Oppression (in Arabic) comes from the word (ุธูู
). Dhulm means to put something where it does not belong. So, sin (because it places a personโs nature where it should not be, sinful) is a form of oppression; as is associating partners with God (since the norm is to worship God alone).
However, in this article I will address injustice and oppression amongst people: a person transgressing the rights of others through environmental injustice by torture, injury or death, economic injustice by force, plunder or theft or personal injustice by shaming, intimidating or false accusations.
ููุง ุชูุธูููู
ูููู ููููุง ุชูุธูููู
ูููู (279)
ุฑูุจููููุง ุฃูุฎูุฑูุฌูููุง ู
ููู ููุฐููู ุงููููุฑูููุฉู ุงูุธููุงููู
ู ุฃูููููููุง ููุงุฌูุนูู ููููุง ู
ููู ููุฏููููู ูููููููุง ููุงุฌูุนูู ููููุง ู
ููู ููุฏููููู ููุตููุฑูุง (75) }
ุนูุทููู ุนูููู ุงุณูู
ู ุงูููููู ุนูุฒูู ููุฌููููุ ุฃููู ููููู ุณูุจูููู ุงููู
ูุณูุชูุถูุนููููููุ ููุฅูููู ุฎูููุงุตู ุงููู
ูุณูุชูุถูุนูููููู ู
ููู ุณูุจูููู ุงูููููู.
(ูููููููุง) ุฃููู ู
ููู ููุณูุชูููููุฐูููุง (ููุงุฌูุนููู ูููุง ู
ููู ููุฏููููู ููุตููุฑุงู) ุฃููู ููุตุฑูุง ุนูููู
ููุงุฌูุจู ุนูููู ุงููููุงุณู ุฃููู ููููุฏููุง ุงููุฃูุณูุงุฑูู ุจูุฌูู
ููุนู ุฃูู
ูููุงููููู
ู
While the harm injustice and oppression cause is apparent to most people, where they differ is the degree win which they oppose it. Consider the pagan Qurโeish: consistently rocked by large numbers of claimants to power, and those claimants continued jockeying for authority, they were left with no central authority to settle their disputes. As a response, they allied (ุญูู ุงููุถูู) in the home of โAbdullah bin Jadโan to collectively repel injustice and intervene to protect the oppressed. The Prophet (sa) witnessed that alliance as a young man. After he became a prophet and settled in Medina, he said,
ููููุฏู ุญูุถูุฑูุชู ููู ุฏูุงุฑู ุงุจููู ุฌูุฏูุนูุงูู ุญูููููุง ูููู ุฏูุนููุชู ุฅููููููู ุงููุขูู ููุฃูุฌูุจูุชู
โI witnessed in the home of โAbdullah bin Jadโan alliance. If I were called to join something similar to in Islam, I would accept.โ
Ibn al-Athir mentions that they named it the alliance of virtues, honoring an ancient association of the same name, which took place at a time when the Meccans stood united for justice and the defense of the marginalized. Imam Fayruzabadi wrote that they gave it that name because each of its participants swore that they would not allow another person to use his status (fall) to oppress another person.
Once Islam arrived, it made opposition to oppression as one of its aims. The Prophet (sa) further emphasized that when he said, โFear committing oppression because oppression will bring oppression In the Hereafter.โ The ancient Arabs used to say, โHelp you, brother, if he is oppressed.โ The Prophet (sa) added, โHelp you, brother, if he is oppressed or an oppressor.โ He (sa) was asked, โWe can help an oppressed person, but how do we help an oppressor?โ The Prophet (sa) clarified that saying, โStop him from his oppression, even if you have to take him by his hand. That is how you help him.โ
The early Caliphs of Islam would confront oppression and injustice head-on. However, during the reign of the first four Caliphs injustice was handled largely by reminding people of their responsibility to God. But, as the Muslim empire grew, the number of Muslims swelled, and life became more complicated. Thus, during the reign of Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, he chose a day to listen to the concerns of the oppressed. If their concerns were problematic or required a judgment, he sent them to al-Qadi Abu Idris al-Awaydai.
During the reign of โUmar bin โAbd al-Aziz after Sulayman bin โAbd al-Malik was buried, Caliph โUmar sat and had a caller inform the people that anyone mistreated by Sulayman should make their claim. By the time he was done, everything acquired by Sulayman and his family (The Umayyads) unjustly was returned. Such that a friend said to โUmar bin โAbd al-Aziz, โDo you not fear the wrath of those youโve punished?โ He responded, โEach day that I fear their wrath instead of the wrath of the Hereafter,
Then the Abbasi Caliph came to power, and it continued that tradition with al-Mahdi, then al-Hadi, then Rashid, the al-Mamun until the reign of al-Muhtadi in the year two hundred and fifty-five after the Migration of the Prophet (sa). It did not stop them, but because of volume, the state delegated the responsibility to judges who appointed case workers who could look into the claims each day. Eventually, these cases were taken to the high court where they were settled.
ุฃู ุงูุฃู
ูุฑ ููุญ ุจู (ุฃุณุฏ) ุฃุญุฏ ุงูููุงุฉ ุนูู ู
ุง ูุฑุงุก ุงูููุฑ ุูู
ุง ูุฑุถ ุงูุฎุฑุงุฌ ุนูู ุฃูู ุณู
ุฑููุฏ ุุจุนุซ ุจุฑูุฏุง ุงูููู
ุจุฐูู ุ ูุฃุญุถุฑ ุฃู
ูุฑ ุณู
ุฑููุฏ ุงูุฃุฆู
ุฉ ูุงูู
ุดุงูุฎ ูุฃุนูุงู ุงูุจูุฏ ููุฑุฃ ุนูููู
ุงููุชุงุจ ุููุงู ุงููููู ุฃุจู ู
ูุตูุฑ ุงูู
ุงุชุฑูุฏู: ูุฏ ุฃุฏูุช ุฑุณุงูุฉ ุงูุฃู
ูุฑ ูุงุฑุฏุฏ ุฅููู ุงูุฌูุงุจ ููู ูู: ุฒุฏูุง ุธูู
ุง ุญุชู ูุฒูุฏ ูู ุฏุนุงุก ุงูููู ุุซู
ุชูุฑููุงุ
ููู
ุชุฐูุจ ุฅูุง ุฃูุงู
ุญุชู ูุฌุฏูู ูุชููุง ุ ููู ุจุทูู ุฒุฌูู ุฑู
ุญ ู
ูุชูุจ ุนููู :
ุจุบู ูููุจูู ุณูููููุงู
ู ุชูุชูููููุธุฑ......ุฃุชุชู ู
ู ุฃูุฏู ุงูู
ููุงูุง ูุงููููุฏูุฑู
ุณูุงู
ุฃูุฏู ุงููุงูุชุงุช ูู ุงูุณุญุฑ......ูุฑู
ูู ุนู ููุณ ููุง ุงูููู ูุชูุฑู
There are numerous examples of leaders who opposed injustice in Islamic history. I would like to mention one noteworthy example here. Once a man came to the court of al-Mansur ibn abi โAmir, claiming that one of al-Mansurโs servants had wronged him. He expressed that he had the man subpoenaed by the court, but he refused to come. Al-Mansur turned to his servant, ordering him to go and stand with the man making the claims. There, in front of al-Mansur, the case was heard. After it was over, the Caliph ordered the servant taken away to โThe person in charged of the oppressed,โ sentenced and removed from his post. That was in Spain, al-Andalus. What is remarkable is that there was a person, โIn charge of the affairs of the oppressed.โ
During the Caliphate of โAbd al-Rahman al-Nasir, the Caliph was looking to purchase some property. He approached al-Qadi Mundhir bin Saโid al-Buluti, offering to purchase an orphanage attached to al-Bulutiโs home. The Qadi noted that the house was in excellent condition and that the Orphans were financially well off (Implying that the price would not be low): โIf you offer them a price that will make them happy, I will command the person in charge of their trust to sell it to you.โ The Caliph balked, refusing to offer even fair price. Al-Buluti, fearing that the Caliph would try to usurp the property, had it demolished, selling what was left over for an excellent amount: enough to suffice the orphans. When the Caliph inquired why, al-Buluti read the verse,
โRegarding the boat, it belonged to a group of poor sailors, so I decided to damage it because there was a king chasing them who had taken previous boats for plunder.โ Qurโan 18-79
Sheikh Hamuda al-Rikli was a scholar from Tunis. During hit time, the government of Tunis was kind to scholars, keeping them close to power, showing them with patronage and doing what every it could to keep them happy. One night, he was sitting the president of Tunis who said, โThe kings before us killed scholars, but we honor them and bring them close to power.โ Sheikh Hamuda responded, โThis reality is clear: The kings of old committed atrocities, the scholars repudiated them, so they killed those scholars. We are quiet because of your patronage so why would you kill us?โ The leader became upset, returned to his quarters and ordered all the scholars to return to their homes to save Sheikh Hamuda. As they left, they were certain that Sheikh Hamuda would be punished. After a little while, the leader came out, thanked the sheik for his honesty and gifted him a private car.
Abu Bakr TarTusha advised the leader of the Andalusian army, โFix the barrier by helping the oppressed.โ And Salim bin โAbdullah sent a letter to โUmar bin โAbd al-Aziz saying, โIf you can, come off the last day without any oppressed person making a claim against you.โ
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