The Ruling on Justice and Fairness Toward Those Who Disagree

Question:
Some people say that justice and fairness toward those who disagree with us are not among the obligatory religious duties. What is Your Eminence’s opinion of this statement?

Answer:
Justice and fairness are obligatory with the enemy and with the friend. Justice and fairness are obligatory with the enemy and the friend. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: meaning the just ones. And He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: So He commands justice and excellence, Blessed and Exalted is He, with everyone, with the enemy and with the friend, with the believer and with the disbeliever. Justice is necessary, and it is not permissible for him to be unjust or transgress; rather, he must be just. If the disbelievers are called to Islam and they persist in disbelief, he fights them. As for fighting them before the call, yes, or he calls them to Allah first, and if they persist, he fights them, striving against them in the path of Allah. Likewise, if two litigants come to him, the judge rules between them with justice, even if one is a Muslim and one is a disbeliever. He must rule with justice based on the Shari'ah evidence, even if the one in whose favor the ruling is made is a disbeliever. For example, if a Muslim is with a disbeliever, and the disbeliever claims against him that he took a car, or that he took such and such, and he has the Shari'ah evidence, the judge rules in favor of the disbeliever against the Muslim. And he must be just. Allah says: the just ones. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The just ones will be on a minbar of light on the Day of Resurrection, and the prophets and the martyrs will envy them, or he said: the prophets and the martyrs. They will be recognized by their rulings, their families, and what they were entrusted with. They will be recognized by their rulings, their families, and what they were entrusted with. Allah is the Greatest.