General Beliefs
By Ayatullah Jafar Sobhani

(Continued)
There are various ways in which Divine Justice is expressed as regards the three domains of (a) creation, (b) religious dispensation, and (c) heavenly recompense. We shall explain some of these below, taking each in turn.

Justice in creation
God bestows upon each existent entity that which is appropriate to it, never depriving it of the receptivity inherent in its nature; this receptivity being determined at the plane of effusion of. Being, and in the invisible dimension in which the act of bestowing existence occurs. As the Qur'an says:
Our Lord is He Who gave unto everything its nature, then guided it aright.
(Sura Ta Ha, XX: 50)

Justice in religious dispensation
God guides man, endowed as he is with the capacity to acquire spiritual perfection, by sending Messengers to establish religious laws. He does not impose upon man obligations that go beyond his capacity. As the Qur'an says:
Verily God enjoineth justice and kindness and generosity to kinsfolk, and

forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.
(Sura al-Nahl, XVI: 90)

Since justice, kindness and generosity contribute to human perfection and the other three elements contribute to his downfall, the first have been made obligatory and the second are prohibited. Likewise, regarding man not being charged with religious obligations beyond his capacity, the Qur'an says: And We task not any soul beyond its scope...
(Sura al-Mu'minun, XXIII: 62)

Justice in recompense
When it comes to apportioning reward and punishment, God never treats the believer in the same way as the unbeliever, the good in the same way as the bad; rather, He gives each person an appropriate, fitting recompense. Accordingly, God will never punish a people whose religious obligations have not been revealed by means of divinely-guided Messengers, and who have not, consequently, received the full force of the divine proof. As the Qur'an says:
We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. (Sura Bani Israeli, XVII: 15)

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