Law is classified within social sciences to regulate various human interactions, with the public authority punishing those who violate it with fair penalties. In this regard, the law organizes human rights and duties. The law grants not only rights but also the corresponding obligations. It’s not an exaggeration to say that law is a vast ocean deriving its depth from human activities. There is no absolute truth as long as people engage in creative and evolving activities daily. The law does not have power over you if you exercise your rights and fulfil your duties; its power comes from violating it.
The term “legal” applies to lawyers, legislators, judges, and generally to anyone who has obtained a law degree. The loud outcry from some legal professionals bothered me and prompted me to write these words. I believe the voice of truth is loud enough and heard without the need for shouting, but the shouting persists. I often hear the phrase, “This is my right,” and when reminded that there is another side to rights: responsibility, the response is frequently inadequate for a seeker of justice.
It’s not enough for a loud person to throw two books to disrupt the heads and ears of listeners. The speaker must have argument logic and, above all, responsibility. If they fail to uphold it, the law will assert its role as the punisher and deterrent.
The responsibility I uphold is not a call for silence but an invitation to maintain argument and logic and to follow the truth, all in a clear and audible voice.
Legal professionals should be aware that they carry a high moral responsibility. They possess knowledge to support others, not to harm them. This is an important professional message, especially since they know what others do not. Even if they do not know everything—who among us does?—the noise cannot cover ignorance nor cloak someone in knowledge.
My regards to legal professionals who recognize their knowledge as a responsibility, and I offer this advice from Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, to a young man from Quraysh: “O my nephew, learn manners before learning knowledge.”
