1.8.6
Justice – Attaining the true station
Say: no
man can attain his true station except through his justice. No power can exist
except through unity. No welfare and no well-being can be attained except
through consultation.
(Baha'u'llah: From a
Tablet - translated from the Arabic)
1.8.7
Justice – Consultation and the gift of understanding
Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into
certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leadeth the way and
guideth. For everything there is and will continue to be a station of perfection
and maturity. The maturity of the gift of understanding is made manifest through
consultation.
(Bahá'u'lláh, in Consultation: A Compilation, p. 3
1.8.8
Justice – Consultation and compassion
The Great
Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of
consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch
as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the
bestower of understanding.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 168)
1.8.9
Justice – Agreement and unity
It is my
hope that the friends and the maid-servants of America become united on all
subjects and not disagree at all. If they agree upon a subject, even though it
be wrong, it is better than to disagree and be in the right, for this difference
will produce the demolition of the divine foundation. Though one of the parties
may be in the right and they disagree that will be the cause of a thousand
wrongs, but if they agree and both parties are in the wrong, as it is in unity
the truth will be revealed and the wrong made right.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 411)
1.8.10
Jusitce – Resolution of disputes
The text of the Divine Book is this: If two souls quarrel and contend about a
question of the Divine questions, differing and disputing, both are wrong. The
wisdom of this incontrovertible law of God is this: That between two souls from
amongst the believers of God, no contention and dispute might arise; that they
may speak with each other with infinite amity and love. Should there appear the
least trace of controversy, they must remain silent, and both parties must
continue their discussions no longer, but ask the reality of the question from
the Interpreter. This is the irrefutable command!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 428)
1.8.11
Justice – Material and spiritual civilization
As to the
difference between that material civilization now prevailing, and the divine
civilization which will be one of the benefits to derive from the House of
Justice, it is this: material civilization, through the power of punitive and
retaliatory laws, restraineth the people from criminal acts; and notwithstanding
this, while laws to retaliate against and punish a man are continually
proliferating, as ye can see, no laws exist to reward him. In all the cities of
Europe and America, vast buildings have been erected to serve as jails for the
criminals.
Divine
civilization, however, so traineth every member of society that no one, with the
exception of a negligible few, will undertake to commit a crime. There is thus a
great difference between the prevention of crime through measures that are
violent and retaliatory, and so training the people, and enlightening them, and
spiritualizing them, that without any fear of punishment or vengeance to come,
they will shun all criminal acts. They will, indeed, look upon the very
commission of a crime as a great disgrace and in itself the harshest of
punishments. They will become enamoured of human perfections, and will
consecrate their lives to whatever will bring light to the world and will
further those qualities which are acceptable at the Holy Threshold of God.
See then
how wide is the difference between material civilization and divine. With force
and punishments, material civilization seeketh to restrain the people from
mischief, from inflicting harm on society and committing crimes. But in a divine
civilization, the individual is so conditioned that with no fear of punishment,
he shunneth the perpetration of crimes, seeth the crime itself as the severest
of torments, and with alacrity and joy, setteth himself to acquiring the virtues
of humankind, to furthering human progress, and to spreading light across the
world.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 132)
1.8.12
Justice – A universal quality
Justice is
not limited, it is a universal quality. Its operation must be carried out in all
classes, from the highest to the lowest. Justice must be sacred, and the rights
of all the people must be considered. Desire for others only that which you
desire for yourselves.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 159)
1.8.13
Justice – The law and the individual
The Law
must reign, and not the individual; thus will the world become a place of beauty
and true brotherhood will be realized. Having attained solidarity, men will have
found truth.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 132)
1.8.14
Justice – Resolution of truth
'The Laws
of God are not imposition of will, or of power, or pleasure, but the resolutions
of truth, reason and justice.'
All men
are equal before the law, which must reign absolutely.
The object
of punishment is not vengeance, but the prevention of crime.
Kings must
rule with wisdom and justice; prince, peer and peasant alike have equal rights
to just treatment, there must be no favour shown to individuals. A judge must be
no 'respecter of persons', but administer the law with strict impartiality in
every case brought before him.
If a
person commit a crime against you, you have not the right to forgive him; but
the law must punish him in order to prevent a repetition of that same crime by
others, as the pain of the individual is unimportant beside the general welfare
of the people.
When
perfect justice reigns in every country of the Eastern and Western World, then
will the earth become a place of beauty. The dignity and equality of every
servant of God will be acknowledged; the ideal of the solidarity of the human
race, the true brotherhood of man, will be realized; and the glorious light of
the Sun of Truth will illumine the souls of all men.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 154)