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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Discursive Theology Volume 1 Lesson 22: The Proofs of Divine Justice and Wisdom Philosophers and theologians have presented numerous proofs for the Divine justice and wisdom, and we shall deal with them in this lesson.

The Proof of Essential Necessity Some theologians have explained the Divine Attributes on the basis of “essential necessity” ( wujūb bi ’dh-dhāt ) and the first theological text in which this method has been used for the first time was the book Al-Yāqūt fī ‘Ilm al-Kalām written by Abū Isḥāq Nawbakhtī (a theologian of the fourth century AH).[^1] After him, this method has been used in a more lucid and extensive manner in the treatise Tajrīd al-I‘tiqād by Khwājah Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī (died 672 AH).

One of the Attributes which he has derived from the principle of “essential necessity” is wisdom ( ḥikmah ).[^2] In light of this proof, the Necessary Being in essence has all the existential perfections, and justice and wisdom are among these existential perfections. God, therefore, is All-just and All-wise. This proof establishes all the manifestations and expressions of the Divine justice and wisdom.

The Proof of Special Attention (‘ināyah) In the jargon of Muslim philosophers, ‘ināyah (special attention) means God’s foreknowledge of the best order and that essential knowledge is the source of materialization of the beings, and this system is consistent with the pleasure ( riḍā )[^3] of God.

The ‘ināyah of God, therefore, includes three things: The Divine Essence’s knowledge of the system of being which is the best and complete system; The Divine Essence as the cause ( ‘illah ) of materialization of the best system of existence; and The Divine Essence’s pleasure for the materialization of the best system. These three things refer to the very Essence of God.

As a result, the system of being has been realized on the basis of knowledge of the Divine Essence and His eternal special attention ( ‘ināyah ).