Faith-Founded Justice and Faith-Based Order

Every civilization has its own indicators. These indicators and their nature distinguish one civilization from others and serve as its hallmarks. Although certain indicators are necessary in all civilizations, even seemingly similar indicators differ fundamentally and essentially from one another. Order is one of the essential and crucial indicators for the creation and endurance of any civilization. The nature of order in each civilization takes shape in accordance with that civilization's essence. The element of power is the source
of order in material civilizations. Law and social compulsion are the primary means of establishing order in material civilizations. Faith, however, is the source of order in the monotheistic community civilization. The Holy Quran presents the monotheistic community civilization as the most suitable context for human perfection and elevation. Fundamentally, the nature of the monotheistic community civilization differs from material civilizations. In the monotheistic community civilization, faith-based elements constitute the essence of order. The Holy Quran identifies the faith-based elements that construct order. One of these faith-based elements that builds order is justice. Justice in material civilizations lacks a faith-founded essence. The nature of justice in material civilizations is shaped by humans enslaved to carnal desires. In contrast, Quranic justice is expounded by the Creator of humanity. In the Holy Quran, justice is a faith-based element. The origin, essence, and fruits of Quranic justice fundamentally differ from justice in material civilizations. The aim of the present research is to elicit the Quranic characteristics of the faith-based element of justice as one of the Quranic elements that constructs the indicator of order in the monotheistic community civilization. The question of this research is the nature of faith-based justice and its relation to the indicator of order. By what mechanism does Quranic justice implement order in society? This research, based on the interrogative (istinṭāqī) method of Ayatollah Sadr, examines the nature of the indicator of order within the network of verses on justice, with a focus on verse 135 of Surah an-Nisāʾ. Ṣadr, drawing on the statement of Imam Ali: "That is the Quran—interrogate it," considers recourse to the Quran to derive its theory on the issue at hand as the best method for understanding and interpreting the Holy Quran. This research interrogates the issue of order by comprehending the nature and position of the faith-based element of justice in the Holy Quran. The element of justice emerges within the context of faith-founded human relations in society. In material civilizations, external oversight by enforcers of man-made laws creates a power-centered order. In the monotheistic community civilization, the internal oversight of faithful individuals gives rise to a faith-founded order. The greater the faith and, consequently, the greater the presence of faith-based elements in the fabric of society, the more order is established. The presence of faith-based elements in society reduces bodily self-centeredness, social harms, and disorder, while increasing altruism and social order. One of the faith-based elements that constructs order is justice. The more faith grows in society, the more justice proliferates within it. Faith-based justice in society brings about faith-based order. One of the key verses expressing faith-founded justice is verse 135 of Surah an-Nisāʾ: "O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one be rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted." According to this verse, establishing justice—even against one's own interests or those of loved ones—takes shape within faith-founded human relations. Based on verse 135 of Surah an-Nisāʾ, the characteristics of faith-founded justice include universality, internal oversight, perpetual steadfastness, sincerity, truth-orientation, freedom from carnal desires, and God-wariness. Accordingly, in the monotheistic community civilization (1) Justice has a faith-based origin; (2) Establishing justice is a universal duty for all truth-oriented human beings; (3) Creating and maintaining justice is not limited to law enforcers at the societal level (external oversight); rather, every individual, in proportion to their faith, implements a degree of justice in society through internal oversight of their actions; (4) Establishing justice must be a continuous and uninterrupted endeavor; (5) The purpose of implementing justice must be to fulfill a divine duty, purely for the sake of God; (6) The criterion for justice must be the establishment and upholding of truth in society; (7) Justice must be performed to fulfill the divine duty and remain free from carnal desires; (8) Striving to increase God-wariness is the primary factor for ever-growing success in establishing faith-founded justice. Justice possessing these characteristics creates an order that surpasses any material civilization. The more faith increases in society, the greater faith-founded justice and, consequently, faith-based order become. All truth-oriented individuals bear responsibility for establishing justice in the monotheistic community civilization. The responsibility of every faithful person toward justice-doing corresponds to the degree of their faith. As each person's faith increases, so does their responsibility for establishing justice.