The Soul’s Journey: From Wise Forbearance to Fairness, and from Want to Justice

The Soul’s Journey: From Wise Forbearance to Fairness, and from Want to Justice

A wise person is recognised by the ability to overlook certain things while remaining fully aware and sound of mind. For not everything one sees needs to be spoken of, nor does every mistake deserve attention. True wisdom lies in turning a blind eye to the minor shortcomings of others, preserving the serenity of human relationships and seeking the peace that can only be appreciated by one who has grasped the reality of life’s impermanence.

There is an old saying, attributed to the wisdom of experience: “Those who visit us bring us trouble” — a recognition that human company is rarely free from friction. Yet deeper insight leads us to a more generous and purer perspective: “We have missed a blessing through the absence of those who did not visit us.”

This is not about placing our hopes in people, nor depending upon fragile human beings. A guest who crosses our threshold is, first and foremost, “a guest of Allah” before being our guest. Such a visitor comes through the subtle workings of destiny and should depart with a heart made glad, having received the honour and hospitality that are rightfully due. Our duty is simply to welcome them graciously, meet them with a warm countenance, and extend kindness without seeking any personal benefit, reward, or gratitude in return.

For the fruits of our actions are not to be expected from people; rather, we were created to seek the pleasure of the Creator of humankind. The righteous were careful to express their gratitude in a way that made the recipient feel that he had, in fact, bestowed a favour upon them. They would say: “May Allah reward you with goodness for giving us the opportunity to draw closer to Him through you.”

We do not do good merely because others are good; we do so because Allah loves those who excel in goodness.

Yet this purity of faith must not isolate us from the harsh realities of life, nor should it become a cold sermon that tells the hungry to be patient when they cannot even secure their daily bread. Virtue cannot flourish in barren soil ravaged by hunger and deprivation. To demand that an oppressed person accept his suffering without addressing its underlying causes is to dismiss the very pain he endures.

History teaches us that during the Year of the Ashes (ʿĀm al-Ramādah), Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, suspended the prescribed punishment for theft when society was unable to provide for people’s basic needs. This reminds us that responsibility begins at the top, not at the bottom. Those who govern or wield influence bear the first responsibility to establish what is right and remove hardship before demanding virtue from those under their care.

Nor does this principle belong solely to the distant past. Modern experience has demonstrated that fairness in the conditions of life is not an impossible ideal for those who possess conscience and sound judgement.

1. The Pact of al-Fuḍūl: A Stand Against Injustice

Mecca — Before Islam

Men from several Quraysh clans gathered at the house of ʿAbdullah ibn Judʿān, not to deliver speeches, but to confront a concrete case of financial oppression.

A powerful Meccan man, al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil, had taken advantage of a visiting merchant from the tribe of Zubayd and withheld what was rightfully his.

Those present pledged that no one would be wronged in Mecca without their standing alongside the victim until his rights were restored.

This was a practical act of collective solidarity, not merely an expression of noble ideals. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ praised this pact even after the advent of Islam, saying:

“I witnessed a pact in the house of ʿAbdullah ibn Judʿān that I would not exchange for the finest red camels. And if I were called upon to uphold it in Islam, I would certainly respond.”

2. The Remarkable Example of Judge Shurayḥ and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib

When ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him, who was then the Commander of the Faithful, found his lost armour in the possession of a Jewish man, he did not invoke his authority or position. Instead, he brought the matter before Judge Shurayḥ as an ordinary litigant.

The judge required evidence beyond the testimony of ʿAlī’s son. Since the required evidence was not established, he ruled in favour of the Jewish man, awarding him the armour.

This practical demonstration of equality before the law, placing ruler and ordinary citizen on the same footing, dispelled the man’s doubts. Deeply moved, he embraced Islam, declaring:

“The Commander of the Faithful brings me before his own judge, and his judge rules against him!”

3. Modern and Contemporary Experiences: Countries and Institutions

Finland: Housing First

In many countries, assistance and advice are offered to homeless people on the condition that they first resolve their problems, such as finding employment or overcoming addiction.

Finland turned this approach entirely on its head:

“Give a person a home first, then help them rebuild their life.”

The state provided permanent housing for homeless people without imposing prior conditions. The results included declining rates of crime and addiction, reduced expenditure on healthcare and the courts, and remarkable success in virtually eliminating homelessness.

The underlying lesson was simple: lift the burden of deprivation from people before demanding that they improve their circumstances.

The Australian High Court’s Decision in the Mabo Case (1992)

For decades, legal doctrine maintained that Australia had been Terra Nullius — “land belonging to no one” — before European settlement.

The Australian judiciary broke with this entrenched historical doctrine and recognised the traditional land rights of Indigenous Australians.

The principle was clear: no just society can be built upon a legal fiction that disregards the reality of human beings and their inherent rights.

Financial Inclusion and Banking for the Poor: The Grameen Bank Experience

Traditional banks had long refused to lend to poor people because they lacked material collateral.

Muhammad Yunus introduced a different model, one based on social guarantees and mutual solidarity. Through it, microloans were extended to people living in extreme poverty, particularly women, enabling them to establish small businesses.

The experience demonstrated that poor people could be highly committed to repaying their loans. The problem had never been a lack of willingness or ability, but rather the absence of access, opportunity, and a viable means of improving their circumstances.

The Stark Reality

Morality and justice do not exist in a vacuum. They require a material foundation upon which they can stand.

• Laws and moral exhortations, when detached from people’s material needs, can become instruments of oppression.
• Breaking rigid rules when human dignity and genuine need demand it is the very essence of wisdom and the foundation of justice.

From Finland’s provision of unconditional housing to homeless people, thereby restoring their humanity before demanding that they reform their lives, to the microfinance institutions and Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which demonstrated that poverty does not mean incapacity but often reflects a deprivation of opportunity, one truth becomes increasingly evident:

Responsibility begins by lifting oppression and ensuring that people’s basic needs are met.

Those who possess wealth or wield influence bear the responsibility of protecting human dignity and removing the material pressures that weigh people down. As for those living in deprivation, their dignity must remain protected. Their faith should not be called into question or wounded when they cry out against the pain of oppression.

When wisdom is joined with fairness in the conditions of life, a person becomes better able to follow the path towards Allah with a tranquil heart and sincere effort. Such a person neither submits to injustice nor barters away human dignity for empty slogans.

Instead, every guest is seen as an opportunity to show kindness, every difficult circumstance as an occasion for wise forbearance, and every act of justice as a shelter that lifts the burden of oppression from human beings.

Thus, the entire text remains one continuous journey: from the tranquillity of the soul to the