Ramadan and renewed commitment to social justice

2026-02-19 - 23:23

SINCE 2009, the World Day of Social Justice has been observed annually on 20 February and this year, in Pakistan, it coincides with the second day of fasting and the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. This convergence is more than calendar alignment. Ramadan is, in essence, a month-long refresher course in practical social justice. It is the month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed, a book of guidance for every sphere of life, with special emphasis on building a society founded upon justice. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly binds worship to social responsibility. Prayer (salat) is paired with almsgiving (zakat), reminding believers that devotion to the Creator is incomplete without justice toward His creation. For this year’s World Day of Social Justice, the UN has declared the theme “Renewed Commitment to Social Development and Social Justice.” It echoes the spirit of Ramadan itself: renewal of conscience, renewal of social responsibility, renewal of our covenant with Allah the Almighty and with humanity. According to polyglot etymologist Adam Wordsmith, the word _social_ traces back to the Latin socius, meaning companion or partner, suggesting interconnectedness and interdependence in a society. Justice comes from justitia, denoting righteousness, equity and moral rightness. Together, social justice is not merely a policy phrase; it is the moral architecture of a society in which dignity, equal opportunity and fairness are shared amongst individuals in their human journey of actualising their potential. The World Day of Social Justice was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 and was first observed in 2009. It serves as a reminder that peace can not survive where inequality and injustice thrive through thieves of human happiness. Poverty is not only economic deprivation; it is exclusion from being heard and being treated only as herd. Unemployment is not merely joblessness; it is denial of dignity. Discrimination is not simply linguistic, sectarian, or provincial prejudice; it is institutionalised insult and indifference. This year’s observance is the call of the day for governments and institutions to move beyond declarations towards measurable action: eradicating poverty, expanding decent work, ensuring social protection and safeguarding human rights. The International Labour Organization (ILO) identifies four essential pillars of social justice: respect for human and labour rights, equal opportunity, fair distribution of economic benefits and inclusive transitions in times of change and challenge. For centuries, it has been a recurring idea that power must serve the vulnerable and that prosperity must circulate rather than accumulate and concentrate. Islam has prohibited such accumulation. The Last Prophet, Hazrat Muhammed (PBUH), warned against the concentration of wealth within a few hands. The rightly guided caliphs (RA) and other companions (RA), such as Hazrat Abu Zar (RA), not only preached the principles of social justice but practised them profoundly. The holy month of Ramadan and the World Day of Social Justice have both a relational and rational link with the life of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). He was martyred in Ramadan while upholding justice. His timeless advice remains relevant all the times: a state may endure with disbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice. States may survive ideological differences, but they collapse under sustained oppression. Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) implemented a moral model of social justice beyond the boundaries of region, religion, or relation. That is why the Christian scholar George Jurdac devoted years to studying his life and produced the monumental work “The Voice of Human Justice”, presenting Hazrat Ali (AS) as a universal symbol of human dignity and moral courage. Social justice is neither religious nor secular, neither Western nor Eastern. It is human. Ramadan reinforces this universality. Fasting is not only abstention; it is empathy. It is the holy month when hunger becomes a tutor of human values. Zakat is not charity alone; it is redistribution of wealth embedded in faith. The Holy Qur’an commands believers to stand firmly for justice. One day of commemoration cannot dismantle inequality by itself. Yet such observances matter to minds when they sharpen their moral focus. They serve as mirrors, asking societies whether their institutions reflect their ideals. Renewal, therefore, is not merely procedural; it is existential. It demands that policymakers examine whether labour systems protect dignity, whether wealth distribution is equitable, whether marginalised communities have a voice and whether economic and technological transitions leave anyone behind. For Pakistan, this reflection is not abstract. Our Constitution promises equality before the law, protection of minorities, social welfare and economic justice. Yet widening economic disparity, unequal access to education and healthcare, labour exploitation, gender-based violence and persistent marginalisation remain visible realities. The aspiration of becoming a welfare state cannot materialise without institutional integrity, fearless accountability and moral courage to confront corruption and structural inequity. Social justice in Pakistan cannot remain a slogan repeated in speeches; it must translate into equal opportunities, fair taxation, merit-based systems, protection of workers and genuine inclusion of the voiceless in decision-making. The way of the world is to dedicate a single day to social justice; in Islam, it is a way of life practised from mosques to markets alike. A renewed commitment to social justice on its world day during Ramadan can renew us internally, externally and existentially. —The writer is Chairman of the international think-tank World Future Forum. (worldfutureforum@gmail.com)