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==Justice and Allah in Islamic theology== | ==Justice and Allah in Islamic theology== | ||
The first significant formal theological school to emerge in the Islamic world was that of the Mu'tazilites, or rationalists. According to the Mu'tazilites, Allah was obligated to do justice to his creation and could not do otherwise. Thus, a good person was guaranteed a good fate in the hereafter, and a bad person a bad fate. Many early Islamic thinkers, however, found this notion to limit God's omnipotence to an unacceptable degree. This theological discontent ultimately manifested itself in the formation of rival theological schools, most famously Ash'arism, the school that became affiliated with Abu Hasan al-Ashari (d. 936). Ash'arism is still the most common theological school in the Muslim world today, and its stance on the doctrine of God being more powerful than he is necessarily just rings true through all major competing theological schools until today. | |||
=== In the hadith === | |||
There are some authentic hadiths which convey stories immediately relevant to Allah's relationship with justice. While the messages found in these hadith are not always consistent and may not square perfectly or easily with the doctrines endorsed by the main schools of Islamic theology, they are important to consider. | |||
The evil deeds of a rich man, when placed upon [[Allah|Allah's]] scales of judgment, will weigh more than had he been a poor man. The hadith describe how the atonement (the good deed required to make up for the evil deed) is different depending on one's income level. | The evil deeds of a rich man, when placed upon [[Allah|Allah's]] scales of judgment, will weigh more than had he been a poor man. The hadith describe how the atonement (the good deed required to make up for the evil deed) is different depending on one's income level. | ||