On the other hand, they consider a person who violates their rights; practices prejudice, sides with the oppressors, and oppose the weak, to be an oppressive ruler. Thus, we can say that human justice implies respecting human rights, and honoring everybody's rights. This is what is meant by justice based upon rights.
God has invited all men to justice in the Holy Qur’an as we read in the following verse: إِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ “God commands justice, the doing of good...” [The Holy Qur’an, al-Naĥl 16:90] The said: يَبْقى المُلكُ بِالعَدْلِ مَع الكُفْرِ، وَلا يَبْقى بِالجَورِ مَع الإيمَانِ. “Rule can be sustained with unbelief, but it can never last with oppression.” [^3] He also said: عَدْلُ سَاعَةٍ خَيرٌ مِن عِبادَةِ سِتِّينَ سَنَة.
“An hour of justice is better than sixty years of worship.” The Difference between Generosity and Justice Imam Ali beautifully expressed the difference between generosity and justice. When asked about this, he replied: العَدْلُ يَضَعُ الأمُورَ مَواضِعَها وَالجُودُ يُخرِجُها مِن جِهَتِها وَالعَدْلُ سائِسٌ عامٌّ فَالجُودُ عارِضٌ خاصٌّ فالعَدلُ أشْرَفُهُما وَأفْضَلُهُما. “Justice puts everything in its right place, but generosity takes them out of their places.
Justice is a universal caretaker, but generosity will only benefit the one with whom you are generous. Therefore justice is nobler and and more excellent.” [^4] The Prophets and Their Call to Justice All the divinely appointed Prophets to invite the people to God have declared man's prosperity and development subject to the development of ethics and the practice of justice.
Let us look at the following verse in this regard: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ “O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just.
That is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well acquainted with all that ye do.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-Ma’ida 5:8] No issue in Islam is as important as the issue of justice. Justice is similar to the issue of the unity of God. Both issues highly affect all the major and minor principles of Islam.