In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah [The Most High] said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah; even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. [Surah An-Nisaa. Ayah 135]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:

Allah commanded His servants to stand firm for justice on everyone’s behalf, whether an adversary or an ally. The matters that are most worthy of being established with justice are the declarations and methodology linked to Allah’s commands, as well as everything that Allah has stated (in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah). Therefore, to establish these affairs based on desires and disobedience is contrary to Allah’s command and a negation (either intentionally or unintentionally) of that which Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] was sent with. It is the responsibility of those entrusted with the task of conveying Islam after the death of the Messenger to establish justice, and this task cannot become a reality unless it is founded on pure justice and sincerity to Allah- (sincerity) to Allah’s Book, to Allah’s Messenger (i.e. follow him), and sincere dealings and advice when dealing with Allah’s servants. These people are the real inheritors (i.e. inheritors of the knowledge left behind by the Prophets); but not one who simply makes his companions, sect, and path the determinant of truth and the distinction between (truth and falsehood) by showing enmity to those who oppose him and allegiance to those who agree with him, based solely on being opposed or agreed with (without sound proofs based on the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah), because (then) where is the command to stand firm for justice on everyone’s behalf, despite the fact that doing so is the greatest command and obligation?!

Then Allah [The Exalted] says: [شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ – As witnesses to Allah].  A witness is someone who provides information about something; therefore, if he provides reliable information, he is a just witness, and his (statement) is accepted, however, he is a false witness if he provides false information. Allah [The Exalted] commands us to stand firm as just witnesses for His sake, thus it must be carried out for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of anybody else.

And in [Surah Al-Maa’idah Verse 8, Allah (The Exalted) said]: [كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُہَدَآءَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۖ – Stand out firmly for Allah and be just witnesses]. This Ayah outlines four matters: one should stand firm for justice and carry it out for the sake of Allah; bear witness to justice and carry it out for the sake of Allah. Then Allah said: [وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ – Even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin].

Allah [Glorified be He and free from all defects] commands us to stand steadfast for justice and testify (for or against) everyone, even if it is someone we love the most. A person should be a strong advocate for justice (for or against) himself, his two parents, his close relatives, and his best friend among the people.

If a person’s love for himself, his parents, and his relatives prevents him from standing firm for the truth, especially if the truth is with someone he despises and considers an enemy because of them, then none will stand firm for justice in such circumstances except those whose love for Allah and His Messenger outweighs their love for everyone else.

Similarly, a person must establish justice when dealing with his enemies and those who deprive him of his rights, because it is not permissible that hatred for his enemies leads him to be unjust to them, just as love for himself, his parents, and relatives should not lead him to abandon standing firmly for justice against them. As a result, hatred harboured against someone should not lead him to falsehood, and love (of himself, parents, close friends, and relatives) should not cause him to fall short of establishing truth, as some of the pious predecessors said, “The just person is that one who, when angry, his anger does not lead him to falsehood, and when he is pleased, his pleasure does not remove him from the truth. These two verses [An-Nisaa Ayah 135 and Al-Maa’idah Ayah 8] communicate two rulings: standing firm for justice and giving true testimony on behalf of one’s allies and enemies.

Then Allah [The Most High] said: [إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ – Be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you)]. That is, Allah is their Lord and Protector, and they are both His servants. It’s possible that you become scared of standing firm for justice by testifying against a rich person or a poor person, either because the rich person might lose his wealth or because the poor person has nothing, and your heart becomes apathetic towards standing firm for the truth.

As a result, they should be told, “Allah is a better Protector of both the rich and the poor. Allah is more aware of the rich person’s affairs than you are, and He is more merciful to the poor than you are, therefore, do not hold back from standing firm for truth and testifying for or against the rich or the poor”. Then Allah said: [فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ – So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice].

In other words, Allah forbids (His slaves) from pursuing desires since doing so will lead them to abandon justice. Then Allah [The Most High] said: [وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا – And if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do].

Allah [Glorified be He and free from all defects] mentions two reasons that would undoubtedly lead to the concealment of the truth, then warns against them and issues a threat: the first is distortion, and the second is turning away from providing a truthful witness.

An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim. Vol 1. Page 300-303