Justice in International Relations: An Islamic Perspective

Abstract

Justice has invariably been one of the most contentious concepts of religious and political literature among the various schools of thought and philosophy throughout the entire history of humankind. The different definitions, interpretations, and applications philosophers and intellectuals have postulated in relation to the topic of justice have constituted the focus of profound and contentious debates, the result of which has been the formation of numerous intellectual trends and schools. One of the more specific topics of discussion among these different schools of thought has been the scope of implementation of justice and the boundaries in which it ought to be enforced. It has been the conviction of many scholars and intellectuals that the enforcement of justice is necessarily confined within the boundaries of the state and as such to seek the rule of justice on a border scale in the international arena would be impracticable and unrealistic. In the course of the present article this author intends to examine Islam's perspective and approach on the topic of justice in international relations, thereby underscoring Islam's distinctive theoretical principles and approach, which differentiate it from other schools of thought concerning this topic.