--- title: "Sermon on Oppression: The Opposite of Justice" description: "Sermon on oppression: Allah has forbidden injustice to Himself and among His servants. Three categories of zulm, the weight of rights, and the unveiled prayer of the wronged." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/sermon-on-oppression" locale: "en" published: "2026-05-15" updated: "2026-05-15" author: "VAAZ Team" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # Sermon on Oppression: The Opposite of Justice > **Quick answer:** Oppression (zulm) is to place something other than where it belongs — the exact opposite of justice. Allah declares in a divine narration: 'O My servants, I have forbidden oppression to Myself, and I have forbidden it among you' (Sahih Muslim 2577). The Qur'an names three forms: against Allah (shirk), against oneself (sin), against others (rights violation). On Judgment Day, the violator of rights becomes the bankrupt one — prayer and fasting cannot cover the debt. Oppression — *zulm* in Arabic — literally means putting something other than where it belongs. It is the exact opposite of justice, which is putting each thing in its rightful place. Allah has declared injustice forbidden to Himself and forbidden it among His servants. This sermon traces the three forms of oppression named in the Qur'an — against Allah, against one's own self, and against others — and the prophetic warning that on the Day of Judgment, the one who has wronged others arrives there bankrupt, even with prayer and fasting in hand. ## Defining Oppression — Putting a Thing Outside Its Place In Arabic, *zulm* carries the literal sense of placing something where it does not belong. Just as justice (*adl*) means putting each thing in its rightful place, oppression means taking a right from its owner or transferring it to where it has no claim. The word in the Qur'an spans three domains: violating the right of Allah (the gravest meaning), violating the right of one's own soul (sin), and violating the rights of others (injustice). All three are forbidden, and all three are described by the same Arabic root. In a divine narration (hadith qudsi), Allah Himself states: > O My servants! I have forbidden oppression to Myself and made it forbidden among you. So do not oppress one another. What Allah has forbidden to Himself, He does not permit to His creation. ## Allah Is Not Heedless of the Oppressors To the wronged who wait for relief, the Qur'an does not say Allah has overlooked the injustice. It says He has *postponed* its accounting to a precise day: > وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ لِيَوۡمࣲ تَشۡخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ > Do not think Allah is unaware of what the oppressors do. He only delays them to a Day when eyes will stare. Surah Ibrahim 14:42 Surah Ghafir adds the picture of that day for the unjust: > وَأَنذِرۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓزِفَةِ إِذِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ لَدَى ٱلۡحَنَاجِرِ كَٰظِمِينَۚ مَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ مِنۡ حَمِيمࣲ وَلَا شَفِيعࣲ يُطَاعُ > Warn them of the approaching Day, when hearts will rise to the throats, choked. The oppressors will have no friend, no intercessor to be heeded. Surah Ghafir 40:18 ## Three Forms of Oppression ### A. Against Allah — Associating Partners (Shirk) Worship is the right of Allah alone. Directing it to anyone or anything beside Him is to take a right and place it where it has no claim — and so it is the gravest *zulm*. Luqman counsels his son: > يَٰبُنَيَّ لَا تُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمࣱ > "My son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, associating with Him is a tremendous injustice." Surah Luqman 31:13 This injustice is taking what belongs to Allah and offering it to another. Yet Allah keeps the door of *tawbah* open as long as the person remains alive: > إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ > Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whom He wills. Surah An-Nisa 4:116 Provided one does not die upon *shirk*, repentance reopens the way back. ### B. Against the Self — Sin Allah has honoured the human being above other creation, made the universe a service for them, and sent messengers to mark out the way. When such an honoured creature crosses Allah's prohibitions, they have wronged themselves — they have demoted what Allah elevated. The Qur'an repeatedly calls sinners *zalimu nafsihi* — "wrongdoers of their own selves." Prophet Yunus, after his ordeal in the sea, prayed: *"There is no god but You, glory be to You. I have been of the wrongdoers"* (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87). The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that sin leaves a stain on the heart that is cleansed only by repentance. Recognising sin first as injustice against oneself — not merely as a rule-violation — opens the heart to genuine *tawbah*. ### C. Against Others — Rights of People The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim — they do not wrong one another. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: > A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not oppress him, does not abandon him in distress, does not lie to him, and does not despise him. This third form of oppression — injustice against another — is not deferred to the Day of Judgment in the sense of being forgotten. It *accumulates* until that day. Because the rights of people are not Allah's to forgive without the owner's consent. ## The Bankrupt of My Ummah Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked his Companions: — "Do you know who the bankrupt one is?" — "We consider the bankrupt to be one who has no money and no property." The Prophet said: > The bankrupt one from my ummah is the one who comes on the Day of Judgment with prayer, fasting, and zakat — but he insulted this one, slandered that one, took the wealth of another, spilled the blood of someone, and struck someone. His good deeds are taken from him and distributed to each of them. When his good deeds run out before his debts are paid, the sins of those he wronged are placed upon him, and he is then thrown into Hellfire. The hadith of the bankrupt distils the entire accounting of the Day. A believer who performed much prayer, fasted long, and gave zakat may yet arrive at the Hereafter with a balance of zero — even negative — if rights of others remain on their shoulders. Rights of people outweigh prayer, fasting, and zakat in one specific sense: Allah does not unilaterally forgive what belongs to His servants. ## The Prayer of the Wronged — Unveiled Before Allah The position of the wronged before Allah is distinct. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: > Beware of the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and Allah. Even if the wronged person is otherwise sinful, the prayer of one wronged is not blocked by their own faults. The injustice committed against them gives their prayer an exceptional opening. Three categories of prayer are never turned back: > Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of the one fasting at iftar, the prayer of the just ruler, and the prayer of the oppressed. Allah lifts the prayer of the oppressed above the clouds, opens the gates of the heavens for it, and the Lord says: "By My might, I will surely help you, even after a time." ## Stories — The Face of Oppression ### A Single Hand-Span of Land — The Collar of the Seven Earths Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: Abu Salamah had a dispute with some of his people over a piece of land. She advised him: *"O Abu Salamah, beware of taking land unjustly. The Prophet said:"* > Whoever takes a hand-span of someone else's land unjustly will have it placed around his neck on the Day of Judgment from the depth of seven earths. A hand-span — too small a thing to argue over by worldly measure — becomes on the Day of Judgment a collar drawn from the depths of seven earths. The boundary of right is measured not by what conscience excuses but by what the owner consents to. ### A Twig from a Toothbrush Tree — The Smallest Right Is Still a Right In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: *"Whoever swears an oath to take the property of a Muslim without right makes Hellfire obligatory for him."* A man asked: *"Even if it is something insignificant, O Messenger of Allah?"* He answered: *"Even if it is a twig from the *arak* tree."* Right is right; size does not alter it. A matchbox, a pen, a borrowed book — anything taken without its owner's consent is a debt to be paid on the Day of Judgment. ### Even the Hornless Ewe — The Precision of Justice The Prophet (peace be upon him) illustrated the precision of the final accounting: > Rights will be restored to their owners on the Day of Judgment, even to the point that the hornless ewe will take retribution from the horned one. If justice operates with this precision between two voiceless animals, no human violation — however small — escapes the same scale. ### Retaliation Is a Right; Forgiveness Is the Higher Path The Qur'an makes both options available to the wronged: > وَجَزَٰٓؤُاْ سَيِّئَةࣲ سَيِّئَةࣱ مِّثۡلُهَاۖ فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَأَصۡلَحَ فَأَجۡرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ > The recompense for an evil is an evil like it. But whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. Indeed, He does not love the wrongdoers. Surah Ash-Shura 42:40 The same surah continues: > وَلَمَنِ ٱنتَصَرَ بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مَا عَلَيۡهِم مِّن سَبِيلٍ ... وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأُمُورِ > Those who avenge themselves after being wronged — no blame falls upon them... But whoever is patient and forgives, that is among the matters of strong resolve. Surah Ash-Shura 42:41-43 Retaliation is permitted; forgiveness is praised. The believer keeps the right to defend themselves but holds in view the higher path that earns reward directly with Allah. ### Abu Bakr and the Moment Shaytan Arrived A man once insulted Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) in the presence of the Prophet. Abu Bakr remained silent. When the man's insults continued, Abu Bakr finally replied. At that moment, the Prophet stood up from the gathering. Abu Bakr asked: — "O Messenger of Allah, while he was insulting me you were seated; when I replied, you stood up?" The Prophet answered: *"Yes. An angel was replying on your behalf while you were silent. When you replied, the angel left and Shaytan arrived. I do not sit where Shaytan is."* Even the legitimate exercise of one's right can pull the heart toward the wrong company. Retaliation is permitted, but silence is nearer to Allah. > The right of a person is harder to obtain forgiveness for than the right of Allah — because Allah does not unilaterally forgive what belongs to a servant. Therefore the believer's daily self-accounting should ask *"Did I wrong anyone today?"* before *"What sins did I commit?"* If a right of another is still on one's shoulders, the obligation is to seek their pardon — face to face if possible — **before** the Day of Judgment arrives. After that day, the currency for repayment is no longer money but good deeds. ## The Believer's Practice — Justice, Withdrawal in Doubt, Settlement Today Three practices that protect from oppression: - **When in doubt, give rather than take.** If you are uncertain whether a right is yours or another's, interpret it in their favour, not your own. Allah says: *"Whoever fears Allah, He grants him a way out"* (Surah At-Talaq 65:2). - **Do not abandon the wronged.** The Prophet said: *"Help your brother whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed."* When asked how to help the oppressor, he answered: *"By holding his hands and stopping him from oppression."* - **Settle accounts today, not on the Day of Judgment.** Whoever has wronged another in property, honour, or person should obtain their pardon today, before the day on which neither dinar nor dirham can be paid — only good deeds. ## Putting Justice Into Practice With VAAZ The [99 Beautiful Names of Allah collection](https://getvaaz.com/en/asma-al-husna) in the [VAAZ app](https://getvaaz.com/en) includes *Al-Adl* (the Just) and *Al-Muqsit* (the Equitable) — names that orient the believer's daily judgments toward the standard against which they themselves will be judged. The [dua archive](https://getvaaz.com/en/dua) includes supplications seeking refuge from injustice — both committing it and suffering it — useful as a discipline in moments of dispute. For related themes, see [Sermon on Forgiveness](https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/sermon-on-forgiveness) — the virtue of pardoning the wrong done to oneself — and [Sermon on Lying and Slander](https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/lying-and-slander-sermon) — the dimensions of oppression that travel through the tongue. The broader framework lives in the [Akhlak Sermons pillar](https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/akhlak-sermons-pillar). Oppression on the Day of Judgment will be **darknesses** (*zulumat*) — the Prophet's own word (Sahih Muslim 2579). The believer who does not wish to enter that day under those darknesses settles accounts in the daylight of this world — over a hand-span of land, over a twig from a tree, over a harsh word. May Allah place none of us in the position of the bankrupt one. ## References 1. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Luqman 31:13. 2. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Ibrahim 14:42. 3. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Ghafir 40:18. 4. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Ash-Shura 42:40-43. 5. The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa 4:148. 6. The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa 4:116. 7. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Oppression, hadith no. 2444 (Help oppressor and oppressed). 8. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Oppression, hadith no. 2448 (Prayer of the oppressed). 9. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Oppression, hadith no. 2449 (Settle accounts today). 10. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Oppression, hadith no. 2453 (A hand-span of land). 11. Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, hadith no. 137 (A twig of the *arak* tree). 12. Sahih Muslim, Book of al-Birr, hadith no. 2564 (The Muslim is the Muslim's brother). 13. Sahih Muslim, Book of al-Birr, hadith no. 2577 ("I have forbidden oppression to Myself"). 14. Sahih Muslim, Book of al-Birr, hadith no. 2581 (Who is the bankrupt?). 15. Sahih Muslim, Book of al-Birr, hadith no. 2582 (The hornless ewe takes retribution). 16. Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications, hadith no. 3598 (Three prayers not turned back). 17. Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Manners, hadith no. 4896 (Abu Bakr and the angel). ## Frequently Asked Questions --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. Full index: https://getvaaz.com/llms.txt