Loving and Caring with Justice
2009/09/20
By Aniza Damis
Source: NST Online
What is justice in Islam? Is justice only what is meted out by the Syariah courts? Or is it bigger than that, encompassing all of a Muslim's life, private, public and economic? ANIZA DAMIS speaks to Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan.
DID you know that it is unjust to leave a land idle? Or to stash all your money under the mattress and not do anything with it?
It is unjust to spend all your time at work. It is unjust to not spend time with your family. And it is unjust to be full while your neighbour is hungry.
"There is a hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad) which says, 'If you have extra food, and your neighbours are in hunger, you are not yet a believer'," says Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan.
Similarly with the umrah (minor pilgrimage to Mecca).
"Why should you keep going for umrah when you have other priorities, like the children's education?
"Why spend between RM6,000 and RM7,000 each time, when there are family members who need assistance, or even neighbours who are in difficulty?
"There's nothing wrong in going for the umrah many times, but one has to have a sense of priority."
He says people should build within them a feeling of caring and loving.
"Sometimes, we go to a kampung to buy a kilo or two of vegetables and haggle to have the price reduced by 20 or 30 sen.
"But if we look at how the seller is dressed, how shabby her clothes are, we should realise how poor that person is.
"So we shouldn't haggle over what, for us, is actually very little money, but which for the seller is a lot.
"That is what loving and caring means."
But what does loving and caring have to do with justice?
The use of the term "justice" is usually taken to mean the formal system by which judges hear two sides of a story, decide, and mete out punishment or reward.
In ordinary life, whether someone gets what he or she deserves is more commonly called "fairness".
In reality, however, "justice" and "fairness" are the same thing.
"In Islam, justice means to put things in the right perspective, in accordance with human nature."
Nik Mustapha says justice also means giving what is due to yourself and your family.
"You should not overdo things. If you take people in Japan and Singapore for example, they tend to be workaholics. When you talk about development, you have to look at it in perspective.
"There has to be moderation. You have to divide your time between your job responsibilities and your familial responsibilities.
"When you over-emphasise one thing, you tend to neglect the others. If you do that, you are not being fair to yourself, your family and your other responsibilities.
"While you are doing your job, you must do it to the best of your ability. But after the time you are supposed to be in the office, that is your life, and you can do whatever you like. That is part of life."
Moderation from the Islamic point of view means trying to fulfil all needs and requirements.
"These days, people have very little time for neighbourly activities.
"But no matter how busy we are, we must make the time to interact with our neighbours.
"That's why, in the Islamic scheme of social life, we have the concept of fardhu kifayah (collective responsibility).
"Can you safeguard your safety in your neighbourhood without the participation of your neighbours? Like Rukun Tetangga, for instance, this is community responsibility."
In Islam, although a person has the right to own property, the owner is considered a trustee for God.
"From the Islamic perspective, wealth does not belong absolutely to a person.
"You have a social responsibility not to use it to exploit others.
"In accumulating our wealth, we have to subscribe to good ethical conduct. Wealth should be accumulated through our ability to read the business opportunity, and not through exploiting and manipulating others."
Muslims also have a religious responsibility to use their wealth for the benefit of others.
For that reason, it is considered unjust to leave wealth lying idle.
"Wealth should be put into economic activity that will create more opportunity.
"For instance, I invest my money in Tabung Haji and it starts a housing project. If your land happens to be next to that Tabung Haji land, your land will appreciate in value.
"Wealth should be put into circulation and benefit as many people as possible. The ability to think and create opportunity is also a religious virtue.
"It creates more opportunity for more people to be employed. That is fairness. More people can benefit from expanding wealth."
Nik Mustapha says there is nothing evil about wealth, and Muslims should not be negative about it.
However, with wealth comes also the imperative for social responsibility. For instance, Muslims of means are required to pay zakat (tithe) and give sedekah (gifts).
This corresponds to Surah Al-Maun (neighbourly deeds), which states that those who disobey God are those who do not pay attention to the needy and the orphans.
"Even if you've paid your zakat, the poor still have rights upon your property," says Nik Mustapha.
However, this does not mean that the poor have the right to approach a person and say, "I have a right to your wealth."
If the zakat is not sufficient for the needs of the poor, it is the responsibility of the government to come in and impose taxes on top of the zakat.
Nevertheless, it is important for everyone, poor and rich, to work.
Nik Mustapha says Muslims of means should also make endowments for the general public (wakaf).
Unfortunately, he says, the concept of wakaf doesn't work properly here.
"Usually, when they want to give wakaf, it is for a mosque. But if there are plenty of mosques, why should you continue to build more mosques?
"You should give the land or money to make a playground. But Muslims never think of that. If Muslims can understand the spirit of putting things in the right perspective, then they can lead a just life, be it in economics or politics or whatever.
"We cannot live in isolation. We cannot neglect each other.
"Justice goes with loving and caring for others."
By Aniza Damis
Source: NST Online
What is justice in Islam? Is justice only what is meted out by the Syariah courts? Or is it bigger than that, encompassing all of a Muslim's life, private, public and economic? ANIZA DAMIS speaks to Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan.
DID you know that it is unjust to leave a land idle? Or to stash all your money under the mattress and not do anything with it?
It is unjust to spend all your time at work. It is unjust to not spend time with your family. And it is unjust to be full while your neighbour is hungry.
"There is a hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad) which says, 'If you have extra food, and your neighbours are in hunger, you are not yet a believer'," says Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) director-general Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan.
Similarly with the umrah (minor pilgrimage to Mecca).
"Why should you keep going for umrah when you have other priorities, like the children's education?
"Why spend between RM6,000 and RM7,000 each time, when there are family members who need assistance, or even neighbours who are in difficulty?
"There's nothing wrong in going for the umrah many times, but one has to have a sense of priority."
He says people should build within them a feeling of caring and loving.
"Sometimes, we go to a kampung to buy a kilo or two of vegetables and haggle to have the price reduced by 20 or 30 sen.
"But if we look at how the seller is dressed, how shabby her clothes are, we should realise how poor that person is.
"So we shouldn't haggle over what, for us, is actually very little money, but which for the seller is a lot.
"That is what loving and caring means."
But what does loving and caring have to do with justice?
The use of the term "justice" is usually taken to mean the formal system by which judges hear two sides of a story, decide, and mete out punishment or reward.
In ordinary life, whether someone gets what he or she deserves is more commonly called "fairness".
In reality, however, "justice" and "fairness" are the same thing.
"In Islam, justice means to put things in the right perspective, in accordance with human nature."
Nik Mustapha says justice also means giving what is due to yourself and your family.
"You should not overdo things. If you take people in Japan and Singapore for example, they tend to be workaholics. When you talk about development, you have to look at it in perspective.
"There has to be moderation. You have to divide your time between your job responsibilities and your familial responsibilities.
"When you over-emphasise one thing, you tend to neglect the others. If you do that, you are not being fair to yourself, your family and your other responsibilities.
"While you are doing your job, you must do it to the best of your ability. But after the time you are supposed to be in the office, that is your life, and you can do whatever you like. That is part of life."
Moderation from the Islamic point of view means trying to fulfil all needs and requirements.
"These days, people have very little time for neighbourly activities.
"But no matter how busy we are, we must make the time to interact with our neighbours.
"That's why, in the Islamic scheme of social life, we have the concept of fardhu kifayah (collective responsibility).
"Can you safeguard your safety in your neighbourhood without the participation of your neighbours? Like Rukun Tetangga, for instance, this is community responsibility."
In Islam, although a person has the right to own property, the owner is considered a trustee for God.
"From the Islamic perspective, wealth does not belong absolutely to a person.
"You have a social responsibility not to use it to exploit others.
"In accumulating our wealth, we have to subscribe to good ethical conduct. Wealth should be accumulated through our ability to read the business opportunity, and not through exploiting and manipulating others."
Muslims also have a religious responsibility to use their wealth for the benefit of others.
For that reason, it is considered unjust to leave wealth lying idle.
"Wealth should be put into economic activity that will create more opportunity.
"For instance, I invest my money in Tabung Haji and it starts a housing project. If your land happens to be next to that Tabung Haji land, your land will appreciate in value.
"Wealth should be put into circulation and benefit as many people as possible. The ability to think and create opportunity is also a religious virtue.
"It creates more opportunity for more people to be employed. That is fairness. More people can benefit from expanding wealth."
Nik Mustapha says there is nothing evil about wealth, and Muslims should not be negative about it.
However, with wealth comes also the imperative for social responsibility. For instance, Muslims of means are required to pay zakat (tithe) and give sedekah (gifts).
This corresponds to Surah Al-Maun (neighbourly deeds), which states that those who disobey God are those who do not pay attention to the needy and the orphans.
"Even if you've paid your zakat, the poor still have rights upon your property," says Nik Mustapha.
However, this does not mean that the poor have the right to approach a person and say, "I have a right to your wealth."
If the zakat is not sufficient for the needs of the poor, it is the responsibility of the government to come in and impose taxes on top of the zakat.
Nevertheless, it is important for everyone, poor and rich, to work.
Nik Mustapha says Muslims of means should also make endowments for the general public (wakaf).
Unfortunately, he says, the concept of wakaf doesn't work properly here.
"Usually, when they want to give wakaf, it is for a mosque. But if there are plenty of mosques, why should you continue to build more mosques?
"You should give the land or money to make a playground. But Muslims never think of that. If Muslims can understand the spirit of putting things in the right perspective, then they can lead a just life, be it in economics or politics or whatever.
"We cannot live in isolation. We cannot neglect each other.
"Justice goes with loving and caring for others."
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