When Muslims meet, they are obliged to great each other with the words “Assaalam aleykum” (peace be upon you). Such greeting is a reminder not simply of being a believer (Muslim) but of the essence of Islam itself through the blessings and duties that come with being a Muslim. Salam (peace) is the essence of Islam – peace in obeying God, being at peace with your spiritual needs and with family, friends, neighbours through mutual rights and responsibilities. In obeying Allah’s command’s to give charity, be kind, truthful, forgiving, merciful, to avoid greed and not transgress limits and all that harms one’s soul and community, we can find peace. Alongside peace itself is justice – when we are just towards others, Allah is just towards us. We live in a just society and we find peace. This is the essence of Islam.
I’d like to give a brief insight into the call for justice and peace within Islamic scripture. In this article, the focus is the primary textual source of Islam: the Qur’an. Here are 30 citations from the Qur’an which highlight the importance of and call for justice and peace.
- Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah [obligatory charity] will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (2:2 77)
2. Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors. (2:190)
3. And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. (2: 205)
4. They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, “Whatever you spend on good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” (2: 215)
5. Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people – give them tidings of a painful punishment. (3:21)
6. Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing. (2:263)
7. And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (3: 104)
8. O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (4:135)
9. Allah will say, “This is the Day [of Judgement] when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.” For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment. (5:119)
10. And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those whose scales are heavy – it is they who will be the successful. (7:8)
11. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (16:90)
12. O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. (33:70)
13. And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption. (11:85)
14. O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (5:80)
15. They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice– those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided. (6:82)
16. By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path. (5:16)
17. And do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allah and making peace among people. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (2: 224)
18. And Allah invites to the Home of Peace [Heaven]and guides whom He wills to a straight path (10:25)
19. And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace […] (25:63)
20. And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing. (8:61)
21. These are the verses of Allah . We recite them to you, [O Muhammad], in truth; and Allah wants no injustice to the worlds. (3:108)
22. But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves, [being merely] the enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do. (10:23)
23. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance. (55:9)
24. And among those We created is a community which guides by truth and thereby establishes justice. (7:181)
25. O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (49:13)
26. It is that of which Allah gives good tidings to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.” And whoever commits a good deed – We will increase for him good therein. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Appreciative. (42:23)
27. Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. (18:7)
28. Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. (2:177)
29. And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully. (17:26)
30. Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good; […] (3:134)
So, once again – a short and sweet very brief insight into Islam but I hope to have highlighted the command to be just, to look after one another and to leave in peace.
Salam!
Credits/further information:
Feature image: doBot
Quranic citations: Sahih International translation of the Qur’an (see here)
Voice of Salam 
Useful Information. Thanks for sharing
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