By Dr. Saeed Abdul-Azim

In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow his guidance.

Divine law recognizes neither favoritism nor leniency: “… and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.” [Quran 33:62] “… and you will not find in the way of Allah any alteration.” [Quran 35:43] The Sharia does not differentiate between equals, nor does it equate those who are unequal. The downfall of the deceitful, the oppressive, and the oath-breaker is a matter of time; time itself is a component of the remedy. Principles and standards must remain firm. Muhammad Ibn Ka‘b Al-Qurazi said, “Three traits, if possessed, will turn against their possessor: deceit (‘… but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.’ [Quran 35:43]), oppression (‘… your oppression is only against yourselves.’ [Quran 10:23]), and breaking covenants (‘So whoever breaks his oath only breaks it to the detriment of himself.’ [Quran 48:10])”

Some Causes of Ruin

These traits contribute to the ruin of those who practice them. There is a strong correlation between cause and effect, between premise and outcome. As the saying goes, “Your deeds determine your fate.” Allah, the Exalted, says: “Whoever does righteousness—it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil—it is against it. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” [Quran 45:15] He also states: “If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves.” [Quran 17:7] The hadith states, “Act as you wish, for you will be recompensed accordingly.” It is authentically narrated, “O My servants, it is your deeds that I record for you, and then I will recompense you for them. So whoever finds good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.”

A man approached a scholar and said, “The sons of so-and-so have conspired against me and united against me.” The scholar replied, “And ‘The hand of Allah is over their hands.’” [Quran 48:10] The man said, “They are deceitful.” The scholar replied, “… but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.” [Quran 35:43] The man said, “But they are numerous.” The scholar responded, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah.” [Quran 2:249]

The Plotting of Disbelievers Leads to Their Own Destruction

When you yearn for deliverance from disbelievers and wrongdoers, be assured that their plotting, oppression, and treachery will ultimately destroy them. In reality, they destroy themselves with their own hands even before your weapons reach them. The consequences of these vile traits fall squarely upon them alone. Allah, the Exalted, states: “And they planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.” [Quran 3:54] He also states: “And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.” [Quran 6:123]

Plots Turn against the Plotters

The Quran narrates the story of Thamud’s plot against their prophet Salih (peace be upon him). Allah, the Almighty, states: “And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. Then look how was the outcome of their plan—that We destroyed them and their people, all.” [Quran 27:50-51] One interpretation is that they did not perceive the angels Allah sent to protect Salih when they came to kill him. Each of them was struck by a stone and killed, while Salih was saved from their plot. Another interpretation is that they plotted by pretending to travel, then hiding in a cave, intending to return at night and kill him. Allah caused a rock to fall upon the mouth of the cave, sealing it and destroying them. This was Allah’s plan against them.

The polytheists also plotted against the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Allah states: “And [remember, O Muhammad] when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” [Quran 8:30] Allah saved His Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), who migrated safely to Medina. The leaders of the disbelievers, such as Abu Jahl, Utbah, and Shaybah, the sons of Rabi‘ah, were killed at the Battle of Badr. Allah brought Islam to them on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed away victorious over them. Allah elevated his name and honored his legacy.

The hypocrites also plotted against him. Allah states: “And those who plan evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the plotting of those—it will perish.” [Quran 35:10] The result of their plotting was corruption and futility. Their falsehood became evident to those with insight and wisdom, for no one conceals a secret except that Allah reveals it through their facial expressions and slips of the tongue. Indeed, no one conceals a secret except that Allah clothes them in its garment—if it is good, then good; and if it is evil, then evil.

The plots of the Jews against the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), their attempts to assassinate him, and their conspiracies with the polytheists are numerous and well-documented. Consequently, some were killed, others expelled, and his cause (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) prevailed. As the Hour approaches, stones and trees will speak to his nation, saying, “O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him,” except for the Gharqad tree, for it is one of the trees of the Jews. Allah will grant this Ummah the conquest of Jerusalem.

Beware of deceit and do not be impressed by those who practice it. Qays Ibn Sa‘d Ibn ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, “If I had not heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, ‘Deceit and treachery are in the Fire,’ I would have been one of the most deceitful of people.” [Graded as authentic by Al-Albani]

The Meaning of Allah’s Planning

It is clear that the planning attributed to Allah is befitting His Majesty. It refers to His recompense for those who plot against His allies and messengers, countering their evil schemes with His perfect plan. Their plotting is evil, while His is the best, for it is just and a form of recompense. Similarly, His deception is a recompense for their deception against His messengers and allies. There is nothing better than such planning and such deception.

Oppression and Its Consequences

Just as evil plotting harms its perpetrator, so too does oppression bring about swift punishment. It is said, “Whoever unsheathes the sword of oppression will be killed by it, and the oppressor will ultimately be ruined. Oppression destroys its perpetrator.”

The consequences of oppression are severe. Whoever digs a pit for his brother will fall into it himself. Abandon oppression, for it is despicable. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, “If a mountain were to oppress another mountain, Allah—Exalted is He—would crush the oppressor.” He also said, “A king once uttered oppressive words while sitting on his throne, so Allah transformed him. It is unknown what he became—a fly or something else—but he vanished and was never seen again.”

Abdullah Ibn Mu‘awiyah Al-Hashimi said, “Abd-ul-Muttalib gathered his sons at the time of his death; they were ten in number. He instructed and advised them, saying, ‘Beware of oppression for, by Allah, Allah has created nothing swifter in punishment than oppression. I have never seen anyone persist in oppression except for your brothers from Banu ‘Abd Shams.’”

Ibn Al-Qayyim remarked:

Glory be to Allah! Within the soul resides the arrogance of Iblis, the envy of Cain, the defiance of ‘Ad, the tyranny of Thamud, the audacity of Nimrod, the oppression of Pharaoh, the greed of Qarun, the wickedness of Haman, the lust of Balaam, the cunning of the Sabbath-breakers, the rebellion of Al-Walid, and the ignorance of Abu Jahl. It also possesses the traits of animals: the greed of a crow, the voracity of a dog, the vanity of a peacock, the baseness of a dung beetle, the disobedience of a monitor lizard, the malice of a camel, the pouncing of a leopard, the aggression of a lion, the immorality of a mouse, the evil of a snake, the mischief of a monkey, the hoarding of an ant, the cunning of a fox, the frivolity of a moth, and the lethargy of a hyena. However, discipline and self-struggle can purge it of these traits.

Texts Condemning Oppression

Numerous texts condemn unjustified oppression. Allah, the Exalted, says: “The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and commit trespass upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.” [Quran 42:42] Oppression (baghy) refers to acting arrogantly toward others, embodying pride, injustice, corruption, and engaging in sinful acts. It is among the five matters prohibited by divine law, as mentioned in Allah’s statement: “Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is concealed—and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.’” [Quran 7:33]

It is sufficient for the oppressed to have the promise of Allah’s support. Allah, the Exalted, states: “That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized—Allah will surely aid him.” [Quran 22:60] In a hadith, it is stated, “There is no sin more deserving of Allah hastening punishment for its perpetrator in this world, along with what is stored up for him in the Hereafter, than oppression and severing ties of kinship.” [Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it authentic and sound]

The following is also narrated from the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “There is nothing in which obedience to Allah is swifter in reward than upholding ties of kinship. And there is nothing swifter in punishment than oppression, severing ties of kinship, and a false oath, which leaves homes desolate (meaning devoid of inhabitants).” [Reported by Al-Bayhaqi and graded as authentic by Al-Albani] In another hadith, it is stated, “Indeed, Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that no one boasts over another and no one oppresses another.” [Muslim]

Lessons from the Stories of the Past

Reflect on the stories of oppressors, both past and present, and you will find a striking parallel between the observable events of the world and the written scriptures: Pharaoh unjustly oppressed the land, claiming lordship and divinity, saying: “Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me…” [Quran 43:51] He pursued the Prophet of Allah, Moses (peace be upon him), and the Children of Israel who believed with him. He and his soldiers followed them out of arrogance and enmity, so Allah caused the sea to engulf him, sending it crashing down upon him as a fitting recompense. The Egyptians then saw his decaying corpse after they had worshipped him instead of Allah: “So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign.” [Quran 10:92]

Similarly, the Quran narrates the story of Qarun’s arrogance. Allah, the Exalted, states: “Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them.” [Quran 28:76] Among the advice given to him by the righteous was: “And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” [Quran 28:77] Yet, Qarun ignored their counsel, so Allah destroyed him, and he perished unmourned: “And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home.” [Quran 28:81]

The oppression inflicted by destroyed nations upon the prophets and messengers holds lessons and warnings for those with understanding. Allah seized them with the grip of the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Time passed over the people of Noah, ‘Ad, Thamud, and many generations between, until it delivered them to their Lord, presenting them with their deeds: “And how many have We destroyed before them of generations? Do you perceive of them anyone or hear from them a sound?” [Quran 19:98]