Allah Almighty says: {The wrongdoers will have no close friend or intercessor whose word may be heeded.} [Surat Ghāfir: 18] Allah Almighty also says: {The wrongdoers will have no helper.} [Surat al-Hajj: 71]
1- Injustice that is related to the rights of Allah Almighty like Shirk, religious innovations, major sins and minor sins.
2- Injustice related to the rights of the slaves, like those related to their blood, wealth, and honor.
The Hadīth of Abu Dharr that was previously cited at the end of the Chapter on Mujāhadah.
203/1- Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Beware of injustice, for injustice will be layers of darkness on the Day of Resurrection; and beware of avarice, for avarice ruined those who were before you. It incited them to shed their blood and regard the unlawful as lawful.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Injustice and avarice are among the major sins that cause destruction in the worldly life and severe distress on the Day of Judgment.
2) Stinginess is not a characteristic of the believers; rather, generosity and openhandedness are.
204/2- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, you will restore the rights to their owners on the Day of Judgment, so that even the hornless sheep will take its revenge from the horned one.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Rights should be fulfilled to their rightful owners.
2) Rights of the slaves are not forgivable until they are fulfilled.
3) The justice of Allah Almighty is perfect to the point that He settles the rights between animals. So, let those who do injustice to people fear Allah!
205/3- Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: “We were talking about the Farewell Hajj when the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was with us and we did not know what the Farewell Hajj was. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) praised Allah and extolled Him, then mentioned the Dajjāl (Anti Christ) and spoke about him extensively, saying: ‘Every Prophet sent by Allah had warned his people against his mischief. Nūh (peace be upon him) warned his people and so did all the Prophets after him. If he (i.e. the Dajjāl) appears among you, his affair will not remain hidden from you. Your Lord is not one-eyed, but the Dajjāl is. His right eye is protruding like a swollen grape. Listen, Allah has made your blood and your properties as inviolable as this day of yours (the Day of Sacrifice), in this city of yours (Makkah), in this month of yours (Dhul-Hijjah). Listen, have I conveyed Allah’s Message to you?’ The people replied in the affirmative. There upon he said, ‘O Allah, bear witness,’ and he repeated it thrice. He (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Do not revert after me as disbelievers striking the neck of one another.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri; partially narrated by Muslim]
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1) The trial of the Dajjāl is extremely dangerous for the people. All the prophets warned their people of him.
2) Muslims’ blood, properties, and honor are inviolable, and transgression against any of these is a form of prohibited injustice.
3) Fighting against one another is forbidden, being an act of disbelief and a form of injustice that people commit against one another.
206/4-‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever unjustly usurps even one handspan of land, his neck will be encircled with it down the seven earths.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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The person who does this will be punished by having a collar around his neck which will be seen by all the people for the purpose of humiliating him on the Day of Judgment.
1) Usurping others’ land is a major sin and a form of injustice that is promised punishment.
2) One reaps what he sows, so whoever commits injustice, Allah will punish him in the same way by which he wronged others.
A rightful owner of a land is an owner of whatever lies beneath it. None can dig a tunnel beneath unless the owner gives his consent to this. Also, whatever is found underground in his land is his property.
207/5- Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He seizes him, He does not release him, then he recited: {Such is the seizing of your Lord when He seizes the towns that are given to wrongdoing; His seizing is surely painful and severe.} [Surat Hūd: 102]” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) Those who commit injustice should not be deceived by their own power, nor by the respite that Allah gives them.
2) Allah Almighty drags those who are unjust into committing more sins so that their punishment will be double fold.
208/6- Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched me to Yemen and said: “You will go to a people of the Scripture. Invite them to the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. If they obey you in that, tell them that Allah Almighty ordained for them five prayers every day and night. If they obey you in that, tell them that Allah ordained on them Zakah (alms) to be taken from the rich among them and given back to the poor among them. If they obey you in that, do not ever approach their precious property, and beware of the supplication of an oppressed person, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) The first thing people should be called to is to testify that there is no god but Allah. Believing in the oneness of Allah (Tawhīd) is the foremost duty upon the slaves.
2) Prayer and Zakah are of utmost importance, being the most superior pillars of Islam after the two testimonies of faith.
3) Injustice is prohibited, and so it is impermissible for the collector of Zakah to take more than what is due.
4) The supplication of the oppressed is answered, whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever, because Allah Almighty has prohibited injustice among the slaves.
209/7- Abu Humayd ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Sa‘d al-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) appointed a man from the tribe of Azd called Ibn al-Lutbiyyah for collecting the Zakah. When he returned (after collecting it) he said: ‘This (Zakah money) is for you and this has been given to me as a gift.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) got up, stood on the pulpit, then praised Allah and said: ‘I employ a man to do a job and he comes and says: “This is for you and this has been given to me as a gift!” Why does he not stay in the house of his father or his mother and see whether gifts will be given to him or not? By Allah, if any one of you took anything wrongfully, he will meet Allah Almighty carrying it on the Day of Resurrection. I will not recognize anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection who is carrying a grunting camel or a bellowing cow or a bleating ewe.’ Then he raised his hands till we could see the whiteness of his armpits, and he said thrice: ‘O Allah! have I conveyed (Your Commandments)?’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) Gifts received by employees are bribes and unlawful gain. They have no right to use their positions in acquiring private benefits.
2) Everyone who acts unjustly will come on the Day of Judgment with the injustice that he did. Verily, the consequences of injustice are calamitous.
3) The prophetic approach in giving advice and reminder is to address the public rather than criticize certain individuals, as this broadens the scale of benefit and keeps the people unexposed.
210/8- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who has wronged his brother, concerning his honor or anything else, let him ask for his pardon today before there comes a time when there will be neither a Dinar nor a Dirham (on the Day of Judgment). If he has good deeds, an amount equivalent to the wrong he has done will be taken from his good deeds (and given to the one whom he has wronged). If he has no good deeds, then some of that person’s bad deeds will be taken and loaded upon him.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) One must seek pardon of those whom he wronged, no matter how insignificant the wrong he did is.
2) Injustice is grievous, and people’s rights will surely be restored to them either in the worldly life or the Hereafter.
Concerning the defamation of honor, some scholars said that if the wronged person has no knowledge of such defamation, then there is no need to inform him of that, so that no further evil would be incurred as a result. However, the perpetrator should ask Allah for forgiveness for the person he defamed, supplicate in his favor, and praise him in the gatherings where he used to defame him. In this way, he absolves himself of the injustice he committed against him.
211/9- ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe, and the emigrant is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) A true Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe. In other words, he does not insult them, curse them, backbite them, nor does he beat or hurt them in any way.
2) Injustice could be done by words or actions, and its perpetrator is in great danger.
212/10- ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) also reported: “There was a man who looked after the belongings of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who was called Kirkirah. The man died and Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘He is in the Fire.’ The people then went to look at him and found in his place a cloak he had stolen from the war booty.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) Unrightful taking of public property is prohibited, whether in great or small amounts.
2) Dishonesty with regard to Muslims’ public property is a major sin, whether that property was large or small.
213/11- Abu Bakrah Nufay‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Time has completed its cycle and has returned to its state when Allah created the heavens and the earth. A year consists of twelve months, of which four are sacred; three of them are consecutive: Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Al-Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar that is between Jumāda and Sha‘bān. Which month is this?” We said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He then remained silent till we thought that he would give it another name. Then he said: “Is it not Dhul-Hijjah?” We said: “Yes.” He said: “What city is this?” We said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He then remained silent till we thought that he would give it another name. Then he said: “Is it not The (sacred) City?” We said: “Yes.” He then said: “What day is this?” We said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He then remained silent till we thought that he would give it another name. Then he said: “Is it not the Day of Nahr?” We said: “Yes.” He then said: “Verily! Your blood, property, and honor are sacred to one another (i.e. Muslims) like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours. You will meet your Lord and He will ask you about your deeds. Do not revert to disbelief after me, striking each other’s necks. It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform those who are absent, for perhaps some of those who are informed of it might comprehend (what I have said) better than some of those who heard it (from me).” Then he said twice: “Have I conveyed the message?” We said: “Yes.” He said: “O Allah, be witness.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Time has completed its cycle: This was interpreted by his saying, “A year consists of twelve months.”
Rajab of Mudar: The month of Rajab is attributed to the Mudar Tribe because they sanctified it the most among all other tribes.
1) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) warned his ummah against killing one another.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the greatness of the occasion on the day of the Farewell Hajj. On that day, he instructed the Muslims to fulfill the rights and refrain from injustice. Verily, the successful is the one who adheres to the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
3) The Muslim’s blood, wealth, and honor are inviolable to his fellow Muslim brother. Violating this right is serious injustice.
214/12- Abu Umāmah Iyās ibn Tha‘labah al-Hārithi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever seizes the right of a Muslim by taking a false oath, Allah will condemn him to Hell and will forbid Paradise for him.” One man asked: “O Messenger of Allah, even if it is something insignificant?” He replied: “Yes, even if it is a twig of the Arāk tree.” [Narrated by Muslim]
Arāk: A tree whose twigs are used as Siwāk (toothstick).
1) Usurping others’ rights is prohibited. Rather, Muslims are required to fulfill the rights to whom they are due, even if they were insignificant.
2) Usurping others’ rights deprives its doer of entering Paradise, until they are restored to their rightful owners.
215/11- ‘Adiyy ibn ‘Umayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever of you that we assign to a position and he conceals from us a needle or what is more, it will be counted as misappropriation and he will be called upon to restore it on the Day of Judgment.” A black man from the Ansār stood up - I can remember exactly what he looked like - and said: “O Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment.” He (the Prophet) said: “What happened to you?” The man replied: “I heard you saying such-and-such.” He (the Prophet) said: “I say that even now: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position, he should render an account of everything, big or small, and whatever he is given therefrom, he should take and he should desist from taking what is forbidden for him to take.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) Whoever is entrusted with the Muslims’ public wealth must guard it and deliver it to those who are entitled to it.
2) A Muslim should be careful to avoid being in a post of authority and public office because it is most likely that he would not discharge his duties as due.
216/14- ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “On the Day (of the Battle) of Khaybar, some of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came and remarked: ‘So-and-so is a martyr and so-and-so is a martyr,’ until they came upon a man and said: ‘So-and-so is a martyr.’ Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Nay, I saw him in the Fire because of a mantle – or a cloak – that he had taken without right (from the war spoils).’” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) It is impermissible to call a certain person a martyr, because martyrdom in the Sight of Allah Almighty is to fight for the sake of making Allah’s word superior, and what is in the hearts is known to Allah Almighty alone.
2) Being killed in the cause of Allah does not expiate for the violation of others’ rights.
217/15- Abu Qatādah, Al-Hārith ibn Rib‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and said to them that striving in the Cause of Allah and belief in Him are the best of deeds. A man stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be expiated?” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “Yes, if you are killed in the Cause of Allah while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and marching forward not retreating.” Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Repeat what you have said.” The man said: “Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be expiated?” He replied: “Yes, if you are killed while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and marching forward not retreating, unless you owe a debt (it will not be remitted). Jibrīl (Gabriel) told me that.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) A martyr is the one who is killed in the cause of Allah while he is patient, sincere, and marching forward not retreating. Hopefully, this is a martyr who will have all his sins forgiven, except for unsettled debts that he owed.
2) Islam assigns great care to people’s rights and enjoins Muslims to fulfill them, otherwise their sins will not be expiated until they fulfill others’ rights.
218/16- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do you know who is the bankrupt?” They said: “The bankrupt among us is the one who has neither money nor property.” He said: “The (real) bankrupt in my Ummah is the one who will come on the Day of Judgment with prayer, fasting, and Zakah, but he has hurled abuse at someone, slandered another, unlawfully consumed the wealth of another, shed the blood of another, and beat another, so each of them will be given some of the reward for his good deeds. And if his good deeds are not sufficient to settle his account (with them), then some of their sins will be cast on him and he will then be thrown in the Fire.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) The Hadīth warns Muslims of transgressing against others and wronging them, and urges them to fulfill the rights to their owners before death.
2) Allah Almighty treats the evildoers with justice and treats the doers of good with grace.
3) Wronging others is promised a severe punishment, that is the loss of one’s good deeds. So, the believer should be keen on preserving his good deeds for the day when he will return to Allah.
219/17- Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, I am only a human and you bring your disputes to me. Perhaps some of you are more eloquent than others in presenting their case, and I judge according to what I hear. So, if my judgment grants one of you the right of his brother, then, in fact, I give him a portion of the Hellfire.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] --
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1) A severe punishment is promised to those who devour others’ rights out of injustice and transgression.
2) The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is a human who does not know the Unseen. Therefore, it is impermissible for Muslims to supplicate him or ask him to remove harm or bring good, since doing this contradicts the testimony of monotheism (Tawhīd). This is because Allah Almighty alone knows the Unseen, so Muslims ask Him alone for bringing good and warding off evil.
3) The judgment of the ruler or a judge does not make permissible what is originally impermissible, nor does it make impermissible what is originally permissible.
4) A judge or ruler must not issue a judgment until he listens to the both litigants equally.
220/18- Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A believer will remain in a safe zone concerning his religion unless he sheds blood unlawfully.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) Shedding blood unlawfully is from the major sins.
2) transgressing against the Muslims’ blood is one of the gravest forms of injustice and entails corrupting the perpetrator’s religiosity.
221/19- Khawlah bint ‘Āmir al-Ansāriyyah, the wife of Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with both of them), reported that she heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Some men dispose of Allah’s property wrongfully; for them there will be Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) Prohibition of free disposal of public property that is not based on Sharia, for it is an act of injustice.
2) Spending money uselessly and disposing of it inappropriately is strictly warned of as it entails subjection to divine threat on the Day of Judgment.