It is Forbidden for a Ruler to Commit Oppression Against His People
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
➊ ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ﴾ [al-Nisāʾ: 40]
"Indeed, Allah does not wrong even by the weight of an atom."
➋ ﴿وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًا كَبِيرًا﴾ [al-Furqān: 19]
"And whoever among you commits oppression, We shall make him taste a great punishment."
➌ ﴿فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۚ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ [al-Anʿām: 45]
"So the roots of the people who wronged were cut off. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
➍ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ﴾ [al-Nisāʾ: 168]
"Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit oppression – Allah will never forgive them."
➎ ﴿وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ﴾ [Hūd: 113]
"And do not incline towards those who commit oppression, lest the Fire should touch you."
➏ Narration of Abū Dharr (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reported from his Lord that Allah ﷻ said:
«يا عبادي إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي ، وجعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا»
"O My servants! Indeed, I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another."
References: [Muslim: 2577, Kitāb al-Birr wa’l-Ṣilah; Tirmidhī: 2495; Ibn Mājah: 4257]
➐ Narration of Jābir (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«اتقوا الظلم ، فإن الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة ، واتقوا الشح فإن الشح أهلك من كان قبلكم ، حملهم على أن سفكوا دماءهم واستحلوا محارمهم»
"Beware of oppression, for oppression will be layers of darkness on the Day of Judgment. And beware of greed, for greed destroyed those before you, driving them to shed blood and violate what was sacred."
Reference: [Muslim: 2578, Kitāb al-Birr wa’l-Ṣilah]
➑ Narration of Ibn ʿUmar (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة»
"Oppression will be darkness upon darkness on the Day of Judgment."
References: [Bukhārī: 2447, Kitāb al-Maẓālim; Muslim: 2579; Tirmidhī: 2030]
➒ Narration of Abū Hurayrah (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إياكم والظلم ، فإن الظلم هو الظلمات يوم القيامة»
"Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Judgment."
References: [Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb: 2217; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6215; Ḥākim: 1/11]
➓ Narration of Ibn Masʿūd (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لا تظلموا فتدعوا فلا يستجاب لكم وتستسقوا فلا تسقوا وتستنصروا فلا تنصروا»
"Do not commit oppression, lest you supplicate and your supplication not be answered, lest you ask for rain and you are not given it, and lest you seek help but you are not aided."
Reference: [al-Targhīb wa’l-Tarhīb: 3282; Ṭabarānī in al-Awsaṭ]
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Qur’anic Warnings Against Oppression
➊ ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ﴾ [al-Nisāʾ: 40]
"Indeed, Allah does not wrong even by the weight of an atom."
➋ ﴿وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًا كَبِيرًا﴾ [al-Furqān: 19]
"And whoever among you commits oppression, We shall make him taste a great punishment."
➌ ﴿فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۚ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ [al-Anʿām: 45]
"So the roots of the people who wronged were cut off. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
➍ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ﴾ [al-Nisāʾ: 168]
"Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit oppression – Allah will never forgive them."
➎ ﴿وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ﴾ [Hūd: 113]
"And do not incline towards those who commit oppression, lest the Fire should touch you."
❖ Prophetic Warnings Against Oppression
➏ Narration of Abū Dharr (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reported from his Lord that Allah ﷻ said:
«يا عبادي إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي ، وجعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا»
"O My servants! Indeed, I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another."
References: [Muslim: 2577, Kitāb al-Birr wa’l-Ṣilah; Tirmidhī: 2495; Ibn Mājah: 4257]
➐ Narration of Jābir (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«اتقوا الظلم ، فإن الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة ، واتقوا الشح فإن الشح أهلك من كان قبلكم ، حملهم على أن سفكوا دماءهم واستحلوا محارمهم»
"Beware of oppression, for oppression will be layers of darkness on the Day of Judgment. And beware of greed, for greed destroyed those before you, driving them to shed blood and violate what was sacred."
Reference: [Muslim: 2578, Kitāb al-Birr wa’l-Ṣilah]
➑ Narration of Ibn ʿUmar (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة»
"Oppression will be darkness upon darkness on the Day of Judgment."
References: [Bukhārī: 2447, Kitāb al-Maẓālim; Muslim: 2579; Tirmidhī: 2030]
➒ Narration of Abū Hurayrah (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إياكم والظلم ، فإن الظلم هو الظلمات يوم القيامة»
"Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Judgment."
References: [Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb: 2217; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6215; Ḥākim: 1/11]
➓ Narration of Ibn Masʿūd (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لا تظلموا فتدعوا فلا يستجاب لكم وتستسقوا فلا تسقوا وتستنصروا فلا تنصروا»
"Do not commit oppression, lest you supplicate and your supplication not be answered, lest you ask for rain and you are not given it, and lest you seek help but you are not aided."
Reference: [al-Targhīb wa’l-Tarhīb: 3282; Ṭabarānī in al-Awsaṭ]
