“It is justice that maintains peace in the world.
The world is a garden and its fence is the state.
The commandments of God brings order to the state.
There is no better guardian for the commandments of God than authority.
Authority cannot be maintained without an army.
An army cannot be instituted without wealth.
Wealth cannot be obtained except through the cultivation of subjects.
The universal just ruler makes the subjects obey him.” –Qınālızāde ʿAlī Çelebi (d. 1572)
The Circle of Justice is reported to first emerge in a mysterious writing attributed to Aristotle which is allegedly expressed as an advice to Alexander the Great before it was adopted by numerous Muslim luminaries in the past such as Ibn Khaldun, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Jalal al-Din Davani, Abu-l Fazl (advisor to Emperor Akbar) of the Mughal Empire, and Ottoman scholars such as Qınālızāde ʿAlī Çelebi (d. 1572) who deployed it in the context of practical wisdom (hikmah amaliyyah) – specifically in governance of the state (tadbir al-medina) which shaped the character of Ottoman Empire’s leadership for a period of time.
In the 21st century, a number of individuals continue to re-appropriate the circle of justice model, in order to formulate a more integrated or holistic pathway for development of their people.
In Malaysia, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, the distinguished corporate figure, is known to have been advocating the Circle of Justice as a model of development, regarding it as timeless and even more relevant in these times in Malaysia and the world over. In the words of Tan Sri Azman, the Circle of Justice is “dynamic, integrated, multi-disciplinary model on the development and decline of civilizations,” and more comprehensive than the classical, neo-classical and development economics models of the West.
While in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regards the Circle of Justice as his governance compass in ruling and policy making, and a vision he continues to promote in the international arena. He made a case for the relevance of circle of justice in the global context, remarking: “…our world hasn’t turned into a fairer and more peaceful place despite all innovations, developments and technological advancements.”
However, most modern appropriators of this idea tend to bypass or overlook the broader system of thought or intellectual home in which ideas such as Circle of Justice was imbedded, leading to the restriction of meaning of the Circle of Justice within a reductionist or de-spiritualized perspective.
When the Circle of Justice is not deployed wisely and not understood within the proper perspective, there are bound to be hidden shortcomings which leads to further injustices.
In order for present-day Muslim nations to truly be able to revive the circle of justice, it is imperative that it is intelligently understood within its true intellectual and spiritual home viz. an understanding of the ultimate nature of reality projected by Islam or the metaphysics of Islam.
Moreover, the idea of justice (‘adl) as understood by the great Muslim luminaries when speaking of Circle of Justice must mean: a condition wherein things are in their proper places—an authoritative definition in tune with the metaphysics of Islam.
This definition is supported in Kinalizade Ali Celebi’s understanding of Circle of Justice wherein he explained the cultivation of subjects in the following order: 1) the men of pen are to be regarded as source of the liveliness of the spirit of a society; (2) the soldiers, governors, and government officials are to protect the country from enemy and oppressors; (3) the craftsmen (or businessmen in today’s context) are to ensure the material wellbeing of the society; and (4) the farmers and fishermen are to ensure the cultivation of the land and generates real value.
Kinalizade Ali Celebi explains further that precondition of justice for the ruler or authority is analogously portrayed as ensuring an equilibrium between the four elements of nature (water, air, fire, and earth): the scholars represent water, the security and governance personnel represent fire, the business people and craftsmen represent air; and the farmers and fishermen represent earth.
The key element in this whole equation is the water (scholars)—if the best scholars are not given due recognition and acknowledgement, as well as the opportunity to play their role to effectively guide a people and to nourish the ruler, imbalance will happen.
This point by Kinalizade about the role of the scholars is precisely where Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas’s point about justice as expounded in his book, On Justice and the Nature of Man, is particularly significant: that God commands us to return the various trusts to its ahl (rightful keepers of trusts)—especially the religious and intellectual trusts.
In the present-day efforts in Malaysia to embark on reform, transformation or a national reset, it is thus imperative that the following fundamental question is addressed: who are the true representative elements of water (scholars) as source of the liveliness of the spirit of a society whom the leaders should consult, and throw their weight behind to restore the circle of justice?

