Surah Al-Nisa, 4:135 and Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School, in 2012, included a verse from the Quran (Surah Al-Nisa, 4:135) in its "Words of Justice" exhibition, an art installation featuring approximately two dozen quotations about justice from various historical and cultural sources, including St. Augustine and the Magna Carta. The exhibition, a collaboration with faculty, staff, and students, aimed to illustrate the universality of justice across time and cultures. The specific verse was selected as one of many powerful expressions of justice

[an-Nisā’, 4:135]

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلّٰہِ وَ لَوۡ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ اَوِ الۡوَالِدَیۡنِ وَ الۡاَقۡرَبِیۡنَ ۚ اِنۡ یَّکُنۡ غَنِیًّا اَوۡ فَقِیۡرًا فَاللّٰہُ اَوۡلٰی بِہِمَا ۟ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الۡہَوٰۤی اَنۡ تَعۡدِلُوۡا ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَلۡوٗۤا اَوۡ تُعۡرِضُوۡا فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِیۡرًا

﴿۱۳۵﴾ 

O believers! Become tenaciously firm on justice, bearing witness (merely) for the sake of Allah even if (the witness) is against your own selves or (your) parents or (your) relatives. Whether the person (against whom is the evidence) is rich or poor, Allah is a greater Well-Wisher of them both (than you are). So do not follow the desires of your (ill-commanding) selves lest you swerve from justice. But if (whilst giving evidence) you twist your statement or evade (the truth), then Allah is indeed Well Aware of (all the works) that you are doing.

ऐ ईमान वालो! तुम इन्साफ पर मज़बूती के साथ क़ाइम रहने वाले (महज़) अल्लाह के लिए गवाही देने वाले हो जाओ ख़्वाह (गवाही) ख़ुद तुम्हारे अपने या (तुम्हारे) वालिदैन या (तुम्हारे) रिश्तेदारों के ही ख़िलाफ हो, अगर्चे (जिसके ख़िलाफ गवाही हो) मालदार है या मोह्‌ताज, अल्लाह उन दोनों का (तुम से) ज़ियादा ख़ैरख़्वाह है। सो तुम ख़्वाहिशे नफ्स की पैरवी न किया करो किअ़द्‌ल से हट जाओ (गे) और अगर तुम (गवाही में) पेचदार बात करोगे या (हक़्क़ से) पहलू तही करोगे तो बेशक अल्लाह उन सब कामों से जो तुम कर रहे हो ख़बरदार है।