The Qur'an establishes justice — عَدْل (ʿadl) — as one of the foundational obligations of human civilisation. Allah says:
"Indeed, Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded."1 (16:90)
The term عَدْل in Arabic carries a range of meanings: balance, equity, proportion, and the restoration of what has been disrupted. Classical lexicographers such as Ibn Fāris note that the root ع-د-ل fundamentally denotes straightness and correspondence — a standard against which things are measured.2
Justice as a Societal Obligation
What distinguishes the Qur'anic conception of justice from many philosophical traditions is its grounding not merely in social contract or utility, but in divine command. The verse above pairs عَدْل with إِحْسَان — excellence and benevolence. This pairing is significant: justice is the minimum; ihsan is the aspiration. A society that achieves only formal justice without moral excellence remains incomplete in the Qur'anic vision.
The Prophet ﷺ reinforced this in a well-known hadith recorded by Imam Muslim:
"Support your brother whether he is an oppressor or the one being oppressed." When asked how one supports an oppressor, he replied: "By preventing him from his oppression — that is your support of him."3
Implications for Modern Governance
Contemporary Muslim scholars have debated whether the Qur'anic model of justice mandates a specific political form. Ghamidi argues that the Qur'an is silent on institutional structures, leaving these to human wisdom and context, while insisting that whatever system is adopted must deliver substantive equity to all members of society — مسلم وغير مسلم (Muslim and non-Muslim alike).4
- Al-Qur'an, Surah al-Nahl 16:90. All translations are the author's own unless otherwise stated.
- Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, entry: عدل.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Mazalim, hadith no. 2443.
- Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Mizan (Lahore: Al-Mawrid, 2008), pp. 412–415.