Being Just to Enemies

Text Under Scrutiny

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ لِلّٰہِ شُہَدَآءَ  بِالۡقِسۡطِ  وَ لَا  یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ شَنَاٰنُ قَوۡمٍ عَلٰۤی اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا  اِعۡدِلُوۡا  ہُوَ  اَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوٰی  وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ  اِنَّ  اللّٰہَ  خَبِیۡرٌۢ  بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ.(8:5)

 

 

A. Individual Study Segment

 

Step 1: Fill out the first lines of the following tables by placing the translation of the Arabic word below it and then make the scrambled sentence into a meaningful one in the last lines of each of the tables.

 

 

I

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا:  O

الَّذِیۡنَ:  who

اٰمَنُوۡا:  believed

کُوۡنُوۡا:  be

قَوّٰمِیۡنَ:  hold on to

لِلّٰہِ:  for God

شُہَدَآءَ:   bearing witness

بِالۡقِسۡطِ: to justice

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا	الَّذِیۡنَ	اٰمَنُوۡا	کُوۡنُوۡا	قَوّٰمِیۡنَ	لِلّٰہِ	شُہَدَآءَ	بِالۡقِسۡطِ

 

 

II

 

وَ:  :and

لَا:   :not

یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ:  :incite you

شَنَاٰنُ:  :animosity for

قَوۡمٍ:  :a nation

عَلٰۤی:  :on

اَلَّا:  that not

تَعۡدِلُوۡا: you do justice

 

وَ	لَا	یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ	شَنَاٰنُ	قَوۡمٍ	عَلٰۤی	اَلَّا	تَعۡدِلُوۡا

 

 

III

 

اِعۡدِلُوۡا:  Be just

ہُوَ:   this

اَقۡرَبُ:  is nearer

لِلتَّقۡوٰی: to piety

 

اِعۡدِلُوۡا	ہُوَ	اَقۡرَبُ	لِلتَّقۡوٰی

 

 

IV

 

وَ:  and

اتَّقُوا:  have fear

اللّٰہَ:  God

اِنَّ:   indeed

اللّٰہَ:   God

خَبِیۡرٌۢ:   well aware

بِمَا:  of what

تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ: you do

 

وَ	اتَّقُوا	اللّٰہَ	اِنَّ	اللّٰہَ	خَبِیۡرٌۢ	بِمَا	تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ

 

 

Step II: Write out the complete translation here: (note: before you do this exercise, please hide with a sheet of paper if the standard translation written in the next step is visible to you)

 

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Step III: Compare your Translation with the Following:

 

Believers, adhere to justice by bearing witness to it for God. And the animosity for a nation should not induce you to not do justice. Be just; this is nearer to piety. And have fear of God; indeed, God is well aware of what you do. (5:8)

 

Step IV: Random Checking of Translation by the Instructor

 

Step V: Writing out the Arabic Text

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ لِلّٰہِ شُہَدَآءَ  بِالۡقِسۡطِ  وَ لَا  یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ شَنَاٰنُ قَوۡمٍ عَلٰۤی اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا  اِعۡدِلُوۡا  ہُوَ  اَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوٰی  وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ  اِنَّ  اللّٰہَ  خَبِیۡرٌۢ  بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ.(8:5)

 

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Step VI: Reading aloud the Arabic Text by a Participant

 

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ لِلّٰہِ شُہَدَآءَ  بِالۡقِسۡطِ  وَ لَا  یَجۡرِمَنَّکُمۡ شَنَاٰنُ قَوۡمٍ عَلٰۤی اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا  اِعۡدِلُوۡا  ہُوَ  اَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوٰی  وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ  اِنَّ  اللّٰہَ  خَبِیۡرٌۢ  بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ.(8:5)

 

Step VII: Volunteers’ Direct Translation of the Verse

 

 

 

B. Group Study Segment

 

I Comprehension Questions

 

1. Make a list of acts which can be classified as unjust and as such are prohibited by Islam?

 

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2. Can perfect justice be achieved in this world? If not why?

 

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3. Make a list of things we sometimes do in our personal lives that are unfair, and a list of things our government does that are unfair. What could be done to rectify these injustices so that we can cross them off the list?

 

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4. Every person is born with a special gift. What gift do you have that could be used to bring about more justice in the world

 

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C. Evaluation Segment

 

How Just are You?

 

1. I treat other people the way I want to be treated:

i. always.

ii. most of the time.

iii. sometimes.

iv. almost never

 

2. If your brother told you that your thirty year old son had stolen his money. You will:

i. start scolding your son.

ii.  punish your son.

iii. first find out from your son what happened and then take any action against him

 

3. If it comes to your notice that your son has been caught breaking the law:

i. you will try to find means for him to escape punishment.

ii. you will let the law take its course.

 

4. If you are the CEO of a company and receive applications of two individuals. One of them is of a near relative and other an unknown person and much more competent than your relative. You will decide in favour of:

i. your relative.

ii. the unknown person.

 

5. If you have to give witness in a court against your father in case in which your father is at faul. You will:

i. give true evidence even if this means punishment for your father.

ii. try to hide the evidence.

iii. try not to appear as a witness.

 

6. You are a teacher and your son is also in your class; he has failed in a test. You will:

i. change the marks if no one gets to know about it.

ii. not change the marks if someone will get to know it.

iii. change the marks even if someone gets to know it.

iv. not change the marks even if no one gets to know it

 

7. You are the coach of the college hockey team. Your son does not deserve to be in the team.You:

i. use your powers to select your son.

ii. do not select your son.

 

8. You know that your son has stolen a large sum of money. The police has arrested an innocent poor boy in his place because both have the same names and it is likely that the poor boy would be jailed for a year. You:

i. let the poor boy be jailed.

ii. bring the true picture before the authorities.

iii. try to save the poor boy and your son by putting the blame on the son of your former employer who had sacked you.

 

9. Your father is a very influential person and he has secured admission for you in a university by illegal means. Your admission was done at the cost of the admission of your class fellow not belonging to a well-to-do family.You will:

i. refuse to go to such a university.

ii. gladly go to such a university and boast about your father’s feat before other friends.

iii. go to such a university but will feel ashamed.

 

10. A friend of yours is wrongly blaming an enemy of yours in front of others for a fault you are sure your enemy never had.

i. You will stop your friend and try to correct him.

ii. You will let him go on and enjoy the humiliation of your enemy.

 

 

 

D. Follow-Up Segment

 

I Listen to the Recital of this Verse:

http://thequranrecitation.com/al-maidah.html?language=arabic

 

II Memorize this Verse

 

III. Improve yourself through Self-Evaluation

Write a “Justice” diary for two weeks. Each day write down any act of injustice you may have done. At the end of two weeks, share this with your closest friend or with your instructor or just destroy it.

Make a commitment to yourself that in future you will refrain from injustice as much as you can.

 

IV Reconsider the Quiz

Go back and study the quiz you have attempted. In particular, study the answers in which you have scored less. Re-evaluate your choices and make a commitment to improve in this area.

 

V Become a Volunteer for the Justice Awareness Campaign in the Following Ways

 

(1) Search the Internet for:

i. Videos about Justice

ii. Songs about Justice

iii. Essays and Stories about Justice

iv. Poems about Justice

v. Powerpoint Presentations about Justice

 

(2) Conduct this Justice Awareness Workshop among your Friends

 

(3) Design Activity-Based Workshops for Kids about Justice

 

(4) Create a Website about Justice

 

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