But the beating which is done as a punishment or retaliation...

But the beating which is done as a punishment or retaliation is not an act of oppression. It is rather consistent with truth and justice. The point is that if an action is indeed an act of oppression, it cannot be good in any case. Similarly, if an action is really consistent with justice, it cannot be said that in some cases it is bad and conclude, therefore, that justice in some cases is unacceptable.

This issue is so vivid and clear for all that when the Qur’an wants the people to shun polytheism, it says: ﴿...إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ **“** Polytheism is indeed a great injustice ….” [^1] That is, there is no doubt in the major premise that “One must shun or keep away from any act of injustice.” This case is absolute and general, fixed and inalterable. Since polytheism is one of the manifestations of injustice, it is bad and detestable and it must be shunned.

We do not claim that all value-laden concepts are absolute. We rather say that some values are absolute. Similarly, with respect to knowledge, we do not regard every kind of knowledge as absolute. We do not believe that every perception of a person is correct. Obviously, some perceptions of individuals are not correct. So, some perceptions are relative or subjective, and relativism or subjectivism exists in some accounts.

For example, if you asked whether Tehran University campus is big or small, once you compare Tehran University campus to your house you will reply that Tehran University campus is very big. But if you compare Tehran University campus to the planet earth, you will say in reply that it is as small as a grain of sand compared to the desert. Thus, concepts like big and small are relative or subjective and any case encompassing such concepts shall be relative or subjective.

But from the fact that bigness and smallness are relative or subjective it cannot be concluded that everything, including God, is relative or subjective, or that the existence of man, earth and the world is also relative. Bigness or smallness is a subjective and supplementary concept, but there are concepts that are not relative and the cases they encompass can be absolute. Therefore, we are not of the opinion that every value that every person believes everywhere is absolute.

Our point is that as far as affirmative particularity [ mujibah juz’iyyah ] is concerned we can have an absolute value.