--- title: "The Justice of God" event: "The Lantern of the Path" session_number: 5 published_at: "2024-12-25" canonical_url: "https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-justice-of-god" event_url: "https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-lantern-of-the-path" type: "event-session" scripture_reference: "Quran, Surah Al-Anbya (The Prophets), Chapter 21, Verse 47" --- # The Justice of God *Session 5 of [The Lantern of the Path](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-lantern-of-the-path) — 25 December 2024* Foundations, Part 5 On one of the major theological positions in Islamic history, if God punished the innocent and rewarded the guilty, that would still, by definition, be justice. This session sets three positions on divine justice against each other. The Ash'arite school holds that God is not bound by any external standard of justice at all — whatever He does is just simply because He is the one doing it. The Mu'tazilite school argued the opposite: that justice is rationally knowable, and that God cannot act unjustly because that would contradict reason. The session also traces why the Mu'tazilite school became effectively defunct within a few centuries, after its doctrines were forced on the population as state theology during the era of Imam al-Rida, and the backlash that followed. Against both, the session sets out the Shia position: that justice is essential to God's very nature — not an external rule imposed on Him, and not merely rational — and that this belief carries an obligation. If God's justice must be reflected in society, injustice within a society must be resisted. If God's justice is not simply "whatever He decides", what does that put on us? What the evening covers The word itself. 'Adl (justice, balance) against its opposite, dhulm (oppression) — the Arabic roots behind the whole discussion. Three schools, three verdicts. Whether God's justice is arbitrary, rational, or essential to His nature. Why the Mu'tazilite school disappeared. Its rise as enforced state doctrine, and its collapse within a few centuries. Justice as an obligation, not a belief. The Qur'anic command to reconcile two warring groups of believers "with justice". Moral evil and natural evil. The two shapes of the problem of evil, and how free will resolves the tension without denying God's power. ## Scripture > وَنَضَعُ ٱلۡمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلۡقِسۡطَ لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةٖ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٍ أَتَيۡنَا بِهَاۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَٰسِبِينَ > > And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant — *Quran, Surah Al-Anbya (The Prophets), Chapter 21, Verse 47* ## Programme - [Watch the full session](https://youtu.be/hvc5tJubLF8) - [Sermon](https://youtu.be/hvc5tJubLF8) - [Nohe: Title Track for Maryam al-Muqaddasah (The Blessed Saint Mary)](https://youtu.be/CpXIRRNbjaQ?si=oS2vy06cQh25Dmh0) - [Ziyarah: Ziyarat Aal-e-Yasin](https://youtu.be/uSJNHMq3oYs?si=t-If4HIypnpEDtu7) ## Other sessions in this event - [Session 69 — The Architecture of Guidance - Part 9 - The House Beside the Grave - Part 1 - Shaykh al-Ta'ifa](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-architecture-of-guidance-part-9-the-house-beside-the-grave-part-1-shaykh-al-) — 12 August 2026 - [Session 3 — Keeping God's Limits](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/keeping-gods-limits) — 10 December 2025 - [Session 24 — The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-commander-of-the-faithful-imam-ali) — 7 May 2025 - [Session 23 — Prophet Muhammad](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/prophet-muhammad) — 30 April 2025 - [Session 22 — Introduction to Imamah, Part 2](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/introduction-to-imamah-part-2) — 23 April 2025 - [Session 21 — Introduction to Imamah, Part 1](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/introduction-to-imamah-part-1) — 16 April 2025 - [Session 20 — Migrating to the Wilayah of God](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/migrating-to-the-wilayah-of-god) — 9 April 2025 - [Session 19 — Wilayah to the Taghut](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/wilayah-to-the-taghut) — 2 April 2025 - [Session 18 — The Wali: The Central Authority](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-wali-the-central-authority) — 26 March 2025 - [Session 17 — Wilayah in an Individual and in Society](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/wilayah-in-an-individual-and-in-society) — 19 March 2025 - [Session 16 — The Qur'anic Concept of Wilayah](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-quranic-concept-of-wilayah) — 12 March 2025 - [Session 15 — An Introduction to Wilayah](https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/an-introduction-to-wilayah) — 5 March 2025 --- _Read this session on the web: https://www.truthpromoters.com/events/the-justice-of-god_