A New Road Map: Tawhid in the 21st century
And your Allah is One Allah. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful (Q2:163).Archive for Quran
Ummah in the Quran
The root of the word is *AMM, to lead. The concept of ummah is a critical one in Islam and has been variously misunderstood to be a state/kingdom/caliphate. As emphasized by the Quran, it is one of a community that is bound together by a common mission. Their mission is what creates their identity, not their race, nationality etc. Indeed, the distinctions that most of us use today to differentiate between people are considered a mercy from the Creator, for each of us to learn from, rather than to imagine superiority of one over the next. This conception results in various communities that might exist within humanity at any given point in time, and also spanning generations. Their responsibility is to command the maruf and forbid from the munkar; they must hold onto the covenant made with Allah and not be divided.
Within this context, it is important to realize that the role of the Prophet was not to create a political state, but an ummah. It was only later that the ummah created a state for itself. This critical difference is perhaps one of the reasons political philosophers have been unable to define an ideal “Islamic state”. Since the objective of religion does not include statehood, it is not defined. On the other hand, as one of the objectives of the religion is to help humans build a civilization, societies and communities, the guidelines for such are clearly prescribed. The values that need to be upheld are prioritized, and in some instances, even legislation is stated explicitly to further the goal of civilization building. The characteristic of the prescribed legislation is “amr bil maruf wa anha an al munkar.”
If we extend this premise to the political realm, it implies that any system that can accommodate the values and virtues as indicated by the Divine is allowed, and should be implemented. Anything that will potentially harm the people should be disallowed.
“Amr bil Maruf wa Anha an al Munkar” in the Quran
Embedded within this concept is the role of the fitra of each human. The ability to recognize what is maruf and reject what is munkar is imbued in the fitra of all humanity, and made explicit through revelation (wahy).
Mizan in the Quran
The root of the word is *WZN, to weigh. The concept of mizan is very striking if one actually thinks about the imagery that Allah is providing for us. A scale is used by placing a known weight on one side, and the object to be weighed on the other. It is not relative, where two unknowns are compared, but one where there is a standard. This standard is set by Allah, and Allah alone.
So how does one obtain a heavy scale, rather than a light one? It is established through qist. Qist (justice) is what makes the scale heavy. It is not about establishing a just scale by humans as the scale and the standard of judgment has already been created by Allah; it is about working towards making the side of the scale that holds our deeds to be heavier.
When included with the concept of qist, and then of adl, we have a different picture that forms. Adl is relative, as it is about establishing equal treatment of sorts between parties. There are words used to describe the implementation of this equality, however it is not on the absolute mizan (scale) that we refer to when dealing with the concept of qist.
Qist in the Quran
The root of the word is the verb *QST, to act justly. Qist is ordered by Allah; it is done for Allah, and is part of the covenant that humanity has with Him. This command is for all humans, as they are vicegerents of their Creator. It is one of the characteristics of the judgment of Allah. One aspect of qist that sets it apart from several other conceptions of Justice comes with it in relation to the concept of mizan. With the two together, one realizes that qist is not relative, but absolute. It is an absoluteness that comes through the standards of Allah; there is a right and a wrong in this case. This concept is different from Adl, though Adl is certainly a part of qist. There are only 5-6 verses where Adl and Qist occur together.
Adl in the Quran
The root of the word is *’ADL, to be in proportion. The concept of adl is usually translated to mean justice, however this is not sufficient. Adl implies an equality of treatment, an evenness in meting out treatment towards others. It is done for the pleasure of Allah and by His Command, however it is a concept that includes a good measure of relativity. The comparison of fair, equitable treatment is done against other people, rather than against an absolute scale. Adl however is one aspect of justice; adl and qist together give equity in life.
