The Invisible Scale: Where Does Justice Begin?

Since the dawn of humanity, people have been in pursuit of justice. Every era has had its own laws, judges, executioners and prayers. But those prayers have always stemmed from one singular desire: “Where is justice?” That question has echoed in mosques, in courtrooms, and in a mother’s cry. Divine justice stands at the center of life unseen, yet constantly longed for. But where does this belief originate? Is the faith that justice will be delivered by God a form of consolation or a tool of social regulation? Religious philosophy suggests this belief not only safeguards individual morality but also sustains a collective patience mechanism. Sociologist Émile Durkheim described such belief systems as “symbolic carriers of collective consciousness.” In this view, the longing for divine justice is a psychological glue that holds society together.

Thus, the concept of “divine justice” is not merely a matter of faith in God’s will it also functions as a social stabilizer. The hope of a wronged person that “one day, I will get what I deserve” prevents them from resorting to revenge, anarchy, or hatred. Societies, through this belief, delay vengeance and manage collective anger. In this sense, divine justice is not only a promise of the hereafter, but also a hopeful balance woven into yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yet sometimes, this hope shatters. Tyrants age peacefully, grow wealthy, and laugh. The oppressed, meanwhile, die, stay silent, and are forgotten. In such moments, belief falters. But does this collapse strike a blow to our faith in God or bring us into a more direct confrontation with the divine?

The delay of justice often feels as heavy as injustice itself. People instinctively expect that the moral outcome of a situation will appear immediately. If there is oppression punishment must follow. If there is wrongdoing God must be watching. But life is not so orderly. The corrupt often wear gold medals; the righteous are quietly erased. So where does one turn when divine justice is slow to arrive?

Many find themselves caught between two responses: either they deepen their faith or allow resentment to grow inside them. Belief in divine justice sometimes transforms into an inner moral resistance: “God sees,” “the time will come,” “truth prevails eventually.” This is not merely a moral stance it is also a survival mechanism. People endure injustice by convincing themselves that God, too, is witnessing it. But this belief is not unshakeable. A woman who spent her childhood in a war-torn Arab country lost her father to unjust violence. Now a professor in Europe, she once said: “In the beginning, I prayed for justice. Then I realized that if God exists, sometimes He just watches silently without explanation.” This silence pushed her to speak, to write, to research. She stopped waiting for justice to arrive and began to build it herself. Some people don’t wait for justice they create it.

At this point, sociologist Max Weber’s concept of “secular ethics born from a Godless world” becomes relevant. According to Weber, while religious systems offer moral frameworks, modern societies try to institutionalize justice through law, democracy, and social structures. But when these institutions fail, people often return to God for when justice is silent, the eyes naturally turn skyward. As justice is delayed, people construct internal scales. In their hearts, they whisper: “If I don’t receive justice in this life, perhaps I will in the next.” For many especially the poor, the oppressed, women, and minorities this belief is not just hope, but refuge. It allows them to endure without rebellion.

Yet even this hope is fragile. Philosophers like Nietzsche criticized such “patient expectations of justice,” arguing that belief in divine retribution makes people forgive worldly tyrants and abandon the fight for change. Nietzsche asked: “If God exists, why is He silent?” But this philosophical anger can also be read as a form of faith a demand that the divine respond, that justice not remain hidden. So, what should one do? When divine justice is delayed, humanity faces three paths. First, patience and prayer. Some surrender justice to God, believing He will act when the time is right.Second, becoming the justice. Others see God within themselves and try to protect what is right. “If God exists, maybe I can be His hands. And third, disbelief and fury. Some lose faith in the system entirely, turning away from God or falling into nihilism. Each of these is a deeply personal route. But all stem from a shared human need the restoration of what is right. Justice is not just a social construct; it is written into the blueprint of the human soul. Ultimately, justice is not always visible. Sometimes, it hides in a mother’s silence, a child’s tears, or a defiant piece of writing against injustice. God’s scale may work slowly but that does not mean it should be dismissed. Perhaps, waiting for divine justice is not passive it is a call to build a just world ourselves. The scale exists in each of us if only we choose to see it.

Nigar Shahverdiyeva.