Moral integrity of the believers
originates from all the divine ethics and
righteousness acts detailed in God's
scriptures. When believers reverence God
alone, they tend to focus on those standards
and adhere to. On the other hand, when
they attend to and reverence other
idols besides God, they violate God's
teachings and lose their good morals.
[22:32]
Indeed, those who reverence the rites
decreed by GOD demonstrate
the righteousness of their hearts.
[16:51] GOD has
proclaimed: "Do not worship two
gods; there is only one god.
You shall reverence Me alone."
[13:20] They
are the ones who
fulfill
their pledge to GOD, and
do not
violate the covenant.
[13:21] They
join what GOD has commanded to be
joined, reverence their Lord, and
fear the dreadful reckoning.
One of the key values
of a true believer is being just. God
calls Himself as Al-Haq, the
noun and the most explicit definition of
justice and truth (22:62, 24:25, 31:30).
This only means He is the source of ALL
justice and truth. This is why He is
the Best and the Most Efficient Judge and
Reckoner (6:57, 7:87, 10:109, 12:80, 14:51,
21:47, 33:39).
We are commanded by
Him to incorporate such characteristic into
our moral practices to establish justice on
earth based on the laws He has decreed for
us(16:90, 7:29, 55:7-9). The foundation of
establishing justice is nothing but our
HONESTY and INTEGRITY in upholding and
applying the laws in the scripture.
This would naturally lead to justice which
we learn from Quran is crucial for the
enhancement of peace and morality in our
communities (49:9-10).
Iron: The Most Useful Metal
[57:25]
We sent our messengers supported by
clear proofs, and we sent down to
them the scripture and the law,
that the people may uphold justice. ....
[55:7]
He
constructed the sky and established
the law.
[55:8]
You shall not transgress the law.
[55:9]
You shall establish justice; do not
violate the law.
To help us advance
our souls, God teaches us in the
Quran through many examples how
to strive to practice justice and why we
should abhor all forms of oppression and
corruption. We
are to pay close attention to these
examples, heed them, and never
underestimate how justice is an integral
part of healthy souls and
communities. They are an aid and guide
for us on a daily basis to righteously
deal with many of the life
situations we face.
The following
example is challenging. It is not
limited to commerce as we have been
always lead to understand. It could
be applicable to any interactive
human relation between two
parties that mandates lawful
EXCHANGE of anything, physical,
intellectual, or emotional - money,
goods, time, legal documents,
services, consulting, attention,
compassion, and care. We are to be
equitable when we give as much as we
care to be treated justly when we
receive. This is a tough test. Our
selfish, aggressive, and
unappreciative nature would betray
most of us in such situations!
[83:1]
Woe to the cheaters.
[83:2]
Who demand full measure
when receiving from the people.
[83:3]
But when giving them the measures or
weights, they cheat.
Other examples to reflect on are:
Murder, Suicide, and Illicit Gains
Prohibited
[4:29]
O you who believe, do not consume
each others' properties illicitly -
only mutually acceptable
transactions are permitted.
You
shall not kill yourselves.
GOD is Merciful towards you.
Honesty &
Justice Advocated
[4:58]
GOD commands you to give back
anything the people have entrusted to
you.
If you judge among the people,
you shall judge equitably.
The best enlightenment indeed is what
GOD recommends for you. GOD is Hearer,
Seer.
David's Exemplary Piety
[38:24] He
said, "He
is being unfair to you by asking to
combine your sheep with his.
Most people who
combine their properties treat each
other unfairly, except those
who believe and work righteousness,
and these are so few."
Afterwards, David wondered if he
made the right judgment. He thought
that we were testing him. He then
implored his Lord for forgiveness,
bowed down, and repented.*
[4:10]
Those who consume the orphans'
properties unjustly, eat fire
into their bellies, and will suffer in
Hell.
Crucial
Advice
[17:36]
You shall not accept any
information, unless you verify it
for yourself. I have
given you the hearing,
the eyesight, and
the brain,
and you are responsible for using
them.
Investigate
Rumors Before Believing Them
[49:6]
O you who believe, if a
wicked person brings any news to
you, you shall first investigate,
lest you commit injustice
towards some people, out of
ignorance, then become sorry and
remorseful for what you have done.
Reconcile
The Believers
[49:9]
If two
groups of believers fought with each
other, you shall reconcile
them. If one group aggresses
against the other, you shall fight the
aggressing group until they
submit to GOD's command.
Once they submit,
you shall reconcile the two
groups equitably.
You shall maintain justice;
GOD loves those who are just.
The Real
Family
[49:10] The
believers are members of one family;
you shall keep the peace
within your family and reverence GOD,
that you may attain mercy.
Bearing a
truthful witness is another challenging
situation. It is indeed a practice test
for our claim of being righteous and
just and a chance of redemption for our
souls:
[33:70] O
you who believe,
reverence GOD and utter only the correct
utterances.
[9:119] O you
who believe, you shall
reverence GOD, and be among the truthful.
Additional Traits of the Righteous
[25:72]
They do not bear false witness.
When they encounter vain talk, they
ignore it.
[22:30]
Those
who reverence the rites decreed by GOD
have deserved a good reward at their
Lord. All livestock is made
lawful for your food, except for those
specifically prohibited for you.
You shall avoid the abomination of
idol worship, and avoid bearing false
witness.
The challenge
gets bigger when we have affairs or
conflicts on our way of being honest and
equitable:
You Shall
Not Bear False Witness
[5:8]
O you who believe, you shall be
absolutely equitable, and
observe GOD, when you serve as
witnesses. Do not be
provoked by your conflicts with some
people into committing injustice.
You shall be absolutely
equitable, for it is more righteous.
You shall observe GOD. GOD is
fully Cognizant of everything you do.
The ultimate
challenge is when we are asked to
establish a truthful witness against our
loved ones or even ourselves:
You
Shall Not Bear False Witness
[4:135]
O you who believe, you shall
be absolutely equitable, and observe
GOD, when you serve as witnesses,
even against
yourselves,
or your parents,
or your relatives.
Whether the accused is rich or poor,
GOD takes care of both.
Therefore, do not be
biased by your personal wishes.
If you deviate or disregard
(this commandment), then GOD
is fully Cognizant of everything you
do.
In conclusion,
when
we are equitable and just towards
others, we are equitable and just
towards our own souls. We poorly
serve our souls and our communities when we violate any
of God's commands, including the
command of being just.
The righteous can not live with the
guilt of committing injustice. For
such, repentance is the only
course. The righteous cannot live
with injustice committed against
them. For such, standing for their
rights and forgiveness are the
only choices. The righteous can not
tolerate witnessing injustice
against others. For such they stand
for the truth and fight in the cause
of God, Al-Haq.
[59:18]
O you who believe, you shall
reverence GOD, and let every soul
examine what it has sent ahead for
tomorrow. You shall reverence GOD;
GOD is fully Cognizant of everything
you do.
[16:111]
The day will come when every
soul will serve as its own advocate,
and every soul will be paid fully
for whatever it had done, without
the least injustice.
[3:30]
The day will come when
each soul will find all the good
works it had done brought forth.
As for the evil works, it will
wish that they were far, far
removed. GOD alerts you that you
shall reverence Him alone. GOD
is Compassionate towards the
people.
The Day of
Judgment
[39:68] The horn will
be blown, whereupon everyone in the heavens
and the earth will be struck unconscious,
except those who will be spared by GOD. Then
it will be blown another time, whereupon
they will all rise up, looking.*
[39:69] Then
the earth will shine with the light of its
Lord. The record will be proclaimed, and the
prophets and the witnesses will be brought
forth. Everyone will then be judged
equitably, without the least injustice.
[39:70]
Every soul will be paid for
whatever it did, for He is fully aware of
everything they have done.
