The Essence of Justice and Universal Balance
Justice is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam and Sufi ethics. It’s not merely a rule applied in courts, but the existential balance of the universe and the heart. Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, a spiritual giant, eloquently summarizes the essence of the matter by defining justice as “watering trees” and oppression as “watering thorns.” Justice is placing a blessing exactly where it belongs; oppression is placing something in an inappropriate and unjust place, which leads to disasters and ruin.1, 2 Whenever God bestows favor upon a people, He grants them intelligent, thoughtful, and just leaders; conversely, if He intends to devastate a place, He leaves its governance in the hands of oppressors. In this context, justice is not only a matter of state administration but also a requirement of an individual’s responsibility towards their own self, their surroundings, and their Creator. Establishing justice in the heart is possible only by placing everything in its rightful place according to divine command.
The Darkness of Oppression and the Fate of the Oppressor
Oppression involves seizing the rights of the innocent, crushing the weak, and subjecting them to torment. In a country where weak tribes and the poor are oppressed, sleep should be forbidden for its rulers. As Sheikh Sadi Shirazi also stated, although an oppressor may possess temporary power and splendor, neither that grandeur nor that sovereignty will remain; only the bitter bill of injustice inflicted upon the oppressed and a lasting bad name will remain. The oppressor is a merciless figure who ignites the world, and wherever they extend their hand, nothing remains of joy. In reality, the oppressor commits oppression not against the helpless poor but against their own self; for on the Day of Judgment, the oppressed will cling to the oppressor’s collar and burden him with all his sins. On this terrifying day, the oppressor will be in a state where they cannot even lift their head out of shame.
The Oppressed’s Prayer and the Boundaries of Compassion
Spiritual guides have always advised caution against the curses of those who suffer oppression. Even if a fatwa is issued for the killing of an innocent person, it has been emphasized that if they leave behind children and family, compassion should be shown to them, and the sin of the unjust perpetrator should not be passed on to those innocent family members. The bad end of a ruler who oppresses people is inevitable. On the other hand, true compassion also requires setting boundaries with the oppressor. To pity an oppressor is actually inflicting oppression upon the innocent populace; for if the fire of the oppressor who burns the world is not extinguished, an entire society will burn. The worldly sovereignty of those who oppress people is a harbinger of their poverty and beggary in the afterlife. True justice is delivering what is right at any cost and taking the weak’s rights from the hand of the tyrant.