In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
USOOL AD-DEEN
(ROOTS OF RELIGION)
FOR CHILDREN
The "Usool ad-Deen" course has been put together by volunteer experts and teachers in the Mohammad (PBUH) Scientific and Cultural Foundation Center for Kids and Teens (Khaane Koodak va Nojavan in Farsi). This course is appropriate for children between the ages of 8 to 12. It aims to make students familiar with the basics of Shia Islam, including beliefs and doctrine...
Lesson 6: Do Not Judge Too Quickly!
(Adalah – Part 1)
Written by: Zahra Moradi
Translated by: Shamsi Nasiri and Mohammad Jahani
Edited by: Marzie Salehi and Ali Mansouri
Note to Instructor: Let's not rush to judgement.
Content:
Let's review what we have learned in the previous sessions. First, we explained that Islam is a tree and that the roots of this tree are the Principles of Islam (Usool ad-Deen). Just like a tree will wither away without its roots, a person’s belief in Islam will wither away without a firm belief in its principles. How many principles of faith have we discussed so far?
{At this point, the teacher asks the students to name each of the principles by showing the sign for each.}
During the last few lessons, we dived into the first principle, Tawhid, and also mentioned the Divine Names of Allah. Today, we are going to learn about Adalah, the second principle of Islam.
Does anyone remember what Adalah means?
{At this point the teacher waits to see if any of the students remember the definition.}
As you remember, Adalah, means that Allah is not cruel, does not treat any creature unfairly, and will never commit injustice.
There are many times that we may experience something that does not seem fair. However, if we are patient, we will often realize that we made too quick of a judgement, and that within the bigger picture that situation was morally right and fair. Let me tell you all a story that shows this.
Once upon a time, there was a school similar to this one filled happy students and teachers. One day, during recess, the teacher called a student named Maryam back into the classroom. She gave Maryam a banana and a box of juice. Some students, who were nearby and saw what happened got upset. Why did the teacher only give Maryam a snack? That was not fair!
During recess, some of the other students started talking to each other.
“This is so not right! Why does Maryam get a snack and not us?” Yasmine told her friends. “That’s not fair!”
“Why is the teacher playing favourites? Either we all should get something, or none of us,” Leila said sadly. “She can’t just treat us differently!”.
After recess, the students returned to the classroom feeling sad and disappointed. The teacher immediately noticed this and asked them why they were so upset.
"You always have told us that like all of us”, Leila said passionately. “But today we saw this is not true. You gave special treatment to Maryam and discriminated against us by only giving her a snack. That’s not fair!"
"My dear students, you have judged too quickly! We should be careful about making a judgement before we have enough information. It’s easy to reach the wrong conclusion when we rush to comment on the situation before thinking. Yes, you are correct. I did give Maryam a snack today. But do you know why I did that?”
At this point, the teacher turned to Maryam and asked her, “Dear Maryam, may I explain what happened yesterday?"
Maryam silently nodded.
The teacher continued, "As you all know, Maryam and her family have recently moved to our city and live on the same street that I do. Last night when I was heading back home from shopping, I saw an ambulance taking Maryam’s mother to the hospital. It left just before I reached Maryam’s house. The neighbours told me that her mother suffers from heart disease. She was unwell last night and asked for an ambulance.
This morning at school, I asked Maryam about her mother. She replied that her mom needs to stay at the hospital for a few days. I then asked if Maryam had brought any snacks for recess. Maryam told me that she not only had not brought any snacks, but did not even have breakfast this morning, because all she can think about is her mom. That's why I gave her my snack to eat during recess. Do you still think that I did something unfair?"
The students felt sorry for what has happened to Maryam’s mother and for their rush to judge what they had seen. Everyone apologized to Maryam and wished her mother a speedy recovery.
The teacher smiled and continued, "On the bright side, what happened today can teach us all an important lesson: do not rush to judge. Most times, we are only aware of part of a story. Our immediate understanding of a situation we have seen may not be completely accurate".
Just like the students in our story judged too quickly, we also may make mistakes in our judgement about how God runs the universe, based on our limited perception. When encountering something that appears to be an injustice, we must remember that we do not see the full picture.
We, as Muslims, believe that Allah is Adil (Just), and never treats His creation in an unfair, immoral, or unjust manner. Being able to truly determine what justice entails requires having complete and comprehensive knowledge about everything.
Think about a court. It can make an incorrect judgement if its lacks sufficient knowledge. That is why full investigations with extensive evidence gathering are required before issuing a verdict. And even then, it is still possible for the court to miss something and make a wrong conclusion.
What about God? Can any evidence or detail be hidden from Allah, Who we called Basir? Can His knowledge about something be incomplete and wrong?
Of course not! The One Who designs, creates, and manages all the beings in the universe must be aware of everything! In a previous lesson, we explained that Allah is Basir. Thus, incomplete or inaccurate knowledge - that can lead to unjust commands - cannot be attributed to God, the Basir.
There are no faults in His judgement and can be no appeal against Him.
Anything Allah does and decrees for His creation, stems from His Infinite Knowledge. He thoroughly oversees all things to the smallest detail. He is also aware of His servants' intentions and thoughts. If we believe that God was unfair to us, we should remember what we discussed today and remind ourselves that He is the only one aware of all things and that, in contrast to Him.
