Q. 39
Speaking about Justice as the main task of Al-Mahdi (as), how should man define justice in the Islamic conceptualization? How should it be reflected from different angles?
Justice is an abstract concept that eludes clear definition. In this way it is like many other concepts, such as liberty and freedom, whose meaning remains fluid and difficult to grasp. Our aim here is to present a definition of justice that moves beyond familiar social contract theories as found in Locke, Rousseau, and Kant, and other classical theories of political and religious thought. In the place of such theories, we seek to establish an alternative, holistic understanding of justice.
For the Muslim, justice revolves around the Divine example found in Allah (swt). He possesses all the qualities of perfection, and these qualities are known in the Qur'an as "the most Beautiful Names" (al-assma al-hussnah). The most relevant of these qualities fro our discussion are the attributes of Authority (al-hakam), Justice (al-'adl), and Peace (al-salaam). The Qur'anic concept of as-salaam is often translated as "peace", but this peace does not merely imply the absence of conflict. Rather, it reflects the ideas of harmony, fulfilment, and completeness in all aspects of existence. This idea ultimately refers to the establishment of an
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ideal global state in which security, prosperity, and righteousness pervade. Such a society is based on just relationships between human beings themselves, and between humanity and the rest of the universe that surrounds them.
Justice defined
The idea of justice lies at the heart of religious, social, economic, moral, and political philosophy. It is a necessary virtue of individuals as well as governments in their interactions with others, and it is the principal virtue of social institutions. Without it one can never speak about a just civil society, nor can a human being achieve any sort of perfection.
Justice is traditionally defined by the Latin phrase "suum cuique tribuere" give to each his own. It has always been closely connected to the notion of right, and to ideas of desert. Rewards and punishments are justly distributed if they go to those who deserve them. But in the absence of different claims for desert, justice demands equal treatment. This is a general and highly flexible definition, and as such it easily evades any kind of criticism.
We would argue, however, that justice cannot be merely understood from the perspective of a social contract. Rather, one must understand justice in terms of one's commitments to others, commitments that are fundamental and eternal. Free individuals, in spite of their freedom, have manifold commitments, and it if from these commitments that we can begin to understand justice. From this, we begin to establish a government and social structure based upon commitments. This model is classified as justice as commitment.
This model presumes that all people engaging in social cooperation collectively choose those principles that will assign basic rights and duties and determine the division of social benefits and responsibilities. Men decide in advance how they will regulate their claims against one another and what is to be the founding
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charter of their society. Just as each person must decide by rational reflection what constitutes his good and the ends that are rational for him to pursue, so a group of persons make a final decision as to what constitutes justice and injustice. The choice which rational men would make in this hypothetical situation of equal library, assuming for the present that this choice problem has a solution, determines the principle of justice. In the model of "justice as commitment" the original position of equality corresponds to the state of nature, as regulated by the Divine injunction.
Reciprocity between Divine and Human Justice
Divine Justice and human justice have a dynamic and reciprocal relationship with each other. A Muslim cannot accept human justice without accepting Divine Justice, and vice versa. Human justice is almost meaningless outside of the concept of Divine Justice.
Speaking about "the most Beautiful Names" [al-assma al-hussnah] we see that in mystical philosophy the name of as-salaam cannot be separated from the other Divine Names. Ayatullah Khomeini in his book "Misbah Al-Hidayyah ila Al-Khilafah was Wilayyah":
The Divine judgement requires justice amongst the Divine names, while each name is reflected according to justice, and so the name "Allah" is reflected as the absolute name above all names by these two main names "al-Hakam al-'Adil", and so very thing is ruled by the Divine justice, and the divine institutions are all based on justice.241
Elsewhere in "Al-Misbah" he writes:
It is clear that the Prophet's duty in all aspects and all worlds is to preserve the Divine institutions, so that they would never be altered to the extreme. He should also maintain nature from its absolute destruction, because every thing must be ruled and managed based upon justice ... thus the Prophet is a crystallization of the Divine attribute of "al-Hakam al-A'del" to encourage justice and to bring it into being, and a Divine successor is a crystallization and
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241. Ayatollah Khomayni, Misbah Al-Hidayah ila Al-Khalifah wa Wilayyah. Misbah 53,41, with comments of Sayyid J.D. Ashtiani. B.N.A.I. Tehran
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the perfect example of the reflection of these divine attributes. This is one of the potential meanings of the narrated saying from Imam Ali (as): Know Allah by knowing Allah, and know the messenger by knowing the message, and the leaders "Ouli-Amr" by their preservation of right, justice and charity.242
The leader of an ideal society is obliged to encourage peace and tolerance amongst the society's members. The Qur'an explicitly declares that Allah (swt) commands us to maintain justice. In many verses Allah (swt) commands the ruler to give a decision based on justice. In many other verses in the narration it is commanded that we should do justice both by words and deeds and in most of the verses of the Holy Qur'an tyrants have been condemned. Imam Sadiq (as) said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) gathered the children of Abd al-Muttallib and said:
O, children of 'Abd-il-Muttallib! Initiate greetings, have regard for kinship, perform the night prayers while people are asleep, feed others, and speak solely good things, and thereby you will enter paradise in peace.243
If one deals with people with Divine Justice, one is naturally led to human justice. If a leader is not acting with justice, then his authority has no legitimacy under Islamic law. Those who give such a ruler any kind of legitimacy are considered to be as bad as the oppressor himself. The Holy Prophet (saws) has said:
On the Day of Resurrection a caller will announce: "Where are the oppressors and their assistants and those who prepared an inkwell for them or fastened a bag for them or supplied the ink of a pen (for them)? Then, gather these (people) with them!"244
In a more explicit tradition, it is revealed that even those who sympathize with the oppressors are considered guilty from an ethical point of view, and they are responsible for their association with they tyrants. Imam Baqir (as), has said:
Allah, Almighty and Glorious, revealed to Prophet Jethro (as) (Shu'ayb): I will punish one hundred thousand people of your folk. Forty thousand people
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242. Ibid. Misbah 53,41.
243. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, Tr. by Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
244. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, p.91, Tr.: by Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
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are from their vicious ones but sixty thousand of them are from their good-doers. Jethro (as) inquired: "These are the vicious (who deserve punishment), but what about the good-doers?"
Then, Allah, Almighty and Glorioud, revealed to him:
They (the good-doers) associated with the sinners and did not become angry because of My wrath."245
Oppression is something that cannot be ignored by Allah (swt). Imam Baqir (as) said:
There are three types of transgressions: the one which Allah, the Exalted, forgives, the one He does not forgive, and that one which He does not ignore. Thus, the transgression that He does not forgive is infidelity unto Allah, the Almighty, and Glorious. And, the transgression, which Allah forgives, is the one that a person commits (against) himself between him and Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty. But the transgression which He does not ignore is the one committed against the rights of men.246
This third transgression is a person infringing upon the rights of others. For this sin, one can only earn forgiveness from Allah (swt) if one makes amends to the wronged party. If that person forgives, then the transgression becomes one that the person has committed against himself, and only then may the sinner seek forgiveness from Allah. The philosophy behind this is clear. If one were not required to make such amends, then it would be very easy for people to run amok and then claim forgivenss from their Lord. Imam Ali (as) has described how the evil act of oppression will affect the future of its prepetrator, along with the whole of society:
Transgression causes the foot to go astray, takes the blessings, and kills the nations.247
Imam Ali (as) has also said:
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245. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, pp.106-107, Tr.: by Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
246. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, p.92, Tr.: Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
247. Sharah Ghurar-ul-Hikam, Vol.2, p.36
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... Nothing is more conducive to the reversal of Allah's bounty or for hastening of His retribution that continuance in oppression, because Allah hears the prayer of the oppressed and is on the look-out for the oppressors.248
Christian sources have also emphasized this vital point and stated that the aim of any ruler should be to secure the well-being of his people, just as it is the task of the helmsman to steer the ship through the perilous seas to a safe harbourage. But the welfare and prosperity of a community lies in the perservation of its unity; or, more simply, in peace. Without peace a community is unable to achieve any positive gain, and society becomes a burden upon its members. The most important task for the ruler of any community is the establishment of peace and unity. The ruler has no choice in this regard, and it is not permissible for him to shirk the duty of promoting social peace, any more than a doctor has the right to question whether he will cure the sick. No one ought to deliberate about the ends for each act he must perform, but only about the means to those ends. We see in Paul's letter to the Ephesians that he says:
Be ye solicitous for the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.249
The worth of a government is measured by its ability to establish peace and unity within its society.
250 Aquinas defines tyranny as an unjustly government led by one man who seeks personal profit from his position, instead of the good of the community subject to him, such a ruler is called a tyrant. This concept of tyranny is derived from the idea of force, as a tyrant forcibly oppresses the people instead of ruling justly.
Aquinas divides government into various kinds, based on the source and method of rule. If an unjust government is exercised not by one man alone, but by several banded together in a clique, such a state of affairs is called an oligarchy, or rule by the few. This can happen when a small group of wealthy individuals take advantage of their wealth to oppress the rest of the people; and such a government differs from tyranny only in the number of oppressors.
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248. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, p.93, Tr.: Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
249. Ephesians 4:3
250. Thomas Aquinas on Princely Government, The Just Ruler, Qouted from "Western Philosophy: An Anthology", p.480, edited By John Cottingham. Blackwell Publisher Ltd 1996
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Similarly, it is possible for an unjust government to be exercized by the masses. This is the classical definition of democracy, where the mob uses its numbers to oppress the rich.
We find other categories of injustice, which are based on the method of rule. An administration carried out by some large section of the community is called in Aquina's categories, a polity. An example would be army rule in a province or a city. If the administration falls to a small group of virtuous men, it is called an aristocracy, rule by the best. Finally, if a just government is execized by one man alone, such a person is called a king. We read in the Old Testament:
My servant David shall be king over all; he shall be the sole shepherd of them all.251
We see the difference between tyranny and kingship. Both governments are a form of autocracy, but the king pay attention to the needs of his people, while the tyrant does not.
252
Justice: Comprehensive and Limited Perspectives
The traditional Islamic understanding of justice is situated within a limited framework. In his book "Islamic Teachings in Brief" Allamah Sayyed Mohammad Husayn Tabatabai, presents three kinds of duties where he says:
In general, life is connected to:
1) The Almighty Allah (swt) who has created us. This moral obligation which is for us a blessing and is greater than any other duty and our dutifulness towards His Holy presence is more obligatory than any other obligation;
2) Ourselves;
3) Our fellow creatures with whom we are obliged to live and perform our duties and tasks with their co-operation and assistance.
As according to the above order we have three duties; duty towards Allah (swt), duty towards ourselves and duty towards others.253
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251. Ezekiel 37:24
252. Thomas Aquinas on Princely Government, The Just Ruler, Qouted from "Western Philosophy: An Anthology", p.479, edited By John Cottingham. Blackwell Publisher Ltd 1996
253. Tabatabai 169
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We see in another text that Allamah Tabatabai divides justice into two kinds: individual justice and social justice. Also what Allamah Tabatabai is referring to is something similar to what Sheikh Mohammad Mahdi An-Naraaqi has said in his "Collector of Felicities".
254 We would take issue with this tri-partite division of obligations. We would add to these three categories:
1) Man's obligation to the physical environment, which includes all non-human living or non living creatures, such as animals, trees, earth and milieu.
2) Man's obligation to other non-human invisible beings, such as jinn or angels.
The tri-partite division is a classic way of explaining Islamic Shari'ah Law, and we find a similar division in other works of major scholars. This is an oversight on the part of Allamah Tabatabai among other scholars -though he would certainly agree that these are obligations as well. We must remember that the Shari'ah is a complete way of life, and that the Shari'ah covers more than merely our relationship with ourselves, our relationship with God, and our relationship with other human beings. The physical environment plays a role as well, and Islamic law has regulations for how one is to deal justly with the world Allah (swt) has created to fulfill the needs of humanity. We find many traditions in the corpus of ahadeeth speaking on these issues. We see, for example, that hunting and killing animals for the sake of pleasure and without need is something that is forbidden in Islam. Hunting has nothing to do with one's direct relationship to God, one's relationship to oneself, or one's relationship to others, yet nonetheless the Shari'ah has regulations for this and many other human affairs. A similar argument should be said concerning non-human invisible beings, such as using angels and jinn as instruments in fulfilling malign desires and evil wishes.
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254. Shaikh M. Mahdi An-Naraqi, The Collector of felicities, Flow-chart presented: Syed Gul Muhammed Naqvi, pp.30-34, Ansarian Publ Qum, Iran 1999
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Justice: Internal vs. External Perspectives
The Holy Lady Fatima Az-Zahra (as) has said:
Justice is a means for harmonizing the hearts.
This hadith used the word "harmony", a word that reflects the philosophy underlying justice. The goal of justice is to achieve the harmonization of hearts, which will end in achieving peace in the outside world.
From the words of Sayyidat Un-nissa' Fatima (as), we see that justice has two dimensions: external and internal. A justice that is to be established throughout the world must rely on a pre-existing justice within human hearts. Justice is not something that can be imposed through force. Rather, it is something that is established inside peoples themselves, creating peace and tranquility in the external world. The Qur'anic theory is thorough and comprehensive, being fundamentally a combination of the concepts of "justice" and "peace", in both internal and external forms. Those who cannot achieve tranquility in their own souls will not be able to bring peace in the rest of the world. The philosophy of "al-Jihad al-akbar" and "al-Jihad al-asghar" is based on this dialectic. If one wants to improve the outside world, he must first have made himself into a just person.
Justice: Global vs Individual Perspectives
Although some academics, such as F. A. Hayek, have denied the idea that distributive justice has meaning within states, no one would deny the existence of acts, which can be called "unjust". It has been argued, however, that the concepts of justice and injustice have no meaning outside of the nation-state, either because the lack of an international sovereign power precludes the establishment of justice, or because the state constitutes the maximal moral community. Both arguments are flawed. Any notion of
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fundamental human equality becomes incoherent if its application is limited by political boundaries. In either a utilitarian or Kantian form, or based on our theory, i. e. justice as commitment, belief in human equality generates extensive international obligations. An objection that is often made to this conclusion is that the obligations derived are so stringent that compliance cannot reasonably be demanded under current political conditions.
255 If true, this only demonstrates that current political conditions are incompatible with international justice, and that political moral values are totally ignored in the international arena. Imam Hassan (as), said:
Treat others similar to the way you would like them to treat you.256
Keeping just relationship within an international framework is much more vital and important for humanity than keeping just relationships between individuals. Even though many ahadeeth on this subject are narrated in such a way as to give the impression that they are only speaking about individual relations, one can most certainly extend the meaning of these ahadeeth to governments and organizations as well. Imam Ali (as) said:
May Allah have mercy upon the person who services a right and removes a wrong, or refutes an injustice and establishes justice.257
In this narration, the use of the word "establish" supports a wider interpretation, because "establishment" implies institutional struggle rather than individual action. We should also understand the appearance of the Mahdi, the second coming of Jesus Christ (as) and the divine preparation for global social changes in this wider context i. e. an international framework. The best statement in this regard is to be quoted from Al-Mahdi (as) himself. He said, describing this task:
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255. Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, pp.429-430, Published by Routledge 2000
256. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.78, p.116
257. Imam Ali, Ghurar-ul-Hikam, p.181
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I am Al-Mahdi and I am the living one who will establish Justice throughout the world the same as it has been filled with oppression. Surely the earth will never remain without a witness, and people will not live with lack of a leader.258
In another tradition Imam Baqir (as) shed light this global justice as if it were a dream of all humanity:
When our Qa'im rises, he will set his hand (authority) over the heads of the servants. He will give them intellectual development and complete their patience and insights. After that, Allah will extend their sights and their hearing so that there will be no barrier between them and the Qa'im when he decides to speak with them. They will hear, and they can watch him while he is in his place.259
Conclusion
Our conclusion is that Justice covers all aspects of human life, and for a Muslim who performs his/her duties and receives what s/he deserves in a distributive and corrective framework of Justice, s/he believes that they are struggling for a better and bright future, for individuals as well as for societies all over the globe. Al-Mahdi (as) will establish justice in a truly comprehensive way, so much so that even people from other monotheistic religions will find their ideals and goals manifested in his government. His project will be to unite the various intellectual and religious trends in human society, and he will base his project upon the Divine injunctions found in the sacred books of other religions. Beyond this, he will reinforce his arguments and the arguments of the Qur'an through archaeological discovery and research.
Q. 40
What are the main differences between the appearance (Ad-dhuhour) and the Shi'ah belief in the short-time resurrection (Ar-rajja'ah)?
All people will rise from the dead when the Mahdi comes. The punished people will carry coffins on their backs whereas they go. Allah will talk to each one
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258. Celeste Smith, Ed. A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, p.255, Tr.: Sayyid Abbas Sadr-Ameli. Isfahan: Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali Library
259. Ibid: p.222
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alone about their sins. I think it will be soon because I hear about it too much from my family.260
That is how a traditionally religious woman, raised in America with a high school education described the coming of Al-Mahdi (as). It is also how the American anthropologist L. S. Walbridge expressed her understanding of the period after Al-Mahdi's (as) appearance. It is obvious that she could not distinguish between two things which are totally different. Perhaps other academic writers would make the same mistake.
It is clear that belief in (Ar-rajja'ah) "short resurgence" is not a requirement for the Shi'ah belief. The Shi'ah scholars distinguished between Al-Mahdi's (as) appearance and the phenomenon called Ar-rajja'ah. Al-Muzzaffar writes about Shi'ah belief concerning this point as follows:
The belief in "Ar-rajja'ah" the return of the dead to life again in this world is not one of the fundamental principles of Islam, so as to make it incumbent upon everyone to have belief in it.261
On the other hand, we know that Al-Mahdi (as) and his reappearance is one of the crucial point of Islamic belief.
262
We have also met some Christian groups (Jahovah's Witnesses) who have replaced their belief in a heaven with their belief in a happy end for humanity on this earth. They deny any form of life after death as well as Paradise and Hell.
Muslims reject these invented idea absolutely. The fact is that this belief in a happy end has no connection with the life in the hereafter. This concept is very common and is shared by all ideologies -which we have mentioned earlier in this book- including those, who do not have a belief in a resurrection and a life in the hereafter.
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260. Walbridge, Linda, Without forgetting the Imam, p.165
261. Muzaffar, Muhammed Ridha, The Faith of Shi'a Islam. p.80, Islamic Seminary Publications, 1985
262. Muzaffar, Muhammed Ridha, The Faith of Shi'a Islam. p.80, Islamic Seminary Publications, 1985
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Q. 41
What would be Al-Mahdi's (as) main task in the world when he reappears?
I think that Al-Mahdi's (as) first essential task will be to strengthen makind's faith and hope by establishing a just global society, after most poepl have lost hope. A higher intelligence is quite necessary at this stage, because it will enable man to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. Mankind, for example, will be able to see that things are hopeless yet still be determined to make them otherwise.
Al-Mahdi's (as) next major assignment would be to purify the world from evil and satanic practices and establish the Kingdom of God. This would involve an immense amount of struggle and effort. According to the narrated Shi'ah ahadeeth, this program of armed combat will continue until the total annihilation of oppressive governments.
263 He will be aided by combatants and by the fear that God creates in the enemy's heart. As a result, he will not turn to any land without hoisting the banner of Islam on its soil.
264 In this way he will conquest the East and the West.
265 Under his leadership of the global Islamic society human beings will be able to attain the highest mental development,
266 and acquire the highest level of knowledge and insight.
267 The most perfect moral values will rule the world,
268 and under their auspices, unity and purity will be established among human beings.
269 He will abolish all class difference, so that everyone will have the possibility of activity and progress.
270 The world will enjoy such a degree of wealth and prosperity that people will have no need to seeking profit in their dealings, and will consider such an action as undesirable as usury.
Q. 42
Exactly when will he appear? Is there a deadline for his occultation to end?
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263. Al-Kafi, Vol.3, p.471
264. Kamal Ad-deen, p.327, and Montakhab-Al-Athar, Vol.1, p.284
265. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.53, p.336
266. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.53, p.336
267. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.53, p.336
268. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.53, p.336
269. Al-Mufid, Al-Ekhtesas, p.24
270. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.52, p.309
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L. S. Walbridge wrote concerning this point:
When I asked young Shari'ah-minded Ismael when he thought Al-Mahdi would return, he responded, "It is not allowed to make such predictions. "But he could not help adding, "There are signs that it may be coming soon." ... But his equally Shari'ah-minded wife on another occasion told me that she was studying with a visiting Shaykh from Lebanon who was not at all reticent about making some predictions. She reported that he told his class that the war in Lebanon, Arab against Arabs, Jews coming back home, all these things, and many more must happen before Al-Mahdi comes with Jesus to being justice to the world." ... From her understanding of what the Sheikh was teaching, she is convinced that the Imam's return is imminent. Indeed, one of the most soughteafter religious books in the community is a popular account in Arabic of the prophecies of the Mahdi that shows how they are in the process of fulfillment ... Six of my respondents told me explicitly that the Mahdi would return before the year of 2000. These tended to be the most traditional and least educated, but to use that exact dated, it wsa apparent that they see the Mahdi's time as having come. And longing for the Mahdi. Hajj C., a second-generation American, told me. "He doesn't have to come in my lifetime, but I would like to respond to his call. "He said he was prepared to give up everything to follow the Mahdi. Hajj M., also a second-generation believer, said that it was Sheikh Cherri's insistence that Al-Mahdi would appear soon that was instrumental in making him a more observant Muslim.271
Our reading of this so-called academic text uncovered no scientific presentation, but rather words and rumors amongst a Shi'ah community.
According to the statement that we have narrated in the beginning of chapter two, Al-Mahdi (as) did not mention any deadline for the end of his Occultation. Imam Sadiq (as) has also said:
Whoever sets any deadline for the end of the occultation is a liar, whoever sets any deadline for the end of the occultation is a liar, whoever sets any deadline for the end of the occultation is a liar.272
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271. Walbridge, Linda, Without forgetting the Imam, p.165
272. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.52, p.103
