This text examines the principle of justice in the works of Nizami Ganjavi, the great 12th-century Persian poet. Living amidst the religious and political tensions of his era, Nizami transcended bigotry to promote justice. Despite criticism for his love for a Kipchak slave girl named Afaq and for writing in Persian, he overcame these controversies through his enduring literary masterpieces.

In Nizami's thought, the principle of justice manifests as both a general philosophical and legal principle and in its specific dimensions (such as criminal and constitutional law). During the reigns of the Shirvanshahs and Atabegs (Eldenizids), Islamic law (Sharia) coexisted with Christian legal codes like Mkhitar Gosh's "Law Code." Nizami rejected all legal discrimination, portraying justice across three domains: sovereignty, love, and other social contexts.

The most extensive embodiment of this principle is found in his two major works, "The Treasury of Mysteries" and "Khosrow and Shirin." In "The Treasury of Mysteries," through chapters like "The King's Care for the People and Justice," he advises rulers towards justice and compassion, warning that justice brings prosperity while oppression leads to ruin. In the romantic epic "Khosrow and Shirin," he utilizes the love story to articulate his ideals of justice. By praising King Hormuz for punishing his own son for violating the law, Nizami asserts the principle of equality before the law, criticizing the injustices of his time. He demonstrates how justice brings happiness to the people, frees the innocent, and fosters loyalty towards the ruler. Justice, for Nizami, is the only virtue that endures beyond death. The influence of Nizami's justice-seeking principle is clearly discernible in the works of later philosophers and writers, including Spinoza, Kant, Voltaire, and notably William Shakespeare, who explored themes of justice in plays like "Othello" and "King Lear."