Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/128)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[Surah al-Shūrā: 17].

And He Most High says:

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

[Surah al-Nisā’: 58].

And He says:

“If they come to you, either judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they will not harm you in the least. But if you judge, then judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”

[Surah al-Mā’idah: 42].

And He says:

“So judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires in place of the truth that has come to you.”

[Surah al-Mā’idah: 48].

Thus, He commanded him to judge with justice and to judge according to what Allah revealed. This demonstrates that justice is what Allah revealed: what Allah revealed is justice, and justice is what Allah revealed.

For this reason, everyone who judges between two parties must judge justly, as He Most High says:

“When you judge between people, judge with justice.”

[Surah al-Nisā’: 58].

No judge may ever judge unjustly. The revealed law according to which Muslim judges must rule is entirely just; there is no injustice whatsoever in the revealed law. Rather, Allah’s judgment is the best of all judgments (1).

The revealed law is what Allah has sent down. Thus, whoever judges according to what Allah has revealed has judged justly. Justice, however, may take different forms as revealed laws and ways differ; justice in each revealed law is therefore in accordance with that law.

For this reason, Allah Most High says:

(1) N, M, W, R: “judgment.”

[سُورَةُ الشُّورَى: ١٧] . وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ} [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ٥٨] . وَقَالَ: {فَإِنْ جَاءُوكَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٤٢] . وَقَالَ: {فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٤٨] فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْقِسْطَ هُوَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ، فَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هُوَ الْقِسْطُ، وَالْقِسْطُ هُوَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ. وَلِهَذَا وَجَبَ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِالْعَدْلِ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ} [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ٥٨] فَلَيْسَ لِحَاكِمٍ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بِظُلْمٍ أَبَدًا، وَالشَّرْعُ الَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَى حُكَّامِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْحُكْمُ بِهِ عَدْلٌ كُلُّهُ، لَيْسَ فِي الشَّرْعِ ظُلْمٌ أَصْلًا، بَلْ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ أَحْسَنُ الْأَحْكَامِ (١) . وَالشَّرْعُ هُوَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ; فَكُلُّ مَنْ حَكَمَ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَقَدْ حَكَمَ بِالْعَدْلِ، لَكِنَّ الْعَدْلَ قَدْ يَتَنَوَّعُ بِتَنَوُّعِ الشَّرَائِعِ وَالْمَنَاهِجِ، فَيَكُونُ الْعَدْلُ فِي كُلِّ شِرْعَةٍ بِحَسَبِهَا. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى:

(١) ن، م، و، ر: الْحُكْمِ.