(Originally published on Issue 63 Sep/Oct 2018)
An employer and employee discuss a monthly payment rate, and the employee agrees to the proposed salary. Some months later, the employer discovers that her employee’s salary is less than the
(Originally published on Issue 63 Sep/Oct 2018)
An employer and employee discuss a monthly payment rate, and the employee agrees to the proposed salary. Some months later, the employer discovers that her employee’s salary is less than the average market rate. What should the employer do? Would offering a higher salary be an act of justice or an act of fairness?
It’s in our nature to want to be treated fairly. We see it most in children who often complain to their parents and teachers about being treated unfairly. We also see a need and demand for fairness in the workplace, higher institutions, and even the economic and political spheres. Unfair treatment unleashes feelings of agitation, resentment, and loneliness in the victim, which in turn may lead to broken relationships and, hence, broken communities. Thus, understanding what it means to be fair and how it differs from justice will heighten our awareness and help us to improve on one of the most important qualities that solidify our relationships.
Fairness in Islamic tradition
Sometimes we assume that the words ‘justice’ (adalah) and ‘fairness’ (insaf) are synonymous because we often use them interchangeably. But in the Qur’an and hadith corpus, ‘justice’ and ‘fairness’ are not the same, though they are closely related. Fairness is a step ahead of justice, as being fair requires one to be just, while just doing not necessarily require one to be fair.
Insaf (fairness) comes from the root word nisf, meaning ‘half’. Insaf, then, has two sides: one is your side and one is the other. To put into context, when there is a disagreement between you and another person, or between your group and another person or group, to be munsif (fair) would be to stand in the middle and look at both sides. You are expected to distance yourself from yourself and your group and judge between yourself and the other with detachment. Doing so can be challenging because we tend to be attached to ourselves, and to detach requires concentration and effort. Once we have managed to view the case entirely from the perspective of the other and arrive at an accurate conclusion, we have attained the quality of fairness.
Justice requires observing people’s rights by giving them exactly what they deserve. Fairness involves not only observing others’ rights but also going out of our way to make sure they are treated as we want to be treated if we were in the same situation. In other words, fairness is an act of nobility.
Referring to the example above, if the employer chooses to continue to pay the salary that was agreed upon with his employee, her actions are considered just – that is, one that is within the boundaries of established laws. If, on the other hand, she decides to raise the employee’s salary – not because she’s compelled to do so but rather out of consideration of the market rate or out of empathy for the employer’s living conditions – her actions would be considered fair, a quality that involves empathising with others, especially if the other is in a desperate or detrimental situation. In other words, we search for an excuse for the wrongdoer.
It is important to bear in mind that while struggling to accurately perceive the other side to attain fairness, we shouldn’t demand others to be fair. People are continually learning and developing while making mistakes and striving to amend them. Imam al-Sadiq(a) said, “It is not fair to demand others to treat you with fairness”.
The benefits of fairness in Islamic traditions
Prophet Muhammad(s) said, “Whoever is charitable toward a poor person and fair toward people in spite of himself is the true believer”. Imam Ali(a) also says that fairness is the best of characteristics which brings harmony among hearts and make relationships lasting.
The effects of fairness
Fairness demands that we consider the circumstances before making a decision. Imam Ali(a) said, “Do not raise your children the way [your] parents raised you; they were born for a different time”. Fair parents base their value system on real character and effort rather than outer traits such as personality, intelligence, and physical appearance. In this way, children develop a worldview that is rooted in care and compassion, rather than in power and control.
This extends to the educational sphere. Fair teachers find good qualities in each of their students, clarify their own expectations and grade accordingly. They also are sensitive to which of their students are putting in real effort. They carefully consider their students’ backgrounds, whether it comes to financial status, emotional support, giftedness, or some or all these aspects. A fair classroom or school environment reduces behavioural problems in children and adolescents and promotes enthusiasm for learning.
Moreover, fair leaders or managers communicate their expectations clearly, give everyone a voice, apply their own expectations to themselves, and know how to recognise true merit in their employees. An unfair workplace is a toxic environment, one that leads to feelings of loneliness, grudges, and misery; such settings prompt the workers to fulfil no more than what is expected of them.
Hence, our well-being – whether in the family circle, educational institution, workplace, or on a national scale – lies in more than just benefits; it lies in being resp