Two Sides of a Coin

Salaam Minara Family,

We reflected on the concept of oppression and forgiveness within Surah Fatiha last week - particularly the quality of mercy. For this week’s newsletter, it felt apt to contemplate on Allah’s quality of Justness [yep, it’s a word as funny as it sounds]!

Because justice and mercy, both are two sides of the same coin. They are not contradictory. Instead they work together in harmony to create equilibrium between hope and accountability.

What is the balance between the two?

In a nutshell:

• Allah’s justice ensures that wrongs are not ignored.

• His mercy gives us room to grow, repent, and be forgiven.

• For those who oppress, Allah is Just but for those who turn back to Him, He is Merciful.

One of the most powerful and awe-inspiring names of Allah is Al-‘Adl, meaning The Embodiment of Justice. This name reminds us that Allah's justice is not limited, flawed, or delayed, like human justice can often be. Instead it is perfect, all-knowing, and profoundly fair, even when we may not understand its form or timing.

In our lives, we witness or experience injustice on a larger scale: people wronged, systems failing, truth buried. We also witness or experience injustice in the ways people are stereotyped, overlooked and excluded despite merit and worth, or blamed unfairly for something they did not do. But belief in Al-‘Adl teaches us that nothing escapes divine justice. Whether in this world or the next, every soul will be dealt with according to complete and perfect knowledge. Allah’s justice includes mercy, wisdom, and a full understanding of every intention, circumstance, and consequence, things we as humans often miss.

At a personal level, reflecting on Al-‘Adl also challenges us. It asks us:

• Are we fair in how we treat others?

• Do we speak justly, even when it’s hard?

• Are we standing for truth, even when it's unpopular?

To embody even a fraction of this divine quality means to live with integrity, honesty, and compassion; never favouring ourselves or others unfairly, and always standing for what is right.

In a world where fairness often feels distant, the name Al-‘Adl is both a comfort and a call to action. A comfort that no injustice goes unseen, and a call to mirror and embody, in small and sincere ways, the justice that Allah loves.

Salah is not just an act of worship - it is a daily reminder of balance, justice, and harmony in a world that constantly pulls us off-centre. Through every bow, pause, and whispered verse, we are gently taught to return to equilibrium between body and soul, dunya and akhirah, speech and silence.

In Islam, justice (‘adl) begins within the self. To pray with sincerity is to be just to your soul, to give it what it was created for: connection with its Creator. When we neglect prayer, we wrong ourselves; we deny our hearts their true nourishment. But when we pray mindfully, we honour the rights of our soul and begin to reorder everything else around us.

Salah also teaches justice through its rhythm and structure: each movement has a place, each word a purpose. There is humility in sujood and dignity in standing; there's reflection in the silence and strength in the repetition. This divine choreography shows us what it means to live with balance, to rise and fall at the right times, and to give each moment its due.

Finally, Salah builds justice in the world around us. It softens the heart, disciplines the ego, and reconnects us to our moral compass. A person who guards their prayer is more likely to guard their words, their actions, and the rights of others. In this way, Salah becomes not only a private act of devotion, but a public force for fairness and mercy.

In every sense, Salah is the foundation of justice in ourselves, in our relationships, and in society. It is where we come to realign, to recalibrate, and to rise, balanced and grounded in the remembrance of Al-‘Adl, the Most Just.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or stretched too thin friends, start by looking at your Salah. Strengthening that can rebuild your balance and bring more justice into your day - both within yourself, and with the people around you.

Wishing you all a peaceful, mercy-filled week 🤍🤍,

The Minara Team