The Holy Qur'an, like a crystal-clear spring, has bestowed divine knowledge and commandments for the guidance of humanity in all aspects of life, including justice, governance, and economy. This treatise, relying on the luminous verses of the Holy Qur'an and erudite lectures, examines three fundamental concepts: justice as the cornerstone of governance and management, system-centrism as opposed to individual-centrism, and the divine delegated ownership in the Islamic economy. These concepts, like steadfast pillars, uphold the edifice of the Islamic system, and any deficiency in understanding or implementing them leads society into corruption and ruin. Utilizing Qur'anic verses and profound analyses, this work aims to elucidate these principles with clear and firm language for seekers of knowledge and wisdom.
Justice, like a radiant sun, shines across all aspects of the Islamic system, from the establishment of prayer to macro-level societal management. In Islamic culture, governance devoid of justice culminates in dictatorship, and injustice, like a destructive plague, weakens the foundations of the system. Within the Islamic system, justice is not only a prerequisite in judiciary and administration but also an indispensable condition in the performance of religious rituals such as prayer and Friday congregational prayer.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ
God commands you to deliver trusts to their rightful owners, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice.
This verse, like a blazing torch, underscores the necessity of justice in judiciary and governance. Justice is a requisite not only in judging among people but also in all governance matters, including wealth management and economy. In Shia culture, if the infallible (Ma'sum) is unavailable, justice is regarded as the substitute. This principle is also manifested in the establishment of Friday prayer, where the Qur'an states:
إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
When the call is proclaimed to the prayer on the day of Friday, hasten to the remembrance of God.
The use of the passive verb "نُودِيَ" (is proclaimed) indicates that the caller must be either an infallible or a just individual. If this condition is not fulfilled, even the establishment of prayer becomes invalid and ineffective. This emphasis demonstrates the unequivocal importance of justice within the Islamic system.
Neglecting justice in Islamic system-building has darkened the horizon of society like a dense cloud. The lack of a precise definition of justicewhether it is a moral virtue, an outward propriety, abstention from major sins, or the accumulation of minor sinshas resulted in formalistic application of rulings and deviation from authentic Shia culture. This deficiency, like a deep wound, has led to large-scale financial corruption and specialised thefts entangling the courts. Religious scholarship, which should illuminate justice, has been remiss in this regard, thereby directing the Islamic system into a realm of complications.
Justice, as the soul within the body of the Islamic system, plays an unparalleled role across all domainsfrom the performance of religious rituals to macro-level management. The Qur'anic verses, such as verse 58 of Surah An-Nisa and verse 9 of Surah Al-Jumu'ah, emphasise this principle. Religious scholarship must clarify justice precisely and implement it within system-building to facilitate the enforcement of Islamic rulings.
System-centrism, like a flowing river that embraces law and tradition, guarantees the enforcement of Islamic rulings, whereas individual-centrism, akin to a wild wind, leads to dictatorship. The Islamic system is founded upon the Book (Qur'an) and the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophets household); without these two, it collapses like a building without pillars.
The Holy Qur'an, alongside the Ahl al-Bayt, serves as the two wings for the Islamic system's flight towards perfection. The noble Hadith of Thaqalayn elucidates this truth:
تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَعِتْرَتِي
I have left among you two precious things: the Book of God and my Ahl al-Bayt.
This Hadith connects the Islamic system to the Book and the Ahl al-Bayt. The Qur'an alone, without an infallible or just supervisor, cannot enforce the rulings. A verse from Surah Al-Imran confirms this truth:
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ
By the mercy of God, you were gentle with them; and if you had been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you.
This verse indicates that even the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) acted with mercy and systematisation, not personal dominion. System-centrism encompasses law and tradition and prevents dictatorship.
Individual-centrism, like a fierce storm, steers the Islamic system toward dictatorship. If societal management is based on individuals rather than a system, even the most just persons may be corrupted over time. This fact accentuates the necessity of law-based system-building. Religious scholarship must, relying on the Book and Ahl al-Bayt, design systems that guarantee the implementation of rulings.
System-centrism, like a sturdy tree rooted in the Book and Ahl al-Bayt, ensures the enforcement of Islamic rulings. The Hadith of Thaqalayn and verse 159 of Surah Al-Imran affirm this principle. Conversely, individual-centrism leads to dictatorship and diverts the Islamic system from its proper path.
Ownership in Islam is a divine trust (amanah) delegated for utilisation and not an independent possession. Trustees, whether Prophet, Imam, or Mujtahid, are not owners but responsible for the just distribution of wealth. This principle, like a clear stream, prevents the concentration of wealth in the hands of the affluent.
سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ
He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.
This verse presents ownership as delegated, meaning humans are not absolute owners but trustees and users. Another verse from Surah Al-Hashr emphasises just wealth distribution:
لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ
So that it will not become a circulating wealth only among the rich from among you.
This verse, like a divine warning, forbids wealth concentration among the affluent and stresses equitable distribution. In contrast, the unbelieving ownership criticised in verse 64 of Surah Al-Maidah views wealth as belonging to the individual:
يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ
The hand of God is chained.
This perspective, which claims wealth as the individuals possession, contradicts divine ownership that recognises God as the true owner.
Within the Islamic system, the Prophet, Imam, and Mujtahid are trustees, not owners. For example, Fadak, which was allocated to Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), was the personal property of the Prophet (PBUH), not public Muslim wealth. This principle demonstrates that trustees have no right to use public wealth for personal benefits. Religious scholarship must elucidate this principle to prevent deviation in the Islamic economy.
Divine delegated ownership, as a sacred trust, regards humanity as responsible for the just distribution of wealth. Verses 13 of Surah Al-Jathiyah and 7 of Surah Al-Hashr emphasise this principle. Trustees, including the Prophet, Imam, or Mujtahid, are responsible for just utilisation, not ownership.
Defective economic infrastructures, like inefficient machinery on a rugged road, squander wealth and hinder the implementation of justice. The Islamic economy can only achieve its objectives through robust and systematised infrastructures.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَهُمْ
And let not those who begrudge what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty think it is good for them; rather, it is bad for them.
This verse serves as a divine admonition stressing the necessity of just wealth distribution. Defective economic infrastructures waste wealth and prevent justice from being realised.
The absence of suitable economic infrastructures acts as an obstacle on the path of progress, destroying wealth. Religious scholarship must, by designing systematic infrastructures, pave the way for the enforcement of economic rulings. This deficiency has led to wealth concentration and financial corruption.
Economic infrastructures, like the foundations of a grand edifice, must be stable and systematised to prevent waste of wealth and ensure justice. Verse 180 of Surah Al-Imran emphasises equitable distribution of wealth and calls religious scholarship to reform infrastructures.
The Holy Qur'an, like a brilliant torch, has illuminated the path for establishing the Islamic system based on justice, system-centrism, and divine delegated ownership. Justice, as the soul of the Islamic system, plays an unparalleled role in all domains, from the establishment of prayer to macro-level management. System-centrism, rooted in the Book and the Ahl al-Bayt, prevents dictatorship, and delegated ownership regards wealth as a divine trust requiring just distribution. Defective economic infrastructures obstruct the realisation of these principles, and religious scholarship must elucidate these concepts precisely and design law-based systems to facilitate the enforcement of Islamic rulings. This treatise, as an endeavour to reflect these teachings, seeks to guide seekers of knowledge towards a deeper understanding of the Islamic system.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
