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Today, just mention the oppressor (zaalimun) and
immediately people would start talking about a ruler who
imprisons people and torture them. For them, oppression
is always related to physical harm or economic
deprivation. As a result of deriving concepts from
sources other than Islam, many Muslims are not even
aware that they are actually giving oppressors a free
hand to spread their oppression. To realize this fact,
they should comprehend the meaning of 'zulum' mentioned
in Quran and Hadiths.
To understand the desired meaning of any word mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah, one must first know its meaning in the Arabic language. After that, one must study the different uses of this word in various Islamic texts. It is impermissible to use a meaning of any word, relating to Shari'ah (Islamic law), according to any time frame, except the time of revelation. ''Zulum'' is one of these words that must be interpreted exactly the way Allah and His Messenger intended. Explaining words according to their meanings at the time of their revelation provides us with their desired meanings according to Islamic terminology.
Allah (swt) has given many examples of oppression and oppressors in the Qur'an. We list below just some of these:
1. Polytheism - Al-Shirk: Allah (swt) says: '' Al-Shirk is the greatest
oppression'' [ 31:13]
2. Disbelief -: Allah (swt) says: ''The Disbelievers are Oppressors'' [ 2:254] He (swt) also says: ''..Who does more oppression, than he who disbelieves in
Allah..'' [ 6:21]
3. Fabrication about God - Allah (swt) says: ''..Whosoever fabricates something attributing to Allah they are the
oppressors'' [ 3:94]
4. Ruling by Man made laws -Allah (swt) says: ''..Whoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed, they are the
oppressors..'' [ 5:45]
5. Misquoting intentionally - Allah (swt) says: ''..The oppressors among them intentionally misquoted what has been sent to them so we sent to them punishment from heaven because they oppressed by
misquoting..'' [ 2:59]
6. Transgressing the limits Allah has set - Allah (swt) says:
''..This is the limit of Allah and whoever transgresses the limit of Allah he oppresses
himself..'' [65:1]
7. Sin - Allah (swt) says: ''..We did not send a messenger but to be obeyed in accordance to the will of Allah, if only they had come to you to ask forgiveness because of their oppression i.e. Sin of disobeying
..'' [ 4:64]
8. Inclining towards, supporting or accompanying Oppressors: Allah (swt) says:
''..And do not incline towards nor support or accompany the oppressor or hell-fire will seize
you..'' [ 11:113]
9. Living amongst Oppressors - Allah (swt) says: ''..And you lived amongst or in the houses of the oppressors and we showed you what we dealt them, so take
heed..'' [ 14:45]
10. Taking Disbelievers as friends - Allah (swt) says:
''..Do not take for protectors your brothers and fathers if they are Kaafir, and if any of you do you commit oppression.'' [ 9.23] and also ''Whoever takes Kufar as friends are
oppressors.'' [ 60:9]
11. Misusing the property of Orphans - . Allah (swt) says:
''..Those who unjustly misuse the property of orphans, consume fire into their
bodies..'' [ 4:10]
12. Rejecting revelation - : Allah (swt) says: ''None but the oppressors reject our
revelation..'' [ 29:49]
13. Mocking, Slandering and using offensive Nicknames - : Allah (swt) says:
''..Do not make mockery of each other whether women to women or men to men, nor slander each other or use offensive nicknames, the evil action is to call someone a Kafir after he has believed; those who do no desist are
oppressors.. ''[ 49:11]
14. Preventing remembrance of Allah in the Mosque - : Allah (swt) says:
''Who is a greater oppressor than he who forbids Zikr (i.e. studying, culturing, teaching and preaching) in the
mosque..'' [ 2:114]
15. Giving false Testimony - Allah (swt) says: ''..Who are more oppressive than those who hide the
testimony.'' [2:140]
16. Lying about Revelation – Allah (swt) says: ''..Who is more of an oppressor than the one who lies about Allah or says: 'I have received revelation' when he has received
none..''[ 6:93]
17. Misguiding the People -: Allah (swt) says: ''..Who does more oppression than he who leads the people
astray.''[ 6:144]
Some verses from the Qur'an warns those who remain silent or assist in
oppression. Allah(swt) says: ''When Ye have done oppression, it will avail you nothing that day and ye shall be partners (with the evil companion or oppressor) in
punishment'' [ 43:39]. Allah (swt) also says:
''For the oppressors their portion is like unto the portion of their fellows (of earlier
generations)'' [ 51:59]
Why is the comprehension of the word 'Zulum' so important?
It is easy for English speakers to fall into the trap of looking at ayat (verses) of the Qur'an from an un-Islamic point of view, simply because of the language. Behind every word in every language there is a concept that has developed according to that particular culture. The Qur'an is the peak of languages and the foundation of the greatest of cultures. Often English words carry quite different concepts to the Quranic ones. A clear example is the use of the words Zulum(oppression) and Zaalimoon(oppressor).
These words are important because they are fundamental concepts that affect how societies see themselves. they are important for us because Allah(swt) and his noble Messenger(saw) have addressed us about them.
In the Western ideologies the term 'oppression' is synonymous with physical torture, poverty, homelessness, unemployment or any other kind of socio-economic deprivation. The Islamic definition of 'Zulum' or oppression differs completely from the western ideology.
Allah (swt) directs the Muslims to look to things from the Islamic perspective, which would lead to the realization that associating anything with Allah (swt) in any aspect of Tawheed, whether in the creation, in obedience, or in submission, is far greater than any other type of physical or instinctive oppression. Only Muslims who believe in Islam can feel the seriousness of this type of oppression.
Islam places a special emphasis in establishing this intellectual sensation among Muslims. The Qur'an orders Muslims to take their Aqeedah in an intellectual manner through extensive research in order for the Iman to produce its results, among them the intellectual sensation and the Islamic way of thinking.
An extensive survey of the situation of the Ummah shows that the Muslims either lost the intellectual sensation or possess it in a very distorted context. As a result, Muslims cannot feel the severity or magnitude of any critical issue. Any feeling that exists towards such issues will primarily consist of instinctive or material feelings as a result of sensing some tangible or material effect of such an issue. For example, Muslims would feel the issue of occupation of any Muslim land only if the occupation resulted in oppression of Muslims, influx of refugees, killing and raping of Muslims, or other material effects. However, if the occupiers respected the ''individual rights'' of Muslims, and Muslims prospered under their occupation, then the masses would be heedless towards the gravity of the occupation.
How the Muslims feel the decline also illustrates the lack of intellectual sensation in the Ummah. Material parameters such as poverty, illiteracy, the spread of disease, the prevalence of technological backwardness, and the oppression of the ruler and his regime, govern the feeling of the Muslims towards the decline. Thus, when Muslims debate the issue of revival, the debate would focus on the end result of the decline. As a result, Muslims present their solutions towards the decline from a material perspective which deals only with these outward symptoms of the decline, such as removing the ruler without changing the system, opening schools, increasing the standard of living, or preaching morals. Such an approach is superficial because a person does not need a high level of sensation to feel the material manifestations of the decline, nor does he require an intellectual capacity to realize the existence of such symptoms in the Ummah. If Muslims concentrate their efforts in dealing with these symptoms by suggesting solutions thinking that they are the problems, they will soon realize that all of their efforts dedicated to this end are in vain. However, if a person sensed the decline in the correct way based on the decline of the thinking level, the absence of the Islamic way of thinking, the lack of the common awareness, and the absence of any common idea that can bind Muslims, this individual will realize that the problem is much deeper than the poverty, the illiteracy, or even the occupation.
Conclusion
In conclusion we should be alert about the existence of 'oppressors' who may not necessarily inflict physical harm or steal our wealth, but fit the description of 'oppressors' elucidated in the Quran/Hadiths. Such 'oppressors' who are hell-bent on advancing kufr in our societies should be held in high contempt.
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