Intermediate
Justice
Surah: An-Nisa (135)
O Believers Be Persistently Standing Firmly in Justice — Steadfastness in Justice Even Against Oneself
كُونُواْ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ
— النساء الآية 135
Verse: "O you who believe — be persistently standing firmly in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents or near relatives." (4:135) — "Persistently standing" — hyperbolic form: not merely "just" but "constant upholders of justice." Justice is not a stance taken occasionally — but a firm characteristic like a pillar. "Witnesses for Allah" — testimony for Allah not for ourselves or our tribe. When witnessing for Allah you remove personal interest from the equation. "Even if against yourselves, parents, or near relatives" — gradual ascent through the hardest situations for justice: against oneself first (hardest), then parents (most loved), then relatives. Justice exempts no one due to emotion. Lesson: to testify against yourself in a matter — this is the justice the Quran demands.
Source: Ibn Kathir (2/387); Al-Sadi; Al-Tabari
Test Yourself
Why does the verse list "yourselves" before "parents" in the ascending order of difficult situations for justice?
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