Justice puts things in their proper places; generosity takes them out of their course.
العدل يضع الأمور مواضعها، والجود يخرجها من جهتها
Al-ʿadlu yaḍaʿu al-umūra mawāḍiʿahā, wa al-jūdu yukhrijuhā min jihatihā
Ali, Nahj al-Balagha, saying 437 (Subhi Salih edition, p. 553; saying 437 in the Abduh edition). Nahj al-Balagha is a compilation without chains of transmission by al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 1015).
They asked Ali:
Which is higher, justice or generosity?
Justice, he said.
For it puts everything in its place.
Generosity takes a thing from its place and gives it to another.
Generosity benefits one person.
Justice, everyone.
The scale comes before the open hand.