Living The Quran
From Issue: 1028 [Read full issue]
Injustice
Al-Nisa (Women) - Chapter 4: Verse 40 (partial)
"Truly God commits not so much as a mote's weight of wrong."
This verse is one of many affirming that God does not engage in even the slightest injustice. Some commentators assert that it is impossible to attribute injustice to God, as to be unjust means to transgress boundaries or the rights of others, and since God is Creator, He has no boundaries. Rather, it is He who establishes these rights and boundaries and so cannot be said to transgress them; according to certain theologians, He is capable of injustice, but proscribes it for Himself and has prescribed Mercy for Himself.
Mote's weight translates mithqal dharrah, which conveys something so small that it has no apparent weight at all. Dharrah can also mean "particle," "speck," or "atom" and is frequently glossed as referring to the tiniest of red ants or the smallest of seeds.
Compiled From:
"The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" - Seyyed Hossein Nasr