neither injustice nor ignorance. The Most High says:

“And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”

The Most High also says:

“And judge between them by what Allah has revealed.”

What Allah has revealed is justice, and justice is what Allah has revealed. The Most High says:

“Indeed, Allah commands you to return trusts to their rightful owners and, when you judge between people, to judge with justice.”

The Most High also says:

“Indeed, We have sent down to you the Book in truth so that you may judge between people by what Allah has shown you.”

What Allah has shown him in His Book is justice.

Many Muslim scholars endowed with knowledge and religious devotion—from among the Companions, the Successors, and the other imams of the Muslims, such as the four imams and others—may express opinions based on their independent scholarly judgment; with regard to these opinions, it is permissible