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(DAY 1) The Royal Conference - Seminar Theme 1
Session One: Prof. Dr. Joel Hayward
Session Two: Dr. Yakoob Ahmed
Session Three: Prof. Dr. Tatiana Denisova
Seminar Theme 1 Q&A Session
Establishing Justice through Prophetic Leadership
Prof. Dr. Joel Hayward
Establishing a framework for justice between post-Westphalian modern states involved a 400-year evolution through trial and error of practices, philosophy, concepts and laws. But our modern world is unlike seventh century Arabia at the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He emerged as a power broker at a time when around sixty tribes and clans in the Hejaz — an area almost as large as that of the British Isles — competed aggressively for political, commercial and reputational reasons. The Prophet ﷺ nonetheless managed within a single decade of him assuming communal leadership to prevail in this endlessly disputatious and conflictual setting and to establish, through both humane warfare and hugely skilful diplomacy and negotiation, what we today call the Rule of Law. At its heart was a strong framework of Justice: meaning the impartial and fair treatment of everyone. This framework involved what we now call Distributive, Restorative and even Retributive Justice, concepts familiar to every modern student of law, politics and statecraft.
Manifestation of Justice in the Ottoman Empire
Dr. Yakoob Ahmed
The concept of justice was central to the Ottoman Empire, embodied early on in the idea of the Circle of Justice. This theory emphasised the balance between the Sultan, the military, the people (Reaya), and the ulema (religious scholars). For the Ottomans, justice was not just about law, but about maintaining equilibrium between what was given and what was deserved. The Sultan's legitimacy and authority depended on his ability to dispense justice fairly, ensuring stability and order in society. In this presentation, I shall chart how the idea of justice was understood and evoked at various stages of the life span of the Ottoman Empire and how it represented not simply a legal or political connotation but more deeply the ethical and moral standards that were reflected in the ideas of societal and political balance as well as fairness. Thus, I shall show how the Ottoman Empire’s foundations of justice was at the core of its civilisational world view.
Concept of Justice in the Malay Muslim Historiography (16th – 19th Centuries)
Prof. Dr. Tatiana Denisova
The concept of justice in Islam is a complex and multi-valued virtue. According to Professor al-Attas justice is a state of being, a condition of things being in their proper places and a quality of human act of putting things in their proper places based on the prior knowledge of the nature of the things. On one side justice (‘adl) which is derived from one of the Beautiful Names of God is dealing with science of ethics and Divine Wisdom. On the other side justice includes the practical actual aspect, which refers to human and social life. This Divine Command to act with justice refers to both the Community in relation to the state and the individual in relation to the self. Malay Muslim historiography as one of the most important genres of Islamic intellectual tradition in the Malay world represents both aspects: religious (spiritual) concept of justice as well as its practical implementation. Analysis of these historical texts allows us to identify the criteria for the prosperity and decline of the state, as well as to formulate the insights of the Malay Muslim Community regarding the qualities and duties of a just ruler and about just and unjust judgements. The results of the study prove that the concept of justice in the medieval Malay Muslim society was perceived and implemented in full: both as a Divine Command as well as a social practice.