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Social Justice (Arabic: العدالة الاجتماعية) means the provision of equal conditions for individuals to access resources, opportunities, and social rights. This justice includes freedom, human dignity, equality, eliminating discrimination, social cooperation, respecting merit, and securing each rightful claimant's share.

This concept goes beyond individual justice and economic justice and encompasses social relations and the government's responsibilities toward the people. Its roots can be traced in the Qur'an, the tradition of the Prophet (s), the teachings of Imam Ali (a) — especially the Sermon of al-Shiqshiqiyya and the Covenant of Malik al-Ashtar. Shia thinkers such as Imam Khomeini consider the realization of social justice to be among the goals of the mission of the prophets and emphasize the necessity of establishing it in all spheres of life.

In jurisprudence, social justice functions as a jurisprudential principle and can serve as a guide in the inference of rulings and the regulation of the social system, particularly in cases where there is no explicit textual evidence. The realization of social justice requires the observance of citizens' rights, a balance between the individual and society, and the existence of a government and legal institutions. Its goals include the reform and progress of society, the elimination of oppression, the preservation of human dignity, the development of capabilities, the strengthening of social relations, and the establishment of security.

Some schools of thought, such as radical liberal and Marxist currents, do not accept the necessity of social justice for the administration of collective life. Also, some Muslims believe that Islam is a complete religion and that there is no need for human institutions or doctrines such as social justice to organize society.

Position

Social justice is a new concept in political and legal literature,[1] but some researchers have traced its roots in Islamic sciences and the works of philosophers such as al-Farabi.[2] This concept is associated with fields such as philosophy, ethics, political and social sciences, law, economics, educational sciences, and psychology,[3] as well as with religious sciences such as theology and jurisprudence.[4]

The expansion of the discourse on social justice in Shi'a thought has involved a departure from an approach that confined justice to the individual sphere.[5] Furthermore, the increasing social and political role of human beings and their presence in spheres such as economics, culture, and politics have been cited as factors contributing to greater attention to this issue.[6] The United Nations has designated February 20 as the "World Day of Social Justice."[7]

Social Justice in Shia Teachings

Shia scholars such as Imam Khomeini, citing Quran 57:25, consider the realization of social justice to be among the goals of the mission of the prophets.[8] 'Allama Tabataba'i, under Quran 16:90, has interpreted the command to justice as referring to social justice.[9] Murtada Mutahhari has considered most of the verses related to justice to be about social justice.[10] Ahmad Wa'izi, a religious researcher, has also introduced the Quranic commands concerning justice and Qist as referring to the duty of society and the political system in establishing justice.[11]

Some teachings of Nahj al-Balagha are related to social justice.[12] Among them are the statements of Imam Ali (a) in the Sermon of al-Shiqshiqiyya upon accepting the caliphate,[13] the recommendation to observe fairness in the Covenant of Malik al-Ashtar,[14] the creation of equal opportunities for all,[15] the emphasis on equality in the enforcement of the law,[16] and attention to the needy,[17] all of which have been cited as evidence for this view.[18]

In some religious works, social justice is considered one of the pillars of Islam[19] and a foundation for regulating social relations and the relationship between the government and the people,[20] and its realization is regarded as one of the duties of the government.[21]

Jurisprudential Principle of Social Justice

In some jurisprudential research, social justice has been proposed as a jurisprudential principle that can be used in the inference of religious rulings.[22] It is said that this principle can serve as a guide for the mujtahid in cases where there is no religious text.[23] Some hold that its realization is only possible within the framework of governmental jurisprudence.[24]

Conceptology

In scholarly research, no comprehensive and universally agreed-upon definition of social justice has been provided, and most efforts have focused on elucidating its elements and instances;[25] nevertheless, some researchers have defined it as "the possibility for all to benefit from fair conditions for access to resources and social opportunities"[26] or "the observance of the rights of the general public along with due attention to public interests."[27] According to these definitions, in equal conditions, individuals should be treated identically, and in different conditions, differences should be taken into account based on need, ability, and merit.[28]

Conceptual Evolution of Social Justice

In the beginning, social justice was primarily viewed from an economic perspective, meaning "the fair distribution of facilities and wealth among individuals," and was referred to as distributive justice.[29] However, it gradually expanded to all social spheres, encompassing individuals' opportunities and rights.[30]

In some Islamic works, the understanding of social justice is held to be dependent on the Islamic view of humanity, life, and the world.[31] Accordingly, it is said that since Islam encompasses a set of devotional, moral, economic, and social teachings, social justice is also regarded as a comprehensive concept that pertains to all spheres of life.[32]

According to some researchers, the perception of social justice depends on the beliefs and cultural structures of each society.[33]

Origin of Social Justice

Some Muslim thinkers such as Imam Khomeini[34] and Murtada Mutahhari[35] believe that justice is rooted in human nature (fiṭra). In contrast, some Western theorists such as John Rawls regard it merely as a moral virtue,[36] while others have justified justice on the basis of its efficiency and usefulness for individual and social life.[37] According to the view that justice is based on fiṭra, it has been said that this foundation can provide the ground for proposing concepts such as global justice and intergenerational justice.[38]

Elements and Components

Several elements have been identified for the elaboration of social justice, including:[39]

  • Freedom: the liberation of human beings from the domination of others.[40]
  • Equality: the elimination of discrimination[41] and equality before the law.[42]
  • Social solidarity: social cooperation for the regulation of freedom and equality.[43]*
  • Observance of merit: enjoyment of privileges conditional upon the competence and merit of individuals.[44]
  • Granting the share of every rightful claimant: securing the legal and religious rights of individuals.[45]

Mechanisms for Realization

The realization of social justice is conditional upon the observance of citizens' rights[46] and attention to the balance between the individual and society.[47] According to the theory of the precedence of society over the individual, the implementation of social justice is not possible without the existence of government and legal structures.[48]

  • Political dimension: includes ensuring just governance, guaranteeing political freedoms, providing opportunities for participation in the political system and social positions, maintaining governmental neutrality in legislation, execution, and adjudication, equality of individuals before the law, and observance of meritocracy.[49]
  • Economic dimension: includes the fair distribution of wealth and facilities,[50] governmental intervention to reduce class disparity,[51] combating corruption, reforming fiscal and monetary policies, public access to the means of production and economic activity, the implementation of economic mechanisms such as infaq, zakat, khums, waqf, and social security, skills training, and the establishment of a cooperative system.[52]
  • Cultural dimension: includes the fair distribution of cultural resources,[53] cultural rights,[54] and equal access to education and knowledge, with the aim of shaping just behaviors and mentalities in society.[55]

Aims and Outcomes

Cover of the book Social Justice by Ahmad Wāʿizī published in Persian

The primary aim of social justice is said to be providing the possibility for every individual to enjoy rights and resources proportionate to his effort and merit,[56] which, according to a tradition from Imam Ali (a), also leads to the reform of society.[57] Murtada Mutahhari considers the observance of social justice as a condition for the survival and progress of society, and regards the prevalence of oppression as a cause of societal decline and collapse.[58] Imad Afrugh, a social science researcher, citing religious teachings, considers social justice as a factor for reforming people's affairs, the flourishing of cities, the fulfillment of human rights, and the destruction of oppression and the oppressor.[59]

Among other outcomes of the implementation of social justice are the preservation of human dignity, the development of individuals' capabilities, and the strengthening of relationships among members of society.[60] Furthermore, the creation of tranquility and security is among the effects of the realization of social justice in society,[61] which will not be secured without economic justice and judicial justice.[62]

Opponents

Some schools of thought, such as radical liberals and Marxists, do not accept the necessity of social justice for organizing human collective life.[63] Their reasons include reliance on law instead of social justice, the belief that social justice is meaningless and impractical, concern about disruption of social order and freedom, and reliance on free market mechanisms.[64]

Also, some Muslims believe that Islam is a complete religion and that there is no need for human institutions or doctrines such as social justice to organize society.[65]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ghanīnijād, ʿAdālat, ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī wa iqtiṣād, p. 780; Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 51-52.
  2. ↑ Wāʿizī, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī wa masāʾil-i Ān, p. 189-190.
  3. ↑ Ghanīnijād, ʿAdālat, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī wa iqtiṣād, p. 777; Wāʿizī, ʿAdālat-i Ijtimāʿī wa aasāʾil-i Ān, p. 192.
  4. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Khuṭūṭ-i iqtiṣād-i Islāmī, p. 23; Sulaymānī and Rāghibī, Barrisī-yi fiqhī-yi qāʿida-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 34-35; Aḥmadī and Zālī, Tabyīn-i fiqhī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bi ʿunwān-i wazīfa-yi Ḥukūmat-i siyāsī dar andīsha-yi Imām Khomeinī, p. 114-116.
  5. ↑ Jamshīdī, Naẓariyya-yi ʿadālat ... p. 227-228; Fawzī and Murādī, Barrisī-yi taṭbīqī-yi naẓariyya-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām wa Gharb, p. 97-98.
  6. ↑ Jamshīdī and Īrānnijād, Muqaddama-'ī bar tabyīn-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar andīsha-yi Imām Khomeinī, p. 16.
  7. ↑ Mīrḥusaynī, Rūz-i jahānī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, dar rūznāma-yi Iʿtimād.
  8. ↑ Imām Khomeinī, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, p. 386 and p. 213.
  9. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 12, p. 331.
  10. ↑ Muṭahharī, ʿAdl-i ilāhī, p. 37.
  11. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 150–151.
  12. ↑ Jahānīpūr, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar kalām wa sīra-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn, p. 119.
  13. ↑ Nahj al-Balāgha (Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), Sermon 3, p. 50.
  14. ↑ Nahj al-Balāgha (Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), Letter 53, p. 428.
  15. ↑ Nahj al-Balāgha (Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), Sermon 15, p. 57.
  16. ↑ Nahj al-Balāgha (Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), Sermon 37, p. 81.
  17. ↑ Nahj al-Balāgha (Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), Saying 328, p. 533.
  18. ↑ Jahānīpūr, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar kalām wa sīra-yi Amīr al-Muʾminīn, p. 13-21; Aḥmadī, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī az manẓar-i Nahj al-Balāgha, p. 100-106.
  19. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Qurʾān, vol. 4, p. 576.
  20. ↑ Fawzī and Murādī, Barrisī-yi taṭbīqī-yi naẓariyya-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām wa Gharb, p. 94.
  21. ↑ Aḥmadī and Zālī, Tabyīn-i fiqhī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bi ʿunwān-i wazīfa-yi ḥukūmat-i siyāsī dar andīsha-yi Imām Khomeynī, p. 114.
  22. ↑ Sulaymānī and Rāghibī, Barrisī-yi fiqhī-yi qāʿida-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 34-35 and 38.
  23. ↑ ʿAlī-Akbarīyān, Qāʿida-yi ʿadālat dar fiqh-i Imāmiyya, p. 221.
  24. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 157-159.
  25. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 31-36.
  26. ↑ Anwarī, Farhang-i buzurg-i sukhan, under the entry.
  27. ↑ Muṭahharī, Bīst guftār, p. 96; Ṣalībā, Farhang-i falsafī, p. 461.
  28. ↑ Ghanawī, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī az dīdgāh-i Islām, p. 96-97.
  29. ↑ Ghanīnijād, ʿAdālat, ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī wa iqtiṣād, p. 781-782.
  30. ↑ Sayyid Bāqirī, Rāh-kār-hā-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar niẓām-i Islāmī, p. 25; Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 58-67.
  31. ↑ Sayyid Quṭb, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 41.
  32. ↑ Jamshīdī and Īrān-nijād, Muqaddama-'ī bar tabyīn-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar andīsha-yi Imām Khomeinī, p. 22; Sayyid Quṭb, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 52; Lārījānī, Sanjish-i sāzgārī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī wa tawsiʿa, p. 16-18.
  33. ↑ Wāʿizī, Kārkard-i fiqh-i siyāsī dar naẓariyya-pardāzī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 11-12.
  34. ↑ Imām Khomeinī, Sharḥ-i chihil ḥadīth, p. 113; Imām Khomeinī, Junūd-i ʿaql wa jahl, p. 147.
  35. ↑ Muṭahharī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār, vol. 18, p. 155-157; Fayyāḍbakhsh and others, Rābiṭa-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bā mabānī-yi ḥuqūq-i Islāmī wa ḥukmrānī-yi maṭlūb bar mabnā-yi dīdgāh-i Shahīd Muṭahharī, p. 129-133.
  36. ↑ Fawzī and Murādī, Barrisī-yi taṭbīqī-yi naẓariyya-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām wa Gharb, p. 100.
  37. ↑ Jalīlī Marand and others, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī az dīdgāh-i Hāyk, Rālz, Shahīd Muṭahharī wa Shahīd Ṣadr, p. 187.
  38. ↑ Fayyāḍbakhsh and others, Rābiṭa-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bā mabānī-yi ḥuqūq-i Islāmī wa ḥukmrānī-yi maṭlūb bar mabnā-yi dīdgāh-i Shahīd Muṭahharī, p. 123.
  39. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 36-41; Sayyid Quṭb, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 63; ʿEywaḍlū, Mafāhīm wa miʿyār-hā-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī wa iqtiṣādī dar chārchūb-i ulgū-yi Islāmī-yi Īrānī-yi pīshraft, p. 164-165.
  40. ↑ Pīrūzmand, Taḥlīl-i nisbat-i ʿadālat wa āzādī bā takya bar mafhūm-i ʿubūdiyyat wa taʾthīr-i ān dar ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 72; Ismāʿīlpūr Niyāzī, Tabyīn-i jāygāh-i aṣl-i āzādī dar ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bā rūykard-i Islāmī, p. 104-106; Sayyid Quṭb, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 86.
  41. ↑ Aṣgharī, Mafhūm, mabānī wa shākhiṣ-hā-yi aṣlī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī az manẓar-i inqilāb-i Islāmī, p. 50-51; Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 36-37.
  42. ↑ Muṭahharī, ʿAdl-i ilāhī, p. 54-58.
  43. ↑ Ṣadr, Iqtiṣādunā, vol. 1, p. 263-269; Sayyid Quṭb, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 103-104.
  44. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 38-39.
  45. ↑ Muṭahharī, ʿAdl-i ilāhī, p. 54-58; ʿEywaḍlū, Mafāhīm wa miʿyār-hā-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī wa iqtiṣādī dar chārchūb-i ulgū-yi Islāmī-yi Īrānī-yi pīshraft, p. 165; Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 37-38.
  46. ↑ Afrūgh, Ḥuqūq-i shahrwandī wa ʿadālat, p. 23; Muṭahharī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār, vol. 21, p. 223.
  47. ↑ Sulaymānī and Rāghibī, Barrisī-yi fiqhī-yi qāʿida-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 41.
  48. ↑ Imām Khomeinī, Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, vol. 4, p. 427; Ḥaqqpanāh, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Qurʾān, p. 71-72.
  49. ↑ Keykhā, Sāzkār-hā-yi taḥaqquq-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 216; Makhzan Mūsawī, Rāh-kār-hā-yi taḥaqquq-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 222; Wāʿizī, Kārkard-i fiqh-i siyāsī dar naẓariyya-pardāzī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 22.
  50. ↑ Maṣbāḥī Muqaddam, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 229-230.
  51. ↑ Jamshīdī and Īrānnijād, Muqaddama-yī bar tabyīn-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar andīsha-yi Imām Khomeinī, p. 30-31.
  52. ↑ Ghanawī, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī az dīdgāh-i Islām, p. 97-99; Makhzan Mūsawī, Rāh-kār-hā-yi taḥaqquq-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 223-224; Keykhā, Sāzkār-hā-yi taḥaqquq-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 216-217.
  53. ↑ Wāʿizī and Ulāyī, ʿAdālat-i farhangī; ʿunṣur-i muqawwim-i ḥukūmat-i ʿAlawī, p. 49.
  54. ↑ Ulāyī, Taṣwīr-i maʿyār-hā-yi ʿadālat-i farhangī, p. 256.
  55. ↑ Keykhā, Sāzkār-hā-yi taḥaqquq-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Islām, p. 218.
  56. ↑ Dastranj, Taḥlīl-i guftmān-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī bā taʾkīd bar āmūzahā-yi Qurʾān-i karīm dar sīra-yi Imām ʿAlī (a), p. 28.
  57. ↑ Laythī, ʿUyūn al-ḥikam wa al-mawāʿiẓ, p. 48.
  58. ↑ Muṭahharī, Bīst guftār, p. 71.
  59. ↑ Afrūgh, Pīsh-farż-hā wa rūykard-hā-yi naẓarī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 55.
  60. ↑ Ḥaqqpanāh, ʿAdālat-i ijtimāʿī dar Qurʾān, p. 74-75.
  61. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Payām-i Imām Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a), vol. 3, p. 587; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 5, p. 321.
  62. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Islām dar yak nigāh, p. 105.
  63. ↑ Ḥājīḥeydar, Niyāz bi mafhūm-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, marwrī bar dīdgāh-hā-yi jārī dar falsafa-yi siyāsī, p. 140-141; Wāʿizī, Kārkard-i fiqh-i siyāsī dar naẓariyya-pardāzī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 15.
  64. ↑ Wāʿizī, Bāz-andīshī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 96-109; Ḥājīḥeydar, Niyāz bih mafhūm-i ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, marwrī bar dīdgāh-hā-yi jārī dar falsafa-yi siyāsī, p. 140-141.
  65. ↑ Wāʿizī, Kārkard-i fiqh-i siyāsī dar naẓariyya-pardāzī-yi ʿadālat-i ijtimāʿī, p. 15.

References

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