Qur’anic concepts (justice and leadership) 1
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Concepts of the Qur’an (Justice and Imamate) – Sheikh Ja’far al-Subhani – Vol. 1
7 – Likewise, the Qur’an instructs that when the person who must dictate the debt‑contract is foolish, weak, or unable to dictate properly, then his guardian should take his place and dictate with justice. God, the Exalted, says:
“*And if the one upon whom the obligation rests is weak, foolish, or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate with justice. And bring two witnesses from among your men*.” (2:282)
In short, this verse— which is the longest verse in the Qur’an— repeatedly reveals aspects of God’s justice in legislation. The reader can discern within it the meanings we have mentioned.
8 – Ritual purity (*ṭahārah*) from minor or major impurity is one of the conditions for the validity of prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. It is normally achieved through the use of water in a specific manner for the sake of drawing nearer to God. However, using water may sometimes harm a person’s health, delay recovery from illness, or be otherwise impossible. In such cases, God has obligated *tayammum* using clean earth instead of water.
This demonstrates the flexibility of Islamic law and its harmony with human nature, which inclines toward health and resents anything that undermines it. God says:
“*If you are ill, or on a journey, or if one of you has come from relieving himself, or you have touched women, and you cannot find water, then perform tayammum with clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with it. God does not wish to place hardship upon you, but He wishes to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful*.” (5:6)
The phrase “*God does not wish to place hardship upon you*” reveals the reason for permitting earth‑based purification instead of water‑based purification.
Similarly, Qur’anic verses indicate that God has excused three groups from participating in jihad due to hardship. He says:
“*There is no blame upon the blind, nor upon the lame, nor upon the sick*.” (48:17)
And another verse states clearly that His legislation contains no hardship:
“*He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship*.” (22:78)
Thus, any ruling that results in hardship is rejected simply because it is burdensome; God has informed us that He does not legislate commands whose fulfillment entails undue hardship.
9 – Divine grace has bestowed upon the Muslim community a special exemption: mistakes and forgetfulness are lifted from them, and they are not held accountable for them, whereas previous nations were held responsible for such errors if they were negligent in avoiding them. God says:
“*Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Our Lord, do not impose upon us what we cannot bear, and pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people*.” (2:286)
Al‑Kulaynī narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said:
“*This religion is firm, so enter into it gently. Do not make the worship of God hateful to God’s servants. Be like the rider whose mount is exhausted— he neither reaches his destination nor spares his mount.*” (al‑Kāfī 2:86)
This analogy is profound: a rider who pushes his horse excessively may appear to cover long distances, yet ultimately he achieves the opposite— the animal becomes exhausted and unable to continue, leaving the rider stranded midway, having neither completed the journey nor preserved his mount.
In the same manner, calling people to the law with harshness and rigidity yields the opposite of the intended result. The masses will not listen; rather, they may turn away in large numbers. For this reason, the Prophet proclaimed the gentleness of his law, saying:
“*I was sent with a simple and easy‑going religion*.” (Safīnat al‑Biḥār 1:695)
10 – The Qur’an affirms that moral and legal obligation is limited to what is within a person’s capacity— a principle confirmed by both reason and revelation. How can people be commanded to perform impossible acts, such as placing a large object into a small container without altering either, or flying through the air without means? Such tasks belong to the category of obligations beyond capacity.
The scholars of the ‘Adliyya (schools of theology that emphasize divine justice) have maintained that such commands are intrinsically impossible, for the mind of the commander cannot genuinely form a will to direct the incapable toward fulfilling an impossible task. If such a command is uttered verbally, it is merely a superficial form of obligation, not a real one.
The conclusion, therefore, is that the impossibility of fulfilling a command entails the impossibility of the command itself. God says:
“*God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity*.” (2:286)
And He says elsewhere:
“*God does not burden any soul except with what He has given it*.” (65:7)
The meaning of both verses is the same: God obligates each person in accordance with his ability and capacity.
These are examples that demonstrate the flexibility of Islamic legislation and show that it is based on justice. In reality, Islamic law itself is one of the manifestations of divine justice in this domain.
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إذا رغبت، يمكنني أيضًا:
– تلخيص المقطع
– ترجمته بأسلوب أكاديمي أكثر رسمية
– تقديم شرح أو تحليل فقهي/كلامي لما ورد
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