Stand against Oppression: Unheard is Heard by Allah
- Apr 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 11
Standing up for Justice in Islam is not just limited to politics, rather this includes standing up for justice even if it is from your own parents who abuse you, relatives, community, friend groups, work place, family and spouse. Those who are to tolerate this abuse are known as enablers.
This post will consist mainly of evidences collected by us, with some commentary, from a variety of books including the Quran, Hadith, from the Ulama and Salaf. These are clear in meaning within it self.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ٨
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allāh, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is [fully] Aware of what you do. - (Quran 5:8)
Imam al-Qurtubi commented:
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
Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Beware of committing oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. - Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2578
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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. - Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2577
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.- (Quran 16:90)
قال ابن تيمية رحمه الله قيل إنَّ اللَّهَ يُقِيمُ الدَّوْلَةَ الْعَادِلَةَ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ كَافِرَةً وَلَا يُقِيمُ الظَّالِمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُسْلِمَةً ويقال الدُّنْيَا تَدُومُ مَعَ الْعَدْلِ وَالْكُفْرِ وَلَا تَدُومُ مَعَ الظُّلْمِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ 1/29 الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر لابن تيمية
🎓 Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “It is said that Allah allows the just state to remain even if it is led by unbelievers, but Allah will not allow the oppressive state to remain even if it is led by Muslims. And it is said that the world will endure with justice and unbelief, but it will not endure with oppression and Islam.” - al-Amr bil Ma’rūf 1/29
عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ غُلَامًا لِي فَسَمِعْتُ مِنْ خَلْفِي صَوْتًا اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَمَا لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ 1659 صحيح مسلم كتاب الأيمان باب صحبة المماليك وكفارة من لطم عبده
Abu Mas’ud reported: I was beating a servant-boy of mine when I heard a voice from behind me, “Know, O Abu Mas’ud, that Allah has more power over you than you have over him.” I turned around and it was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have freed him for the sake of Allah.” The Prophet said, “If you had not done so, you would have been burnt in the Hellfire.”- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1659
The Dua of the oppressed is answered:
Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 - Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4347,
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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. - al-Mustadrak ‘alá al-Ṣaḥīḥayn 81
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 3598
Aslam reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed a client of his named Hunayy to tend the pasture, saying:
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. - Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3059,
The Dua being answered is not just limited to believers, rather the fact it is oppression it disregards whether one is a non-believer or a sinner. As Allah is the Most Just and some of his other Attributes are not just limited to the Believers in this Dunya.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 block it. - Musnad Aḥmad 12549
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 8795
🎓 Wahb Ibn Munabih narrated, "A tyrant king had built a palace for himself. Later, a poor old woman came and made a small hut of twigs beside the palace to reside therein. One day, while the king was wandering round the palace, he saw the hut. Angrily, he asked his servants, "Whose hut is this?" Once he was informed that it was owned by a poor woman, he gave a command to remove it. As the poor woman came and saw her hut in ruins, she questioned with sorrow, "Who has demolished my hut?" She was answered, "It was the king". At this moment she directed her face forward the sky and invoked Allah, saying, "O Lord! I was actually absent (when my hut was destroyed) but You are never absent!" At the time of her Du 'a' Allah revealed to Gabriel to turn the palace upside down."- al-Kaba'ir adh-Dhahabi
The Compensation for the Oppressed on the Day of Judgement:
🎓 Abu Umamah related, "On the Day of Judgement, the oppressors shall meet with their victims on the board of Hell. They shall recognize each other and remember their situation in this world. So, the offended would not allow their oppressors to pass unless they take of their good deeds (as compensation). If their good deeds ran out, the sins of the oppressed persons would be loaded on the oppressors." al-Kaba'ir adh-Dhahabi - At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib
🎓 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud says, "Each man and woman on the Day of Resurrection will be openly shown before all creatures, and it will be said, This is so-and-so. Let those who have a claim of something over him come and get it back". Hence, the Prophet said, "Women shall rejoice as they regain their due rights from their fathers, brothers or husbands. Then,' Abdullah Ibn Ma'sud recited, {There will be no more relationships between them that day, nor will one ask after another} (AI-Mu'minun: 101)
He added, "Allah will then be tolerant with him in regard to his Own due rights, but not so in the people's. Thereupon, such a man or woman will be set up and Allah will say to the owners of the rights "Come and take back your rights." Accordingly, Allah will command the angels, saying, "Take of his/her good deeds and give every right owner his/her due." In case such a man or woman is righteous and there is a little bit of his good deeds left behind, Allah will multiply it manifolds so as to admit him to Paradise. But if he was a wretched person, and nothing of his good deeds remains, the angels would say, "O Lord! His good deeds are over and he is still indebted, so, Allah will say, "Take of their sins and load on him." Finally, such a man will be cast into the Fire." -al-Kaba'ir adh-Dhahabi
What joy would the oppressed experience on the Day of Judgement knowing that, despite their extreme suffering throughout the Dunya, Allah would not allow them to flee on that day? The oppressed and abused will become happy and satisfied as a result of realising the value of this world in relation to the recompense in the afterlife. The Dunya is only a testing ground where oppressed believers can obtain a wonderful opportunity in the afterlife, while the oppressors will ultimately experience the poison and bitterness of their own medicine that is slowly devouring them within moments.
