Beware of All Forms of Oppression

 

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:

Linguistically, the word zulm (oppression) means putting something in improper place, and it is of three types:

The First Type: The first is zulm between the slave and his Lord; and this is done by committing shirk, and Allaah will not forgive it. The Most High said:

إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

“Verily! Joining others in worship with Allaah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.” [Soorah Luqmaan: 13] . Allaah the most High also said:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ

“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)…” [Soorah al-An’aam: 82] meaning shirk. Allaah will not forgive this except with repentance.

The Second Type: The second type is zulm between the slave and himself, and this is done by committing sins and evil deeds. He is the one who wronged himself with regard to what is less than shirk. Allaah – blessed and exalted be He – will forgive whomsoever He wishes of this sin. Allaah said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ

 “Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases…” [Soorah An-Nisaa’: 48]

The Third Type: The third type is oppression between a person and the people by transgressing against them concerning their property, honour and blood. Allaah will not forgive such a person unless the oppressed ones pardon him, otherwise the oppressed must retaliate upon the oppressor [on the Day of Resurrection], because the right of the creature cannot be waived except through forgiveness or fulfillment.

Allaah the Most High has restrained oppression from Himself because it does not befit Him – blessed and exalted be He -. He will not punish anyone without his action and He will never punish anyone except based on what he has done. This is justice. But if He were to punish him for something he did not do, this would be oppression; and Allaah is free from it based on His saying: “I have restrained oppression from Myself…”

Al-Minhatur-Rabbaniyyah fee Sharh al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, p. 196 by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan. Translated by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam