When the believer remembers that Allah is the Judge and the Utterly Just, he feels peace and contentment with Allah’s decree. It settles deeply in his heart that he is never alone, and that Allah has never decreed his fate unjustly. This unwavering belief in Allah makes him accept all that has been destined, from the most trivial incidents to the greatest trials. By nature, human beings are weak; no matter how much external support or defense we receive, our inner selves remain fragile. We stand before the waves of this life, often feeling powerless and helpless. Yet when a Muslim is pricked by a thorn, or shaken by the most devastating calamities in this world, he firmly believes in his heart that all of these events are decreed by Allah, the Judge and the Utterly Just. We rely upon Allah to face the challenges of this world. The most devastating and painful moments are when a person is suppressed, tortured, mistreated, or oppressed, and finds himself unable to defend or protect himself. In such times, he flees to Allah. When his rights are taken away, he consoles himself with the certainty that there will come a Day when every right will be restored to its owner—whether material or moral. Thus, we live by the reflections and meanings of the Names of Allah: the Judge and the Utterly Just.
The Judge
ٱلْحَكَمُ
Allah is Al-Hakam, The Giver of Justice. His judgment, once rendered, cannot be thwarted. He always delivers justly in every situation and never makes a mistake. He is the best of judges. He is the One who distinguishes between truth and falsehood, and between the righteous and the wicked. He is the Judge who decrees among His creatures as He wills; the One who distinguishes between the wretched and the blessed through punishment and reward; He rules over His creation with an irrevocable judgment that none can repel. This meaning becomes especially clear when reciting Ayah 41 of Surah Ar-Rad;
”Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? And Allah decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.”
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا وَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
This Might of Judgment is a subsequent to the meanings of the Name of Allah, Al-Ḥakīm (the All-Wise). Everything is created in perfect order, including His Decree and Destiny. Nothing goes against His Will or Plan. He is the arbitrating magistrate and the avenging judge, whose ruling no-one overturns and whose decree no-one corrects. Allah said in Surah Al-Qamar, Ayah 49;
”Indeed, all things We created with predestination.”
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ
And Allah – Glorified and Exalted – is the One who judges between His servants with absolute justice and fairness. He does not wrong even the weight of an atom, nor does He burden anyone with the sin of another. He never recompenses a servant with more than his sin, and He restores all rights to their rightful owners, leaving no claim unattended until its owner receives it. He is the Just in His Decree and His Measure, and all of His actions proceed upon the path of justice and uprightness, free from even the slightest trace of injustice. All of them revolve between grace and mercy, and between justice and wisdom. Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad in the Holy Quran to be patient until Allah judge. And in most cases, when Allah gives a command to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), it is also directed to us, Allah said in Surah Yunus, Ayah 109;
”And follow what is revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and be patient until Allah will judge. And He is the best of judges.”
وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِين
The Utterly Just
ٱلْعَدْل
Allah is Al-Adl (The Utterly Just), the One who rectifies and sets matters straight in a just and equitable manner. He always delivers absolute justice through His wisdom without failure. He is the One Who is entitled to do what He does. He gives each what he deserves and puts everything in its proper order. The Name Al-‘Adl (The Utterly Just) is not explicitly recognized as one of the Names of Allah by scholars, and it is not mentioned verbatim in the Holy Quran. However, its meaning is referred to in many Ayahs, such as;
”And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”
وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا ۚ لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
And Allah – Glorified and Exalted – is the One who judges between His servants with absolute justice and fairness. He does not wrong even the weight of an atom, nor does He burden anyone with the sin of another. He never recompenses a servant with more than his sin, and on the Day of Judgment He restores all rights to their rightful owners, leaving no claim unattended until its owner receives it. He is the Just in His Decree and His Measure, and all of His Actions proceed upon the path of justice and uprightness, free from even the slightest trace of injustice. All of them revolve between grace and mercy, and between justice and wisdom. Allah can do whatever He wills, yet He has forbidden injustice for Himself, Allah says in Surah An-Nisaa:40;
”Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ۖ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Justice is equality in recompense: good for good, and evil for evil. Ihsān (excellence in conduct) is to reward good with more than it deserves, and to respond to evil with less than it deserves. We live by the reflections of this meaning: to act justly, not to mistreat others, and to treat all of Allah’s creatures with mercy and kindness. We pray to Allah to draw us closer to Him through His Names, and we live with hearts filled with both love and reverence.
