The conference was held in 1975 in the Algerian city of Tlemcen with the presence of eminent Muslim scholars and thinkers.
These articles presented by Imam Musa Sadr at the conference were among the scientific and theoretical efforts made by this great Muslim figure with the aim of realization of justice.
Justice has always been among the aspirations of thinkers and freedom-seekers. Since Hammurabi, the sixth king of the first Babylonian Dynasty, wrote the set of laws called Hammurabi's Code, Divine religions as well as human schools of thought have given a lot of attention to the concept of justice.
In Islam, which is among the Divine religions, justice is a chief component of social and individual life. In the holy Quran standing up for upholding justice is considered a duty and a mission for the prophets of God after inviting to monotheism.
According to the Quran, observing justice is a prerequisite for Taqwa (righteousness). In the Hadiths and Seerah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS), too, the concept of justice is highlighted. In today’s world, however, many Muslims do not enjoy social, economic, and political justice.
In his book “Justice in Islam”, Imam Musa Sadr discusses different issues concerning justice. The book has four chapters: “Fundamental Principles of Social Justice in Ideology”, “Islam Does Not Recognize Faith without Justice”, “Personal and Social Responsibilities for Realization of Social Justice”, and “Methods of Realization of Economic and Social Justice”.
In the first chapter we read, “In Islam, not only is justice in all fields based on Islamic ideology, but it is actually a pillar of Islamic ideology which influences the other pillars.
“In Islam’s view, the world’s foundation is on justice… . Hundreds of Islamic injunctions consider social and economic justice as the criteria for recognition of worshipping, which clearly shows that social and economic justice are not minor issues, but are fundamental to one’s faith.”
Imam Musa Sadr also discusses the conditions of today’s Muslims as far as justice is concerned and says, “If we look at the reality in today’s Muslim societies and compare it with ideological principles of Islam with regards to economic and social justice, we witness a great gap.
He urges Muslims, especially scholar and thinkers to make efforts to uphold economic and social justice based on Islamic teachings,
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