الْعَدْلُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Adl
The Just
Al-Adl is the Just: every act of His is His right, and none of it is oppression. In the Quran, not even an atom's weight of wrong comes from Him (4:40), and His Word is perfected in truth and justice (6:115). Its verse, 16:90, is a command: Allah commands justice.
Key verse
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.
The scholar's text
The Just, The One who is entitled to do what He does. Al-Adl is the one who is highly equitable and fair, who never oppresses, judges righteously and is fair.
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
(Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.) An-Nahl 16:90
العدل، الذي له أن يفعل ما يفعل. والعدل هو المنصف تمام الإنصاف، الذي لا يظلم أبدا، ويحكم بالحق، ويعدل.
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾ النحل 16: 90
Not an Atom of Wrong
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ۖ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـٰعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا﴾Indeed, Allah never wrongs ˹anyone˺: even by an atom’s weight. And if it is a good deed, He will multiply it many times over and will give a great reward out of His grace.
The definition above has two sides. Allah is entitled to do what He does, and what He does is never oppression. 4:40 says the second side in its smallest measure: Allah never wrongs anyone, even by an atom's weight. Al-Sa'di calls it His perfect justice and generosity, free of any wrong, little or much, and explains the atom: He neither takes it from a servant's good deeds nor adds it to his bad ones. A good deed, the verse goes on, He multiplies.
Arabic: إن الله لا يظلم مثقال ذرة
في التعريف أعلاه وجهان: لله أن يفعل ما يفعل، ولا يكون فعله ظلما. وتقول آية النساء الوجه الثاني في أصغر مقدار: ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «يخبر تعالى عن كمال عدله وفضله وتنزهه عما يضاد ذلك من الظلم القليل والكثير»، وقال: «أي: ينقصها من حسنات عبده أو يزيدها في سيئاته»، والحسنة يضاعفها.
I Have Forbidden Oppression for Myself
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ ٱلنَّاسَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.
In a hadith qudsi Allah speaks of it Himself: “O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another” (Sahih Muslim 2577). And 10:44 places the wrong where it belongs: Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves. How they do it, al-Sa'di explains: the truth comes to them and they turn it down, and the punishment that follows is a seal on their hearts, their hearing and their sight.
Arabic: إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي
وفي الحديث القدسي: «يَا عِبَادِي إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلاَ تَظَالَمُوا» (صحيح مسلم 2577). وتقول آية يونس: ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ ٱلنَّاسَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «يجيئهم الحق فلا يقبلونه، فيعاقبهم الله بعد ذلك بالطبع على قلوبهم، والختم على أسماعهم وأبصارهم».
The Scales of Justice
﴿وَنَضَعُ ٱلْمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَـٰسِبِينَ﴾We set up the scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so no soul will be wronged in the least. And ˹even˺ if a deed is the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner.
21:47 describes the justice of the Day of Judgment: scales of justice, so that no soul is wronged in the least, and a deed the weight of a mustard seed is brought forward. Al-Sa'di says the scales show even the weight of an atom, and good and bad deeds are weighed by them, for every soul, Muslim or not. 18:49 adds what the wicked will say when they see the record that leaves nothing out, and closes: your Lord will never wrong anyone.
Arabic: ونضع الموازين القسط
تصف آية الأنبياء عدل يوم القيامة: ﴿وَنَضَعُ ٱلْمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْـًٔا﴾، قال السعدي: «وأنه يضع لهم الموازين العادلة، التي يبين فيها مثاقيل الذر، الذي توزن بها الحسنات والسيئات»، ويؤتى بمثقال حبة من خردل، لكل نفس مسلمة كانت أو كافرة. وفي آية الكهف يقول المجرمون إذا رأوا الكتاب إنه لا يغادر صغيرة ولا كبيرة، وتختم: ﴿وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا﴾.
Truth in His News, Justice in His Commands
﴿وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا ۚ لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ﴾The Word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing.
6:115 says the Word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and justice. Al-Sa'di divides the two between what Allah tells and what He commands: truth in His news, justice in His commands and prohibitions. Nothing is truer than what He has told in this Book, he says, and nothing is more just than what He has commanded and forbidden in it.
Arabic: وتمت كلمة ربك صدقا وعدلا
تقول آية الأنعام: ﴿وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: صدقا في الأخبار، وعدلا في الأمر والنهي»، فلا أصدق من أخبار الله، ولا أعدل من أوامره ونواهيه.
He Commands Justice
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.
The verse of Al-Adl, 16:90, is a command: Allah commands justice. What it covers, for al-Sa'di, is both the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants, and he keeps two degrees apart: justice is owed, and grace beyond it is a virtue. 5:8 asks for it even toward enemies, and al-Sa'di explains: stand for it against the near and the far, the friend and the enemy. The Prophet ﷺ promised those who do it: “the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside God, on the right side of the Merciful”, “those who do justice in their rules, in matters relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do” (Sahih Muslim 1827).
Arabic: إن الله يأمر بالعدل
تجعل آية الاسم العدل أمرا، قال السعدي: «فالعدل الذي أمر الله به يشمل العدل في حقه وفي حق عباده»، و«فالعدل واجب، والإحسان فضيلة مستحب». وتطلبه آية المائدة حتى مع العدو: ﴿وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ﴾، قال السعدي: «وقوموا بذلك على القريب والبعيد، والصديق والعدو». وقال النبي ﷺ: «إِنَّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ عَنْ يَمِينِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكِلْتَا يَدَيْهِ يَمِينٌ الَّذِينَ يَعْدِلُونَ فِي حُكْمِهِمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَا وَلُوا» (صحيح مسلم 1827).
From the Sunnah
the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside God, on the right side of the Merciful, Exalted and GlorioUS. Either side of the Being is the right side both being equally mrneritorious. (The Dispensers of justice are) those who do justice in their rules, in matters relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do
إِنَّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ عَنْ يَمِينِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَكِلْتَا يَدَيْهِ يَمِينٌ الَّذِينَ يَعْدِلُونَ فِي حُكْمِهِمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَا وَلُوا
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مِنْ عِنْدِكَ مَغْفِرَةً، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
O Allah! I have wronged my soul very much (oppressed myself), and none forgives the sins but You; so please bestow Your Forgiveness upon me. No doubt, You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
Sahih al-Bukhari 7387: the du'a the Prophet ﷺ taught Abu Bakr to say in his prayer
Related Names
Questions about Al-Adl
What does Al-Adl mean?
Al-Adl is the Just: the One entitled to do what He does, who never oppresses and judges righteously.
Is Al-Adl one of the Names of Allah?
It is in the list of Names in Jami at-Tirmidhi 3507, which al-Albani and others graded weak. Its meaning is in the Quran: Allah never wrongs anyone (4:40).
Does Allah wrong anyone?
No. He does not wrong people in the least; people wrong themselves (10:44).
What is promised to those who are just?
Pulpits of light: “the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside God, on the right side of the Merciful” (Sahih Muslim 1827).