Article 33 — The Divine Just State
The Divine Just State: what would a world governed by justice look like?
The Goal of the Wise — Door Number Thirty-Three
Read aloud in English
Is a world without poverty, without oppression and without injustice possible? And what form of government could accomplish such a transformation?
Since Antiquity, philosophers and prophets have imagined a society in which justice would be the fundamental principle of collective life.
In the thirty-third Door of The Goal of the Wise, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) presents the vision of a Divine Just State.
Justice as the objective of religion
The chapter asserts that one of the fundamental objectives of the prophetic missions is the establishment of a just society.
Religion would therefore not concern only the personal relationship between man and God.
It would also have a collective dimension.
Poverty, oppression and exploitation are presented as realities that divine guidance must make it possible to overcome.
The divinely appointed sovereign
In the doctrine set out by the book, legitimate authority belongs to the representative chosen by God.
This sovereign would be charged with enforcing justice and protecting the most vulnerable.
This theocratic conception differs from democratic political models founded on popular sovereignty.
It constitutes a central element of the book's political vision.
Plato and the Republic
The chapter draws a parallel with Plato's Republic.
In this work, the Greek philosopher examines the conditions necessary for a just city.
The author notably compares the figure of the philosopher-king to that of the divinely appointed guide.
This comparison makes it possible to address questions of knowledge, responsibility and political legitimacy.
A society founded on human needs
The book describes a social organization in which resources and responsibilities would be directed toward the common good.
Justice should not benefit only the powerful.
It should guarantee the dignity of the poor, the weak and the oppressed.
Conclusion — Can justice become a reality?
The thirty-third Door presents the Divine Just State as the fulfillment of an ancient aspiration.
What would a society look like in which power was truly at the service of all?