SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ISLAM AND ITS RELEVANCE

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ISLAM AND ITS RELEVANCE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA By Muhammad Babangida Muhammad, PhD Department of Islamic Studies and Shari’ah Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue Bayero University, Kano Mobile no: 08035805146 Email address: [email protected] Paper presented at 1st International Annual Conference of Nassarawa State University, Keffi Held between 21st to 23rd March, 2016 at SPS NSUK SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ISLAM AND ITS RELEVANCE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA Abstract The establishment of social justice has been an age-long desire of human societies. Yet, because of the intricacies of human nature and the inherent weaknesses of man, manifested in his ignorance, greed, selfishness and arrogance, the attainment of this fundamental objective has continued to elude most human socio-political entities. The history of mankind has recorded numerous social upheavals, conflicts and wars of great magnitude and with serious destructive consequences to the human race. The causes of these events and happenings are varied and numerous, but in general, all are attributable to the factor of social injustice from within and without the socio-political entities established by man. This paper seeks to explore Islamic principles regulating good governance, particularly the establishment of social justice. It argues that Governments in contemporary Muslim societies and particularly in Nigeria should evolve the most appropriate machinery that will re-invigorate all the segments of the society, harness and redirect all the potential resources of the state, and ensure the establishment of social justice and a comprehensive societal development. The Islamic principles and approaches in establishing social justice are recommended as relevant and viable options. Islam as an all-comprehensive religious movement made the establishment of social justice one of its central and primary objectives. This objective was prominently pronounced from the very beginning of the mission of Islam. It is instructive that the Prophet of Islam (SAW) was raised from within the Arabian society, where social injustice and moral degeneration had reached their peak. His message came as a direct attack to the foundation of the whole set of values and ways of life of the Jahiliyyah system. According to Islam, associating partners to Allah is the highest form of injustice to be committed by man. The Qur’an testifies to this in the advice Luqman gave his son, يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ (لقمان:13) O my son! Do not associate partners to Allah, for verily, associating partners to Allah (polytheism) is an act of great injustice. Justice is therefore, viewed from the Tauhidi paradigm. Allah is the Creator, the Nourisher and the Sustainer of everything in the heavens and the earth. He perfected everything; the moon, stars, animals, birds, trees, etc.in a harmonious and balanced order with His divine will and purpose. According to al- Faruqi (2013:16) Tauhid affirms that God, being beneficent and purposive, did not create man in sport, or in vain. He endowed him with the senses, with reason and understanding, made him perfect-indeed, breathed into him His spirit- to prepare him to perform this great duty. It is an act of injustice, therefore, to refuse to recognize His supremacy and right to be obeyed and worshipped. Man commits injustice when he conducts his affairs at variance with Allah’s commandments or when he tampers with the natural set up and workings of the various components of the universe. This is what is called Fasad (corruption); and corruption breeds injustice. The Qur’an tells us of those deviants who, when given the slightest opportunity spread injustice and corruption on earth. The Qur’an says: وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُعۡجِبُكَ قَوۡلُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَيُشۡهِدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِى قَلۡبِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ ٱلۡخِصَامِ (٢٠٤) وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيُفۡسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡحَرۡثَ وَٱلنَّسۡلَ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡفَسَادَ (٢٠٥) And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein an] destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption ( Al Baqarah: 204-205) This is a clear prohibition against any form of corruption or injustice that will lead to the destruction of life and property. A responsible person, especially one in a position of authority upholds the principle of justice in all his actions. Allah says:  يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۖ وَلَا يَجۡرِمَنَّڪُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوۡمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ ٱعۡدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ (٨) 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. (Al Maidah: 8) In another verse, Allah says: ۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُوا‌ۚ  0 you who have believed, be persistently standing firm iu 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” (Al Nisa’i:135) The basic principle here is that justice must be done to everyone irrespective of social relationship, status or faith. Justice is a moral value which, according to Islamic commands must be held sacred. This is the foundation upon which the Islamic society is built. Without it, the society loses its Islamic identity. The Islamic society recognizes the equality of mankind, irrespective of gender, geographical, religious or ethnic affiliation. The Qur’an announced this universal brotherhood of mankind when He declared that: يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ۬ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ شُعُوبً۬ا وَقَبَآٮِٕلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ أَڪۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَٮٰكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ۬ (١٣) 0 people! We have created you from a male and female and made you into nations and communities that you may know each other. Verily the best of you in the sight of Allah are the most pious. (Suratul Hujurat:13) This Islamic criterion ensures harmonious co-existence, understanding and cooperation between members of the society. It lays the foundation for the enthronement and flourishing of social justice.. Take for example the Qur’anic instruction that was revealed to the Prophet concerning the trusts that belonged to a non-Muslim saying. إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تُؤَدُّواْ ٱلۡأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمۡتُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ أَن تَحۡكُمُواْ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ‌ۚ Allah commands you to return all trusts to their (rightful) owners and when you judge between people, that you should be just. (Suratul Nisa’i:58) The verse was revealed in connection with the custody of the key of the Ka’aba. Long prior to the victory of Makkah, and at the peak of the Makkan enmity against the Prophet (SAW), the custodian of the key had humiliated the Prophet (SAW) and refused him entry into the Ka’aba when every other person was allowed to enter. Now, that he had entered Makkah victoriously, it was his turn to do as he wished. The Prophet (SAW) was commanded by Allah (SWT) to return the keys to the original custodian, notwithstanding his previous rude and unbecoming behaviour towards the Prophet (SAW). He had his full rights restored to him and he regained his former economic and social status; and thus, received adequate protection against any form of injustice. Societies develop based upon justice and there can never be any sustainable development where injustice prevails. According to Al Hashimi (2007:139) The true Muslim society is a society in which there is absolute justice for all people, in which their dignity is preserved and wealth is distributed fairly, in which each person is given equal opportunity to work according to his ability and earn the fruits of his efforts without being afraid of those who could undermine him. Al Qaradawi (1993:133)) argued that the Qur’an (Al Hadid:25) had made the establishment of justice as the main objective for the revelation of divine messages. He pointed out many dimensions and examples of justice, and particularly, social justice. Shehu (2007:31-32) also argued in similar vein and went further to identify and analyse two distinctive dimensions to social justice, which he termed retributive and distributive justice. The establishment of justice is therefore, a fundamental Islamic principle. Muslim scholars have stressed a lot on the significance of justice as established in the Qur’an, the Sunnah and examples of early Muslims. While analysing Ibn Khaldun’s theories, Chapra (2008:21) maintained that: Justice promotes social solidarity by ensuring the fulfilment of mutual obligations and an equitable sharing of the fruits of development, and thereby, the well-being of all. This helps create mutual trust and cooperation, without which it is not possible to promote division of labour and specialization, which are necessary for the accelerated development of any economy. In an ideal Islamic setting where the Shariah is practiced; rights and obligations are clearly identified, apportioned and coordinated in a well-balanced manner. In Islamic legislation, as asserted by Al-mullah ((2008) there is no distinction between religious and secular matters or between public and private legislation, and there is no room contradiction between the rights of individuals and Muslim society. The source of all forms of legislation is Allah, the sovereign. In the political sphere, the duties and obligations of the leader have been well defined. He is accountable to Allah. He is a servant of the people, and their shepherd who overstretches himself to ensure their safety, welfare and general good. The leader must uphold, promote and strengthen justice. An unjust leader incurs the wrath of Allah and suffers a double tragedy. He carries his sins and the burden of all his subjects whose rights he has caused to be trampled upon. The leader is enjoined to prevent any form any injustice against any member of the community, no matter how lowly placed. The doors of the leader should be widely opened for people to offer their advice, lay their complaints and seek redress. He must not allow himself to be imprisoned by a coterie of self-serving court sitters (fadawa) who will sell their paradise to achieve their worldly desires. The leader must ensure the well-being of the people in all areas of human activity; spiritual and mundane. These, as Ibrahim Sulaiman (1986:146) quotes Shehu Usman include, such measures and improvements in the mosque, which symbolise Muslim piety, and unity, the commanding of the people to strive earnestly to study the Qur’an, disseminating knowledge in all its ramifications; the improvement of the market system; the relieving of the burden of poverty from the people; and the commanding everything that is good. These, he opines, constitute the essence of the social and economic policy of a state. Failure, by the leader to carry out these duties effectively will lead to the disintegration of the state. The state, as Sulaiman puts it, can only be preserved by a rigorous and austere political culture, and a deep sense of justice and humility on the part of rulers. The Islamic requirements upon leaders are not mere theories as many Muslim leaders have actualized them to an unbelievable level over generations of Islamic history. On the part of the citizenry, they have a duty to obey Allah and His Prophet (SAW) first and foremost. Then obedience to constituted authority is made a binding duty upon them. Obedience to the leader is regarded as obedience to Allah. Where the leader however, disobeys Allah or orders disobedience to Allah then obedience to him becomes prohibited. The citizenry have the duty to advice the leader and ensure that he carries his duties within limits. They are even at liberty to use all possible forceful means of bringing the leader back to the right path whenever he deviates. These principles of Islamic political system create a balance in the policy of running affairs of the state, thereby ensuring the establishment of social justice in the society. The state directs all its resources and power to safeguard faith, life, property, honour and kin relationship. It is the responsibility of the state to undertake the provision of essential welfare services such as education, health care etc. in order to enable individual members of the state live comfortably and peacefully, thereby enhancing the overall development of the society. The individual member is encouraged to use his talents and capabilities not only for his benefit, but also for that of the wider community. This creates a perfect balance of relationship between the individual and the state. Islam views service to the state as an act of worship (Ibadah) through which a person gains rewards and achieves nearness to Allah. A true Muslim therefore, would not he found wanting in the discharge of his public responsibility. To him, dedication to service, hard work, honesty, and accountability are not mere secular guidelines and ethics of public service, but obligations, which should be discharged as acts of worship and means of attaining the pleasure of Allah. Any form of deviance from these ethics should be viewed as an act of injustice to the self and to the community. In a hadith, the Prophet (SAW) said; Indeed, some people indiscriminately dip their hands into Allah’s wealth (public treasury) without just cause. The hell-fire will be (ready) for them on the day of judgment” (Reported by Bukhari) . Such a person merits this punishment because of his abuse of public trust. Faith and keeping of trust always go together, and if one is absent, the other goes its own different way. Again, the Prophet (SAW) said, There is no faith with one who is not trustworthy, and there is no religion with one who keeps no promise (covenant)” (reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban). The import of this Prophetic statement is that if leadership falls into the hands of people who are not trustworthy, then the religion itself will not survive. A regime of social injustice will be the order of the day, which in effect means the entrenchment of moral, spiritual, economic and political decay. No society survives under such conditions. We read in the Qur’an many stories, which serve as lessons to this effect. The people of Salih disbelieved and rebelled against divine guidance. Allah said;  وَكَانَ فِى ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ تِسۡعَةُ رَهۡطٍ۬ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending (it affairs) ( Al Naml: 48). This means that the people in position of authority abused their trusts, promoted their personal worldly interests, and paved the way for the disintegration of the affairs of the society. Corruption in all its forms and ramifications continued to eat deep into the heart of the society, thereby rendering it empty, incapable and desolate. فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ ڪَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ مَكۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّا دَمَّرۡنَـٰهُمۡ وَقَوۡمَهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ (٥١) فَتِلۡكَ بُيُوتُهُمۡ خَاوِيَةَۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓاْ‌ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَةً۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٥٢) And look how was the outcome of their plan - that we destroyed them and their people, all. So those are their houses desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know. (Al Naml: 51-52). History is a storehouse full of wisdom and lessons. People who fail to learn from history will continue to make mistakes and blunders of monumental consequences to their selves and the society. Political office holders and civil servants must appreciate the relevance of these lessons and utilize them optimally to enhance effective administration and the collective good of our community. Governments in contemporary Muslim societies should evolve the most appropriate machinery that will re-invigorate all the segments of the society, harness and redirect all the potential resources of the state, and ensure the establishment of social justice and a comprehensive societal development. Political office holders, both elected and appointed and civil servants are the greatest determining factors in the success of any government. Enthroning a just socio-economic and political system requires the revival of the values and ideals of Islam. The introduction of an expanded scope of Shari’ah implementation by some Northern States needed to nave taken this into consideration. The Shari’ah implementation programme was considered by many in a narrow sense by confining it to punitive criminal issues. Muslim scholars have so much often made the point that Shari’ah encompasses every aspect of a Muslim’s life. It is therefore, erroneous or even mischievous to continue to restrict the Shari’áh to some specific areas of law. The danger of this perception becomes more pronounced when it emanates from people holding political office and sensitive civil service positions. People in this category should therefore, put more effort to acquire more Islamic knowledge. This will enable them understand not only the principles and fundamental objectives of the Shari’ah, but also further recognize their duties and responsibilities under a Shari’ah environment. It will further equip them to appropriately respond to situations and events that arise, and which have bearing or impact on their faith and the interests of the people whom they represent. How do our people for example, respond to such national issues like resource control, rotation of presidency, fuel pricing, National Census constitution review, National Policy on agriculture, State Police and so on? It is the responsibility of Public office holders and civil servants to articulate sound positions that reflect the interests, wishes and aspirations of our people. This will adequately protect the long-term interest of the Muslim community and their identity within the multi-cultural and multi-religious political entity of Nigeria. Conclusion and recommendations Efforts to re-establish social justice in our contemporary society have been very difficult and tedious; largely because of the overall secular setting that has been bequeathed to us by the colonialists. In addition, there is the tendency amongst the majority of us to refuse to accept our failings and inadequacies. Problems emanating from within our society are generally brushed aside, especially when related to our co-existence within a multi—cultural entity. Our approach also to solving our problems leaves so much to be desired, in terms of real determination to see practical results. It must therefore, be emphasized that an attitudinal change has become imperative on the part of all of the society; both leaders and the general followership. This is our sure way to solving our problems and ensuring social justice within the framework of Islamic principles. The actualization of this should be the most important agenda of the Shari’ah implementation project in the Muslim-majority states. It is a disheartening but incontrovertible fact that ignorance, poverty, disease, corruption, insecurity, social conflicts and many other ills have become the main features and symbols of our wider society. The Muslim community has a large share in this, if not the major share. This does not depict well its position of ‘Ummatan wasatan, the model balanced community that should lead others to guidance. Efforts towards reestablishing those Islamic institutions that in the past provided the needed atmosphere for social justice to prevail have become imperative. These institutions should be made to adapt to the changing conditions of modern life without them losing their essence and objectives. Nigeria has passed through various stages of its growth and development and it has been faced with many challenges; political, economic, technological, social etc. The most critical challenge is how to establish a sustainable development. It is recommended that the principles of social justice established by Islam should be explored and implemented in order to enhance sustainable development in Nigeria. It should however, be noted that this does not necessarily entail the islamisation of the whole country. It is rather a call for the institutionalization of its universal principles of justice to all categories of the citizens of Nigeria, without discrimination based on religious, racial, geographical or other considerations. References Al-Faruqi,I.R. 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