Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. Only Allah gives them respite until the day when their eyes will stare in horror. They will be rushing forward with necks outstretched, their heads will be raised up (towards the sky), their gaze will not turn towards them, and their hearts will be empty (because of fear).Abu Musa Asha'ri narrated that Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer. But when He seizes him, He does not let him escape." Then he (pbuh) recited: "Such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (populations of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His seizure is painful and severe."
Our topic today, Allah willing, is the prohibition of wrongdoing and oppression. This topic includes the following:
- The definition the oppression
- The types of oppression
- The punishment for the oppressor
Oppression means to wrong someone with regard to his or her money or honor, or to place something besides its due place. It is abandoning truth and justice, and replacing truth and justice with falsehood. Oppression is the opposite of justice.
Oppression has many faces; all of them are forbidden. The most prominent kinds of oppression are these three.
The first kind of oppression is the oppression of the self in regard to the relationship with Allah. This includes associating partners with Allah, disbelief, hypocrisy, and showing off. People wrong themselves when they associate partners with Allah, because Allah has created us and provided us with the provisions necessary for life. Also, Allah gave us all the blessings, and only Allah has the power to remove inflictions from us.
Allah, in the Holy Qur'an, quotes Luqman as he advised his son in 31:13
(Remember) when Luqman was advising his son, he said to him: "O my son! Do not join in worship others with Allah, Indeed, joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong.Abdullah ibn Masud narrated when the verse that states "those who believe and do not confuse their belief with wrong-doings" was revealed, it was hard on the companions of Muhammad (pbuh). They said, "Who among us has not done wrong to himself?" So, Muhammad (pbuh) said, "It is not what you are thinking; it is what Luqman said to his son: 'O my son! Do not join in worship others with Allah. Indeed, joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong.'" Ibn Taymiyya said, "Oneness of Allah (Tawheed) is the core of the religion, and the highest justice; its opposite is associating partners with Allah (shirk), and that is the highest wrongdoing." And that is why associating partners with Allah is the worst form of oppression. Associating partners with Allah does not just mean polytheism. It includes disbelief, hypocrisy, and showing off, among others.
Abdullah ibn Umer narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) was asked, "Which is the highest of sins?" He (pbuh) said, "That you set up equals with Allah, while He has created you." Umer said, "This is truly a great sin; which one is next?" He (pbuh) said, "That you kill your progeny fearing that they will share your provisions." Umer said, "Which one is next?" He (pbuh) said, "That you establish illicit relations with your neighbor's wife."
The second kind of oppression is the oppression against other people. Allah says in 42:42
The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress people and rebel in the earth without right. It is they who will have a painful punishment.Adh-Dhahabi said, "Wrongdoing and oppression include devouring people's wealth and taking it by way of wrong, and hitting and abusing others, and excesses committed by the powerful against the weak." So, if a strong person oppresses the weak, Allah will soon avenge the weak. And if a ruler oppresses the people, betrays the trust, and uses violence against the people, Allah will soon avenge the people.
Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Allah will reckon every care-taker for what was entrusted to him, whether he upheld the trust or lost it, until a man will be asked about his family." Muhammad (pbuh) also said, "Every chief who was entrusted with ten people, he will be brought in chains on the Day of Judgment. Either his justice will free him, or his injustice and oppression will destroy him." So, if a ruler oppresses his people, and is unjust, he will be brought in chains on the Day of Judgment, and put in the Hellfire. And if Hellfire is the fate for an oppressor of ten people, how about a ruler over ten million? Furthermore, Muhammad (pbuh) said, "A custodian who betrays people in his custody will be in the Hellfire." Therefore, a ruler who betrays his people and usurps their rights will be in the Hellfire.
Abdullah ibn Umer ibn Al-As narrated that a man named Kirkirah, who was in charge of the personal effects of Muhammad (pbuh) passed away, and Muhammad (pbuh) said, "He is in the (Hell) fire.' Some people went to the house of Kirkirah to find the cause for his punishment, and they found therein a striped woolen cloak that Kirkirah had dishonestly appropriated. Brothers and sisters, if Kirkirah entered Hellfire because he stole a cloak, what about those who misappropriate the wealth of their subjects, deny the people their rights, and subjugate them with the military?
The third kind of oppression is when a person wrongs him or herself by committing sins and violating the prohibitions. These actions cause people to enter into Hellfire on the Day of Judgment (Allah forbid)!
Among them there are some who wrong their own selves.Each of these three kinds of oppressions will lead the oppressors to Hellfire.
Dear brothers and sisters, since oppression and wrongdoing are prohibited and are categorized as major sins, what is the punishment of the wrongdoer in this world and in the Hereafter? Also, what are the hazards of oppression?
Scholars have counted many hazards of oppression. The important ones among them are the following:
1. Oppression will generate darkness on the Day of Judgment. Jabir narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Beware of wrongdoing. Verily, wrongdoing will be a darkness on the Day of Judgment."
Qadhi Ayadh said that "wrongdoing will spread darkness over the wrongdoer, and he will not find his way, just as the light of the believers will brighten the way ahead and behind them."
2. Among the hazards of oppression is that it destroyed the nations before us. Allah says in 10:13, "Indeed, Allah has destroyed generations before you when they did wrong while their messengers came to them with clear proofs." Ibn Sa'adi said, "Allah informed us about previous generations who were destroyed because of their wrongdoings and disbelief, after their prophets conveyed lawful and unlawful to them. When they did not pay any heed, and refused to believe, their punishment was delivered to them, a punishment that is not turned away from the wrongdoers who do not uphold Allah's commandments regarding lawful and unlawful."
3. Among the hazards of oppression is that Allah accepts the prayers of the oppressed and does not respond to the supplication of the oppressor. Abu Hurairah answered that Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Three kinds of supplications are definitely answered: supplication of the oppressed, supplication of the traveler, and supplication of a father against his son."
4. Among the hazards of oppression is that Allah has cursed the wrongdoers. Allah says in 11:18, "No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers." So, the wrongdoers are cursed until they repent and give up their wrongdoings. Meaning they are away from the mercy of Allah, to Whom all praise and glory is due.
5. Among the hazards of oppression is that the oppressor is given respite by Allah to allow him to repent, but when Allah's punishment seizes him, then he has no escape. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Verily, Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer. But when He seizes him, He does not let him escape." Then he recited, "Such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His seizure is painful and severe." Al-Qurtubi said, "Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer; He gives him good health, and abundance of wealth and children to increase his wrong, as Allah has said, 'Only Allah gives respite to them so that they may add more sins'. When their oppression reaches its limits, Allah seizes them and then they have no escape.
A tyrant of a ruler may last for three years or thirty years, he may have lots of children and good health, but it is only to add to his crimes, and it is not a sign of the love or mercy of Allah.
6. Among the hazards of oppression is that the oppressor is denied any good in the Hereafter. Allah says, "Surely, the wrongdoers will not attain success." Ibn Sa'adi said, "A wrongdoer may enjoy a good life but his end is failure."
7. Among the hazards of oppression is that the wrongdoer is denied all guidance and the ability to benefit from it. Allah says, "Surely, Allah does not guide the wrongdoers." When we recite surah Al-Fatiha in the prayer and ask Allah, "Guide us to the right way," the wrongdoers and oppressors do not benefit from this request. So, whoever desires his supplication to be accepted by Allah, he or she should quit oppression and wrongdoing.
8. Among the hazards of oppression is the removal of Allah's love. Allah says, "Surely, Allah does not like the wrongdoers."
9. Among the hazards of oppression are trials in this world and punishment in the grave. Allah says in 52:47, "Surely, for those who do wrong, there is punishment (in this world and in the grave) besides this (punishment in the hereafter), but most of them do not know." Ibn Sa'adi said, "Allah has informed us that wrongdoers receive punishment in addition to punishment in the hereafter, and that includes punishment in the world and in the grave."
10. Among the hazards of oppression is that the wrongdoer will not find any friend or intercessor on the Day of Judgment. Allah says in 40:18, "the wrongdoers will have neither friend nor intercessor who could be given attention". Ibn Taiymiyya said, "The wrongdoer will neither find a friend to save himself from Allah's punishment on the Day of Judgment, nor find an intercessor to assist him, because of his wrongdoings and oppression."
Furthermore, Muhammad (pbuh) said, "He who was entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims, and he neglected their complaints, their need, their poverty, and their hunger, Allah will neglect his complaints, his need, his poverty, and his hunger on the Day of Judgment."
Abu Huraira narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "He who has done a wrong affect his brother's honor or anything else must ask his forgiveness for it today before the time (the Day of Judgment) when he will have neither dinar nor dirham. If he has done some good deeds, a portion equal to his wrongdoings will be subtracted from them, but if he has no good deeds, he will be burdened with the evil deeds of the one he had wronged in the same proportion.
Dear brothers and sisters, I advise you and myself to repent from all wrongdoing and oppression, and to adopt the quality of justice. A husband should not oppress his wife, and a wife should not oppress her husband. Similarly, a father should not oppress his daughter, and a ruler should not oppress the people under her rule. Anyone who has done so must repent and ask Allah's forgiveness.
Allah says in 4:110
Whoever does evil or wrongs against his own soul then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.And Allah knows best.
