Bismillah
One
reason we should be fearful of committing oppression and injustice is that Allah will
always answer the supplication of an oppressed person.
Allah
will always answer the supplication of the oppressed even if the
oppressed person is an unbeliever or sinner. In Islam, justice is a
universal right for all people. People have the right to be protected in
their lives, wealth, and freedom. If we fail to fulfill their rights,
then we have surrendered our fate to their supplication.
Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ حِجَابٌ
Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and Allah. [Bukhari]
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اتَّقُوا دَعَوَاتِ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهَا تَصْعَدُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا شَرَارٌ
Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it ascends to Allah as if it were a flare. [Bukhari & Muslim]
Khuzaymah ibn Thabit reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اتَّقُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهَا تُحْمَلُ عَلَى الْغَمَامِ
يَقُولُ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلالِي لأَنْصُرَنَّكَ
وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ
Beware
of the supplication of the oppressed, for it is carried above the
clouds. Allah Almighty says: By My might and majesty, I will help you in
due time.
[al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 3718]
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتُهُمْ الصَّائِمُ حَتَّى يُفْطِرَ
وَالْإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ يَرْفَعُهَا اللَّهُ
فَوْقَ الْغَمَامِ وَيَفْتَحُ لَهَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ وَيَقُولُ
الرَّبُّ وَعِزَّتِي لَأَنْصُرَنَّكِ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ
The
supplications of three are never turned back: a fasting person until he
breaks his fast, a just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed
is raised above the clouds by Allah, the gates of heaven open for it and
the Lord says: By My might, I will surely help you in due time. [Sunan
al-Tirmidhī]
Aslam
reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed
a client of his named Hunayy to tend the pasture and he said:
يَا هُنَيُّ ضْمُمْ جَنَاحَكَ عَنِ المُسْلِمِينَ وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ المَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّ دَعْوَةَ المَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ
O
Hunayy, lower your wing for the Muslims and beware the supplication of
the oppressed, for the supplication of the oppressed is answered.”
[Bukhari]
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتَهُمُ الْإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ عَلَى
رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْوَالِدُ عَلَى وَلَدِهِ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ
Three
supplications are never turned away: a just leader for his subjects, a
parent over his child, and the supplication of the oppressed. [Musnad
ibn al-Jaʻd 2401]
If
we commit an act of injustice against someone, that person has a free
supplication they can use against us. Will they ask Allah to punish us?
Will they supplicate for evil against us? When we oppress them, we are
actually turning ourselves over to their mercy, and oppressed people are
not often interested in compassion or forgiveness for their oppressors.
On
the other hand, if we ourselves are the victims of injustice, we can
take comfort in the fact that we have a supplication that is guaranteed
to be answered. We should use it to supplicate for goodness, rather than
wasting it on vengeance.
The
supplication of an oppressed person is always answered even if that
person is an unbeliever or a sinner. Justice and the fulfillment of
human rights are to be enjoyed by all people regardless of their
religion.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اتَّقُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ وَإِنْ كَانَ كَافِرًا فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ دُونَهَا حِجَابٌ
Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, even if he is an unbeliever, for there is nothing to veil it. [Musnad Aḥmad]
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
دَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ فَاجِرًا فَفُجُورُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ
The supplication of the oppressed is answered, even if he is wicked, for only his wickedness is against himself. [Musnad Aḥmad]
A
person’s religion or personal sins, then, are no excuse to unjustly
harm them in any way. Islam exalts justice as a universal value through
which human beings must relate to one another and forbids the oppression
of all people.
Allah said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي
الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ
يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Verily,
Allah orders justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives and He
forbids immorality, bad conduct, and transgression. He admonishes you
that perhaps you will be reminded.
[Quran, al-Nahl 16:90]
And Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ
بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا
تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ
اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
O
you who believe, be persistently standing firm for Allah, as witnesses
in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being
just. Be just, for that is nearer to righteousness. Fear Allah, for
Allah is aware of what you do.
[Quran, al-Ma’idah 5:8]
Al-Qurtubi commented on this verse, writing:
وَدَلَّتِ الْآيَةُ أَيْضًا عَلَى أَنَّ كُفْرَ الْكَافِرِ لَا يَمْنَعُ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ عَلَيْهِ
This verse shows that the unbelief of the unbeliever does not prevent him from enjoying justice. [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī 6/110]
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
قال الله تبارك وتعالى يَا عِبَادِي إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الظُّلْمَ عَلَى
نَفْسِي وَجَعَلْتُهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مُحَرَّمًا فَلَا تَظَالَمُوا
Allah
Almighty said: O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and
I have forbidden it among you, so do not oppress one another. [Muslim]
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Beware of committing oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. [Muslim]
The
strength of the Muslim community is in its care for the natural rights
of everyone including the weak, the wicked, and the hated. Justice is
the true metric by which Allah supports or rejects a community. If our
community is weak, then we must critically examine our failure to
fulfill justice.
And Allah knows best
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wasahbihi wasallam
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