Oppression and its bad consequences

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Of the great sins which Allah forbade His Servants to do and fixed a certain punishment for them in this world and in the Hereafter is oppression. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Consider not that Allâh is unaware of that which the Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers) do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror." [Surat Ibrahim: 42].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "These are their houses in utter ruin, for they did wrong. Verily, in this is indeed an Ayâh (a lesson or a sign) for a people who know." [Surat An-Naml: 52].

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "O My Servants, I have prohibited injustice for Myself and have made oppression unlawful for you, so do not oppress one another." [1]

Oppression is divided into three types:

The first type is: Oppressing oneself by disbelief, polytheism, and hypocrisy. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allâh), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided." [Surat Al An`am: 82].

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their Sahih from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud that he said: When the following Ayah was revealed: "It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allâh), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided." [Surat Al An`am: 82]. It was very hard for the companions of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) so they said: Who amongst us (is so fortunate) that he does not wrong himself? Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: It does not mean that which you presume. Do not you hear Luqman's statement to his son: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allâh. Verily joining others in worship with Allâh is a great Zûlm (wrong) indeed." [Surat Luqman: 13].[2]

The doer of this type of oppression is not forgiven if he dies as such, but he is cursed and expelled from the mercy of Allah as mentioned in the Qur'an and on the tongue of His Messenger (peace be upon him); Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "No doubt! the curse of Allâh is on the Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers, oppressors)." [Surat Hud: 18].

The second type is: Injustice between a servant and the people which has many forms:

Eating people's money falsely, unjustly, and aggressively such as devoring the orphan's property or not giving the labors their wages, decreasing them, stealing, cheating, or dealing with usury, etc. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And eat up not one another's property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 188].

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of injustice, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection." [3]

Showing aggression against Muslims' lands. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever usurps even one span of the land of somebody, his neck will be encircled with it down the seven earths." [4]

Of which is opressing people by killing, imprisonment, beating, insulting, and torturing. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There are two types of people who will be punished in Hell and whom I have not seen: Men having whips like the tails of cows and they will be beating people with them." [5]

The displacement and violation of sanctity which the Jews practice against our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine is the greatest proof to oppression, no wonder because they are the killers of the Prophets (peace be upon them). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Indeed, Allâh has heard the statement of those (Jews) who say: "Truly, Allâh is poor and we are rich!" We shall record what they have said and their killing of the Prophets unjustly, and We shall say: "Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire)."" [Surat Al `Imran: 181].

Of which: Accusating others of defects that they do not have. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And whoever earns a fault or a sin and then throws it on to someone innocent, he has indeed burdened himself with falsehood and a manifest sin." [Surat An-Nisa': 112].

Of which: Procrastination (delay) in paying debts by a wealthy man. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Procrastination (delay) in paying debts by a wealthy man is injustice."[6]

So, whoever is indebted to a man and could render the debt, it is not permissible for him to delay it because this is part of oppression.

Of which: Oppressing women by taking their dowery, alimony, and clothes or usurping their monies. So, whoever commits something of these actions should hasten to repentance and returning to Allah (may He be Exalted), and he should not be deceived by the delay of Allah to his punishment, for Allah grants respite but does not neglect.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Abu Musa Al Ash`ary who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He takes him over, He never releases him." Then he recited: "Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful, (and) severe."" [Surat Hud: 102]. [7]

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Abu Bakrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There is no wrong action which Allah (may He be Exalted) is swifter to punish in this world in addition to the punishment which He has stored up for the wrongdoer in the Next World than injustice and cutting off ties of kinship."

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: "People did not disagree that the consequence of oppression is bad, whereas the consequence of justice is good. It was reported that Allah provides victory for the just country even if it is a disbeliever and does not provide victory for the unjust country even if it is a Muslim."[8]

The invocation of the oppressed is answered as was reported in the Hadith which Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Three people will not be rejected their invocations: The one who fasts, at the time he takes iftar, the imam who is just and the oppressed, when he prays, Allah raises his prayer above the clouds and gates of heaven are opened for him and the Lord says: "By My Honor, I will surely help you though after sometime." [9]

Nowadays we see that those oppressors fall one after another, their glory has finished, their authorities were removed, and they became deplorable. Allah has said the truth when He said: "How many of gardens and springs that they [Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people] left behind, * And green crops (fields) and goodly places, * And comforts of life wherein they used to take delight! * Thus (it was)! And We made other people inherit them (i.e., We made the Children of Israel to inherit the kingdom of Egypt)." [Surat Ad-Dukhan: 25 - 28].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Then take admonition, O you with eyes (to see)." [Surat Al Hashr: 2].

The third type is: Oppressing oneself by committing sins and faults. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Then We gave the Book (the Qur'ân) as inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose (the followers of Muhammad peace be upon him). Then of them are some who wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are, by Allâh's Leave, foremost in good deeds. That (inheritance of the Qur'ân) - that is indeed the great grace." [Surat Fatir: 32].

Allah (may He be Exalted) said about his Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him)

"He said: "My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, so forgive me." Then He forgave him. Verily, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." [Surat Al Qasas: 16].

This type of oppression which contains sins and faults that did not reach the stage of polytheism will make its doer under the will of Allah, He may either punish him or forgive and cover him.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Ibn `Umar that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His Screen and ask him: Did you commit such-and-such sins? Did you commit such-and-such sins? He will say: Yes, my Lord. Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess all his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will say: I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today. Then, he will be given the book of his good deeds in his right hand. As for the infidels and hypocrites (their evil acts will be exposed publicly) and the witnesses will say: "These are the ones who lied against their Lord! No doubt! the curse of Allâh is on the Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers, oppressors)." [Surat Hud: 18]. [10]

It is obligatory on a believer to free himself from the rights of others before the Day of Recompense where there is no Dirham nor Dinar, but there are only good deeds and bad deeds. Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him."[11]

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions!