Governance & Politics · Quran topic
Justice
العدل · Adl
Giving every soul its due right through unwavering divine truth and balance.
159 verses · 7 parts · 9 min read
Study guide based on
موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
«العدل» · Volume 12
At a glance
Justice, or al-adl, is one of the most foundational concepts established by the Quran. Linguistically rooted in straightness, balance, and placing everything in its rightful station, it forms the bedrock upon which the heavens and the earth were raised. Islam presents justice not as an optional moral ideal, but as an absolute divine command that applies to all people, friend and foe alike.
In the Quranic worldview, justice is woven into every sphere of human existence. It governs the courtroom, the family home, financial contracts, social interactions, and even statesmanship. Believers are called to uphold divine equity even when it goes against their personal interests or the desires of their closest kin.
Ultimately, justice reflects the divine attributes of Allah, who is entirely free from all forms of oppression. By establishing fair dealings, protecting vulnerable individuals, and keeping societal balances intact, believers fulfill the sacred purpose for which scriptures and messengers were sent, earning divine love, earthly stability, and ultimate salvation in the Hereafter.
Key verses
- An-Nahl 16:90: Allah commands comprehensive justice alongside benevolence and kindness to kin, while forbidding oppression and wickedness.
- Al-Ma'idah 5:8: Believers must never allow hatred toward any enemy or adversary to sway them from acting with total fairness.
- Al-Baqarah 2:282: Financial transactions and debts must be recorded and dictated by scribes and guardians with complete honesty and equity.
- An-Nisa 4:127: The community is commanded to stand up firmly with justice for vulnerable orphans, especially regarding their rights and property.
- An-Nisa 4:58: Trusts must be returned to their rightful owners, and whenever people judge between others, they must judge with fairness.
- Al-Qalam 68:35-36: Divine wisdom and justice strictly reject treating those who submit to Allah the same as unrepentant criminals.
- Sad 38:28: Allah affirms that it would be fundamentally contrary to His justice to equate righteous believers with corrupt transgressors.
- Al-Jathiyah 45:21: Those who persist in committing evil are warned that it is an erroneous judgment to imagine their life and death will equal that of the believers.
- Al-Baqarah 2:286: Every single soul earns only the reward of its own good deeds and bears only the weight of its own misdeeds.
- Al-Hujurat 49:9: When reconciling between conflicting believers, reconciliation must be carried out with strict fairness and equitable impartiality.
Words to know
- الْعَدْل al-adl
Uprightness upon the truth, giving every party their obligatory due rights, and avoiding all extremes.
Appears 28 times in the Quran.
Most common forms: عَدْل (14), عَدَلَ (14)
Root: ع د ل
- الْمُسَاوَاة al-musawah
The equality or parity between two things in measure or value, serving as a goal that true equity seeks to realize.
- الْإِنْصَاف al-insaf
Granting another person their full and equal half of a right, treating them exactly as one wishes to be treated.
- الْقِسْط al-qist
Clear and visibly manifest justice, representing each party's clearly weighed, proper, and apportioned share.
Root: ق س ط
Exhortation to justice
From the paper: «الحث على العدل»
The Quran encourages justice through multiple complementary avenues. First, through direct divine command: Allah commands justice in broad principles as well as precise details, such as demanding equity in writing loan contracts Al-Baqarah 2:282, protecting orphans An-Nisa 4:127, delivering fair commercial measures Al-An'am 6:152, and enjoining righteousness broadly alongside benevolence An-Nahl 16:90. In Al-Hadid 57:25, scripture and balances are paired with strength so that humankind may uphold equity.
Second, the Quran strictly forbids oppression, which is definingly placing a matter in other than its proper place. Minor injustice is just as prohibited as grand tyranny Al-A'raf 7:33, An-Nahl 16:90, At-Tawbah 9:36, and Ash-Shura 42:27. Harsh divine warnings await transgressors who persecute prophets or murder those commanding equity Ali 'Imran 3:21, and believers are warned against even leaning toward oppressors Hud 11:113.
Third, Allah describes Himself with perfect equity in His speech, decree, and creation Al-An'am 6:115, Ali 'Imran 3:18, Ibrahim 14:19, and Az-Zumar 39:69, utterly negating wrongdoing from His being Ali 'Imran 3:108, An-Nisa 4:40, and Al-Anbiya 21:47.
Finally, Allah praises those who govern by truth Al-A'raf 7:159, Al-A'raf 7:181, and promises ultimate safety, leadership, and prosperity to the just Al-An'am 6:82, Fatir 35:32, while denying success to tyrants.
«هذا أمر بالعدل المطلق في الأحكام والأعمال، وهو الأصل العام لجميع الأحكام بين الناس.»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
The requirement of integrity in testimony and witnesses
From the paper: «اشتراط العدل «العدالة» في الشهادة والشهود(91)»
Islamic law makes moral uprightness, or adālah, a vital prerequisite for witnesses in commercial agreements Al-Baqarah 2:282, criminal compensation Al-Ma'idah 5:95, wills Al-Ma'idah 5:106, and marital separation At-Talaq 65:2. Scribes must record debts impartially without harming creditor or debtor, and witnesses must stand firm for Allah even against their own parents, relatives, or wealthy figures An-Nisa 4:135.
In family and domestic life, justice serves as the indispensable foundation of society. Guardians are strictly forbidden from usurping orphan wealth or manipulating marriages to seize assets An-Nisa 4:2-3, An-Nisa 4:10, An-Nisa 4:127. Dowries belong exclusively to brides as an unalienable right An-Nisa 4:4. Marital abuse or wrongful transgression against wives is barred under the reminder of Allah's supreme greatness An-Nisa 4:34.
While external fairness between wives in financial provisions and obligations is legally mandated, the Quran clarifies that emotional equality in internal affections is beyond human capability An-Nisa 4:129. Furthermore, family integrity requires attributing lineages correctly to biological fathers, establishing natural justice in heritage, identity, and generational lineage Al-Ahzab 33:4-5.
In criminal justice, the Quran prescribes proportional, equitable retaliation to stop cycles of vengeance Al-Baqarah 2:178-179, Al-Ma'idah 5:45, strictly outlawing collateral damage, tree-cutting, or harming non-combatants during conflict Al-Baqarah 2:190.
Finally, Islam honors gender equality in human value, accountability, and spiritual recompense, granting women full property, contractual, and legal rights Ali 'Imran 3:195, An-Nisa 4:124, At-Tawbah 9:71-72, An-Nahl 16:97, and Al-Ahzab 33:35.
قال ابن كثير: «أي: لا يحملنكم بغض قوم على ترك العدل؛ فإن العدل واجب على كل أحد في كل حال. وقد قال بعض السلف: ما عاملت من عصى الله فيك بمثل أن تطيع الله فيه».موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Meaning they are not equal
From the paper: «أي: لا يكونون سواء.»
True justice does not mean leveling distinct things into blind uniformity: it means treating equivalent things equally and differentiating distinct things fairly. A major manifestation of divine justice is the refusal to equate righteous believers with defiant evildoers Al-Qalam 68:35-36, Sad 38:28, and Al-Jathiyah 45:21. Conflating the pious with corrupt transgressors would be contrary to divine wisdom, reducing sacred balance to absurdity Al-Ma'idah 5:100, Hud 11:24, and Fatir 35:19-22.
Similarly, divine justice recognizes differences in spiritual striving among believers themselves. Those who sacrificed wealth and fought before hardship diminished carry higher ranks than those who gave afterward, though both are promised goodness Al-Hadid 57:10. Those actively striving in Allah's path are distinguished over those who sit back without disability An-Nisa 4:95.
In spiritual accounting, Allah multiplies good deeds ten times over by His grace while penalizing an evil deed only with its exact equivalent Al-An'am 6:160, ensuring no soul is wronged Fussilat 41:34.
Furthermore, justice dictates personal accountability: no soul ever shoulders the burden or guilt of another person Al-Baqarah 2:286, Al-An'am 6:164, and An-Najm 53:39-40. People will be judged purely on their own faith and deeds, nullifying false claims of ancestral prestige Al-Baqarah 2:134-141.
Even in verbal expression Al-An'am 6:152 and dealing with aggressors Al-Baqarah 2:194, believers are held strictly to precise parity and balance.
«وفيه الدلالة على أن كل واحد من المكلفين فأحكام أفعاله متعلقةٌ به دون غيره، وأن أحدًا لا يجوز تصرفه على غيره، ولا يؤاخذ بجريرة سواه، فهذا هو العدل الذي لا يجوز في العقول غيره» .»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Bil-qist meaning in justice
From the paper: «﴿بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ﴾ أي: بالعدل(143).»
When conflicts arise, the Quran commands authorities and arbiters to resolve matters with visible, rigorous justice, termed al-qist Al-Ma'idah 5:42. Allah expresses His profound love for those who judge impartially, even when dealing with parties who themselves act wrongfully or deviate from the truth.
This principle extends into how believers respond to harm and injustice. When injured or provoked, Muslims are instructed to limit retribution strictly to the equivalent of what was done to them, avoiding all overstepping or emotional vengeance An-Nahl 16:126. Scholars observe that although retributive justice is legally permitted, enduring patiently is far superior in virtue.
Moreover, when someone retaliates with exact proportionality against an oppressor and is subsequently wronged a second time, Allah guarantees His divine aid Al-Hajj 22:60. Equivalence is maintained strictly so that personal anger does not cross the boundary into oppression.
وقال ابن كثير: «أي: بالحق والعدل، وإن كانوا ظلمةً خارجين عن طريق العدل» .موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Verses commanding justice toward non-Muslims
From the paper: «ومن أوضح الآيات في الأمر بالعدل مع غير المسلمين»
The Quran presents unambiguous guidelines establishing justice and goodwill toward non-Muslims. As highlighted in Al-Mumtahanah 60:8, Allah does not forbid believers from treating non-Muslims who have neither waged religious warfare against them nor expelled them from their homelands with deep kindness, benevolence, and equitable treatment. True Islam welcomes peaceful relations, remaining entirely committed to honest conduct, upright agreements, and mutual respect.
Even in situations of conflict, personal restraint is non-negotiable. Believers are commanded that an adversary's aggression must be answered only with proportionate, permissible action Ash-Shura 42:40, Yunus 10:27, An-Naml 27:90, and Al-Qasas 28:84. Usurping wealth, taking innocent lives, or transgressing divine boundaries in times of dispute earns terrifying punishment in the Fire An-Nisa 4:30.
Whenever discord erupts, whether between individuals or warring groups of believers, Muslims must intervene proactively to broker peace founded upon absolute equity An-Nisa 4:114, Al-Hujurat 49:9, An-Nisa 4:128, and An-Nisa 4:35. The community must unite to check the aggressor until it relents, safeguarding society as a whole from tyranny.
«وهو حتى في حالة الخصومة يستبقي أسباب الود في النفوس بنظافة السلوك، وعدالة المعاملة؛ انتظارًا لليوم الذي يقتنع فيه خصومه بأن الخير في أن ينضووا تحت لوائه الرفيع، ولا ييأس الإسلام من هذا اليوم الذي تستقيم فيه النفوس، فتتجه هذا الاتجاه المستقيم.»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Verses clarifying this meaning
From the paper: «ومن الآيات التي تبين هذا المعنى»
A hallmark of Islamic ethics is that emotional animosity can never justify violating another person's rights. The Quran specifically addresses historical grudges, commanding believers that resentment toward those who barred them from the Sacred Mosque at Hudaybiyyah must not incite them to transgress Al-Ma'idah 5:2.
This crucial imperative is reiterated even more forcefully in Al-Ma'idah 5:8, where believers are ordered to stand up firmly for Allah with objective testimony. Deep-seated dislike must never push a person into bias, falsehood, or inequity: maintaining justice is closer to authentic God-consciousness (taqwa).
Scholars emphasize that treating opponents fairly often convicts their consciences, showing them that the believer's conduct is anchored in unyielding divine principle rather than capricious self-interest An-Naml 27:59, An-Nur 24:28, and Al-Furqan 25:24. By refusing to let personal hostility dictate judgments, believers embody an extraordinary standard of justice that elevates divine law above worldly desire.
«أي: لا يحملنكم بغض أقوامٍ على ترك العدل، فإن العدل واجبٌ على كل أحدٍ، في كل أحدٍ، في كل حالٍ.»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Fruits of establishing justice
From the paper: «ثمرات إقامة العدل»
Establishing justice yields profound fruits in both worldly life and the Hereafter:
- Societal safety and social peace: When justice guides governance An-Nisa 4:58-59, public rights are guarded, people are protected from humiliation and discrimination, and internal strife disappears. Enforcing lawful retribution secures communal life Al-Baqarah 2:179.
- Abundance of worldly sustenance: Upholding divine justice opens doors of divine provision, rainfall, and earthly barakah Al-Ma'idah 5:66, Al-A'raf 7:96, Nuh 71:10-12, and Al-Jinn 72:16, whereas widespread tyranny and moral corruption induce scarcity and destruction Ar-Rum 30:41, Hud 11:52, Al-An'am 6:146, Yunus 10:13, Al-Kahf 18:59, and Saba 34:15-17.
- Mutual trust between rulers and citizens: Leaders who govern through Quranic truth and the prophetic Sunnah Sad 38:26 earn deep public confidence. Ibn Taymiyyah famously observed that Allah aids a just state even if it is not Muslim, but will not grant victory to an oppressive state even if it claims faith.
On an individual level, reflecting upon Allah's justice brings psychological tranquility during hardships, knowing that His decrees are grounded in complete wisdom and equity.
وقال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية: «إن الناس لم يتنازعوا في أن عاقبة الظلم وخيمة، وعاقبة العدل كريمة، ويروى: الله ينصر الدولة العادلة، وإن كانت كافرة، ولا ينصر الدولة الظالمة، وإن كانت مؤمنة» .موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Takeaways
Uphold equity even against self and family
Commit to telling the truth in business, contracts, and personal disagreements, even if doing so goes against your personal interests or close family members An-Nisa 4:135.
Never let personal resentment skew your fairness
Do not let dislike, bad history, or active hostility toward someone drive you to withhold their rightful due or speak falsely about them Al-Ma'idah 5:8.
Balance bare justice with noble excellence
While demanding your legal rights is basic justice, voluntarily forgiving, excusing small faults, and giving beyond what is strictly required constitutes superior benevolence An-Nahl 16:90.
Stand firmly against collective injustice
Recognize that remaining silent or actively aiding oppressors shares in the guilt of oppression, whereas intervening to halt injustice preserves the entire community Al-Ma'idah 5:2.
Reflect
- Are there relationships in your life where personal irritation or dislike prevents you from being completely fair?
- When resolving disagreements with your spouse, children, or coworkers, do you prioritize winning or establishing absolute equity?
- How can you move from mere justice, giving only what is demanded, to the higher station of benevolence (ihsan) in your everyday transactions?
Go deeper
Linguistic meaning
Derived from the root ayn-dal-lam, referring to straightness, balance, equivalence, and the opposite of crookedness or tyranny.
«والعَدل والعِدل والعَديل: النظير والمثيل.»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
Technical meaning
Steadfastness upon the truth, judging by the Quran and Sunnah rather than whims, granting every person their due rights, and avoiding all religious excess and negligence.
«لا يخرج العدل عن معنى الاستقامة على الحق، العدل هو الحكم بالحق، أو فصل الحكومة على ما في كتاب الله تعالى وسنة رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، لا الحكم بالرأي المجرد.»موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
Volume 12
How it differs from related terms
- المساواة Equality
- Equality denotes exact correspondence in quantity or status, which can be an outcome sought by justice, whereas justice means placing things in their rightful stations, sometimes requiring appropriate differentiation rather than identical treatment.
- الإنصاف Equitable reciprocity
- Insaf specifically refers to giving someone their exact half of a right and taking only what is due without surplus or shortfall, while adl encompasses both this reciprocity and broader moral and legal rectitude, including judicial punishment.
- القسط Manifest equity
- Qist is justice that is clear, visible, and palpably apportioned, like a measured share or a physical scale, whereas adl encompasses both manifest equity and subtle inner forms of fairness.
Every verse in the paper
All 159 verses the research paper discusses, grouped under its own headings.
Justice in Quranic usage «العدل في الاستعمال القرآني»
Forms in which it appears «والصيغ التي وردت عليها هي»
Four aspects of justice in Quranic usage «وجاء العدل في الاستعمال القرآني على أربعة أوجه(9)»
Exhortation to justice «الحث على العدل»
Verses commanding justice generally and specifically «هناك آيات كثيرة تأمر بالعدل، جملة وتفصيلًا في مجالات كثيرة، ومنها»
2:282, 4:5, 4:127, 6:152, 83:1, 16:90, 7:29, 33:70, 57:25
Verses prohibiting injustice generally and specifically «وهناك آيات كثيرة قاضية بتحريم الظلم جملة وتفصيلًا، ومنها»
Verses warning wrongdoers «وكذلك هناك آيات كثيرة قاضية بوعيد الله للظالمين، ومنها»
3:21, 17:82, 11:113, 22:45, 22:48, 11:102, 20:111, 25:19, 40:18, 18:29, 39:47, 25:27, 30:57, 40:52, 53:36-41, 6:115, 27:34
Verses describing Allah as just «وهناك آيات كثيرة يتجلى فيها وصف الله تعالى بالعدل، ومنها»
3:18, 21:72, 11:56, 16:90, 4:58, 3:108
Al-Shawkani on truth as justice «قال الشوكاني: «بالحق: هو العدل» (62).»
14:19, 24:25, 31:30, 34:26, 39:69
Verses negating injustice from Allah «ومما نفاه الله عن نفسه مما يقتضي نقصًا في حقه -تعالى- الظلم المنافي لكمال عدله، وذلك في آيات عديدة، ومنها»
3:108, 4:40, 10:44, 18:49, 9:70, 21:47
The term al-qist as justice «وقوله في هذه الآية: ﴿ٱلۡقِسۡطَ﴾ أي: العدل، وهو مصدرٌ وصف به؛ ولذا لزم إفراده، كما قال في الخلاصة(74)»
5:105, 5:2, 7:159, 7:181, 38:24, 34:13, 35:32, 2:143, 6:82, 6:135, 5:39, 6:21, 10:39
Domains of justice «مجالات العدل»
The requirement of integrity in testimony and witnesses «اشتراط العدل «العدالة» في الشهادة والشهود(91)»
2:282, 4:5, 4:135, 5:95, 5:106, 65:2, 4:3, 72:15, 4:2, 4:4, 4:10, 4:34, 4:127, 4:129, 33:5, 33:4, 2:178-179, 2:190, 2:194, 5:45, 3:195, 4:124, 9:71-72, 16:97, 24:2, 33:35, 33:58, 40:40, 47:19, 68:35-36, 38:28, 45:21, 5:100, 11:24, 3:182, 35:19-22, 59:20, 57:10
Meaning they are not equal «أي: لا يكونون سواء.»
39:9, 4:95, 6:160, 41:34, 2:286, 6:164, 53:39-40, 2:134-141, 46:19, 65:7, 8:25, 6:152, 83:1, 2:194, 2:15, 42:40, 3:54, 5:42
Bil-qist meaning in justice «﴿بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ﴾ أي: بالعدل(143).»
Verses commanding justice toward non-Muslims «ومن أوضح الآيات في الأمر بالعدل مع غير المسلمين»
60:8, 42:40, 10:27, 27:90, 28:84, 4:30, 4:114, 49:9, 4:128, 4:35
Verses clarifying this meaning «ومن الآيات التي تبين هذا المعنى»
Fruits of establishing justice «ثمرات إقامة العدل»
Benefits of establishing justice among people «لإقامة العدل بين الناس ثمرات كثيرة، منها»
Six perspectives on enduring painful decrees «وقال أيضًا: «إذا جرى على العبد مقدور يكرهه فله فيه ستة مشاهد»
5:66, 7:96, 71:10-12, 72:16, 30:41, 11:52, 6:146, 10:13, 18:59, 34:15-17, 4:58, 38:26, 4:59
About this source
موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم
مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية
- Volume
- 12
- Research paper
- «العدل» (Justice)
Encyclopedia of Thematic Tafsir of the Noble Quran, published by the Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.
This study guide summarizes the Arabic research paper. For full scholarly detail, refer to the original. This preview has not been reviewed yet.