Harvard recognises Quranic verse 4:135 as one of the greatest expressions of justice

I have written over 200 articles at Dallas Morning News on Pluralism, they include quotes from most religions and most certainly from Quran. On November 12, 2013, I wrote in the article; The verse inscribed at Harvard is from 4:135 where as the one I quoted was from 5:8

Texas Faith: What words of religious faith should politicians really hear and heed?
For those who serve in public office, I would recommend the following verse.

Quran, 5:8 (Asad translation): “O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.”

The word hatred has multiple meanings in this case – bias to color, race, appearance, deport and other temperamental proclivities are destructive to everyone at the end. Injustice to one is injustice to all – MLK.

There are innumerable examples of Prophet Muhammad and the first four Caliphs punishing their own kith and kin against the complaints of injustice from others. They paid a price to build a society, where one can trust each other and mind their own pursuit of happiness.  Justice is what keeps the society going forward.

Islam is built around five core values; Mercy, Justice, truth, equality and humility.  Everything else is structured to achieve these combined values lumped out as Taqwa, Trust or simply piety. The most dominant characteristic of God, as repeated in Quran is Mercy.

To see the response of other Panelists, go to Dallas Morning News at -http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/11/texas-faith-what-words-of-religious-faith-should-politicians-really-heed.html/?nclick_check=1#more-31522

Mike Ghouse 
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http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2013/01/24/harvard-recognises-quranic-verse-as-one-of-the-greatest-expressions-of-justice/

Cii News | 24 January 2013

Harvard Law School, one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind in the world, has posted a verse of the Holy Quraan at the entrance of its faculty library, describing the verse as one of the greatest expressions of justice in history.

Verse 135 of Surah Al Nisa (The Women) has been posted at a wall facing the faculty’s main entrance, dedicated to the best phrases articulating justice:

“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted”

According to a Saudi daily, a Saudi student who studies at Harvard first highlighted the development when he published a picture of the display on his Twitter page.

“I noticed that the verse was posted by the faculty of law, which described it as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history,” Abdullah Jumma said.

Established in 1817, Harvard is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. Among its alumni is US President Barack Obama and a host of influential journalists, writers, media and business leaders and even professional athletes.

According to its official website, The Words of Justice exhibition is a testimony of the endurance of humanity’s yearning for fairness and dignity through law. “The words on these walls affirm the power and irrepressibility of the idea of justice.”

There are approximately two dozen quotations on display in the art installation created by the Law School. The three most prominently displayed at the entrance of the art installation, are quotes from St. Augustine, the Holy Quraan and the Magna Carta. According to the Harvard Law School these quotations illustrate the universality of the concept of justice throughout time and cultures.

Quotations were selected from a pool of over 150 contributions from law school faculty, staff and students. Librarians at the Law School Library researched the historical context and authenticity of each quotation and developed a website to share this research with visitors to the art installation.