Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
وعن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فيما يرويه عن ربه قال:
يا عبادي إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي وجعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا
[أخرجه مسلم]
Narrated by Abū Dharr (رضي الله عنه): He reported from the Prophet ﷺ, among the sayings he related from his Lord, that He said:
“O My servants! I have made oppression forbidden upon Myself and have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.”
(Related by Muslim)
Authentication and References:
➊ Allah Does Not Commit Injustice
In this noble Hadith, Allah Himself declares that He has prohibited injustice upon Himself, and has also prohibited it among His servants.
This foundational principle is reinforced throughout the Qur’an:
وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا
[Al-Kahf: 49]
“And your Lord does not wrong anyone.”
وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
[Qāf: 29]
“And I am not unjust to the servants.”
Some might raise a misconception regarding the verse:
وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ — “I am not a great oppressor of the servants.”
Does this suggest He could commit a small amount of injustice? Absolutely not.
The answer lies in another verse:
وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
[Āl ʿImrān: 108]
“And Allah does not intend injustice for the worlds.”
Hence, Allah not only abstains from committing injustice, but He does not even will it in the slightest form.
So, if He doesn't will even the least amount of injustice, how could He ever be described as ظالم (an oppressor), let alone as ظلام (a severe oppressor)?
The use of the exaggerated form ظلام (severe wrongdoer) in the Qur’an serves to emphasize the impossibility of any form of injustice by Allah—minor or major.
This form of negation in Arabic conveys that no degree of the attribute exists in the subject being described.
For further discussion on the definition of injustice and its types, refer to Hadith no. 1397/3 of this chapter.
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
Hadith Reference:
وعن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فيما يرويه عن ربه قال:
يا عبادي إني حرمت الظلم على نفسي وجعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا
[أخرجه مسلم]
Narrated by Abū Dharr (رضي الله عنه): He reported from the Prophet ﷺ, among the sayings he related from his Lord, that He said:
“O My servants! I have made oppression forbidden upon Myself and have made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.”
(Related by Muslim)

- [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Birr wa al-Ṣilah / 55]
- Also see: Tuhfat al-Ashrāf [9/169]
✦ Key Lessons and Benefits
➊ Allah Does Not Commit Injustice
In this noble Hadith, Allah Himself declares that He has prohibited injustice upon Himself, and has also prohibited it among His servants.
This foundational principle is reinforced throughout the Qur’an:
وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا
[Al-Kahf: 49]
“And your Lord does not wrong anyone.”
وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
[Qāf: 29]
“And I am not unjust to the servants.”
Does this imply that Allah (نعوذ بالله) might commit a little injustice?
Some might raise a misconception regarding the verse:
وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ — “I am not a great oppressor of the servants.”
Does this suggest He could commit a small amount of injustice? Absolutely not.

وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
[Āl ʿImrān: 108]
“And Allah does not intend injustice for the worlds.”
Hence, Allah not only abstains from committing injustice, but He does not even will it in the slightest form.
So, if He doesn't will even the least amount of injustice, how could He ever be described as ظالم (an oppressor), let alone as ظلام (a severe oppressor)?
The use of the exaggerated form ظلام (severe wrongdoer) in the Qur’an serves to emphasize the impossibility of any form of injustice by Allah—minor or major.
This form of negation in Arabic conveys that no degree of the attribute exists in the subject being described.
