Q:

Assalamualaikum my question is someone told me that one shouldn’t make Dua for justice instead make Dua for mercy . e.g if someone got in a fight or had a misunderstanding with someone then it’s not always true that only one person is at fault but both of them at fault.. so when we say give justice so it can happen that we may also get the punishment from Allah.. kindly correct me

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Islam teaches us to forgive people’s offenses while it also orders us to strive hard to uphold the truth and justice.

There is a difference between forgiving a personal offense and allowing a tyrant to oppress people, commit genocide, and acquiescing in them.

According to the Quran, one of the stated purposes of the divine revelation is to establish justice.  Allah says: {We sent Our messengers with clear signs, the Scripture, and the Balance so that people could uphold justice.} (Al-Hadid 57:25)

And the Quran and the Prophetic traditions warn against condoning or tolerating oppression and injustice; it does not teach us the policy of ‘turning the other cheek too!’

If we were to take this policy literally, the whole world would collapse, as we would allow the tyrants a free reign and thus suppress the rights of the weak and the vulnerable. 

Therefore, the Prophet warned, “You shall continue to command good and forbid evil and restrain the hands of the oppressor; otherwise, Allah will send down a punishment that may not spare you.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Therefore, while individuals are encouraged to forgive the offenses of individuals, we are taught to pray to Allah to enable us to seek justice from our oppressors:

In a beautiful supplication that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us, we read the following words:

“Give us justice against those who oppress us and grant us victory over those who commit aggression against us.”

So, Islam teaches to harmonize the Law of Moses with the Spiritual Way of Jesus. And we must overly stress one over against the other.

 Allah Almighty knows best.