Dhulm

"As-salāmu ʿalaykum, may I join you all?" Starling greeted. Parrot said, "Please come forward my brother!" Starling said, "I heard your conversation. May I joint to share what I've heard" Parrot said, "Of course, tell us, please!" Starling said, "On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaari, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (ﷺ), from among the sayings he relates from his Lord, Subhanahu wa-ta'Ala, that He, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, said, "O My servants, I have forbidden wrongdoing for Myself and I have made it forbidden for you. Therefore, do not wrong one another. O My servants, all of you are lost except for those whom I have guided. Therefore, seek guidance from Me and I will guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those whom I have fed. Therefore, seek food from Me and I will feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those whom I have clothed. Therefore, seek clothing from Me and I will clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins. Therefore, seek forgiveness from Me and I will forgive you. O My servants, you will not be able to harm Me so as to bring any harm to Me, and you will not be able to benefit Me so as to bring any benefit to Me. O My servants, if the first and last of you and the human and jinn of you were as pious as the most pious heart of anyone among you, it would not add anything to My dominion. O My servants, if the first and last of you and the human and jinn of you were as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone among you, it would not decrease anything from My dominion. O My servants, if the first and last of you and the human and jinn of you were to gather together on [the same sector] of land and all asked of Me and if I were to give everyone of them what he asked, that would not decrease what I have any more than a needle decreases what is in the ocean when it is put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon for you. Then I recompense you for them. The one who finds good is to give praises to Allah. The one who finds other than this should not blame anyone but himself."

This hadith is authentic. It was recorded by Muslim, al-Bukhari in his book al-Adab al-Mufrad, ibn Khuzaima in his book al-Tauheed, al-Tabaraani in al-Dua and Musnad al-Shaamiyeen, al-Baihaqi, al-Haakim and many others through the chain of Saeed ibn Abdul Azeez from Rabeeah ibn Yazeed from Abu Idrees al-Khaulaani from Abu Dharr. It was also recorded, with slightly different wording, by Muslim, Ahmad, al-Tayaalisi and ibn Khuzaima in al-Tauheed from Humaam from Qataadah from Abu Qilaabah from Abu Dharr. Abdul Razzaaq also records it from Mamar from Ayyoob from Abu Qilaabah from Abu Dharr. Al-Tirmidhi, ibn Maajah, ibn Abu Shaibah and others recorded it from Shahr ibn Haushab from Abdul Rahmaan ibn Ghanam from Abu Dharr. 

"This hadith is a qudsi hadith." Flamingo asked, "Wait, what is Qudsi hadith?" Starling said, "Qudsi hadith are those hadith that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) related from the Lord. Mullah Ali al-Qaari has given the following excellent definition for hadith qudsi. He wrote, "It is that which is related by the foremost of relaters and the most reliable of authorities, the best of blessings and salutations be upon him, from Allah, may He be glorified, sometimes through the medium of Gabriel, upon whom be blessings and peace, and sometimes by revelation, inspiration and dreams. Allah having entrusted to him the expressing of it in such words as he wished. It differs from the Quran in that the revelation of the latter was only through the medium of the Upright Soul [Gabriel] and is restricted to the wording specifically revealed from the Preserved Tablet..." 

Such hadith usually take one of the following forms: first, some begin with, "The Prophet (ﷺ) says from among the sayings he related from his Lord..."; second, sometimes they begin with, "Allah the Almighty has said, from among the sayings related from Him by the Messenger of Allah..."; third, or, "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that Allah has said..."; fourth, the words of Allah may be referred to as written instead of spoken; fifth, sometimes the words from Allah are between or introduced by a statement of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). And, finally, an indirect but clear reference may be made to a statement of Allah in the words of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). 

Allah begins His statement by calling to human beings with the term, "My servants". This is significant for a number of reasons. First, from the point of view of the human, it highlights the relationship between the ones being addressed and the speaker. Allah is their Lord and Master. They are His servants and slaves. Reminding the listeners of this fact at the beginning should make them very attentive to what is about to be said. It is not coming from just anyone but it is coming from their Master and Lord. Second, it also demonstrates the relationship between Allah and humans. He is the Master and Lord of the Creation. He is not in need of them. They cannot benefit Him at all. They are simply His slaves that He created that if He willed, He could make them all believers or all disbelievers. Indeed, if He willed, He could do away with all of them. This aspect is directly related to the message that is given in this hadith. Furthermore, as Taataay points out, this address is general for all of mankind. It is not specific to any time or place. All of mankind are Allah's servants. The following prohibition of dhulm is not something that is specific to the Nation of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Indeed, it was something that was taught to all of mankind and passed on in all of the genuine religions. 

In numerous places in the Quran, Allah has denied that He has ever or would ever commit any wrongdoing or injustice toward anyone. Allah never has and never will commit any form of wrong. The phrase, "I have forbidden oppression (dhulm) for Myself," is to say that dhulm is something that was theoretically possible for Allah but that He has himself forbidden it for Himself and has removed its possibility. But if everything in this creation actually belongs to Allah and there is no authority greater than Him that He could wrong, what kind of dhulm could Allah have possibly committed? Allah has denied that He would ever commit dhulm in this hadith and He has specifically denied that He would ever commit that specific form of dhulm. The matter is not simply a denial of dhulm. It is also and more importantly, according to ibn Taimiya, an affirmation of its opposite, justice, on the part of Allah. Even when Allah punishes a people, it is solely based on what is just, according to their deeds. When He rewards a people, however, it is a grace and mercy from Allah. Hence, as ibn Uthaimeen points out, all of Allah's acts are either acts of justice or grace. 

Allah, in His Mercy and by His Wisdom, has decreed for Himself that He will commit no injustice. It is not the case that "by His nature" it was impossible for Him to have committed injustice. He definitely has the ability to commit many forms of injustice but He, no one else, has determined that He would not commit them. Allah alone has determined for Himself to act in this manner.Understanding this fact should increase the believers' love for Allah. It should also increase their glorification and praise of Him. 

The word dhulm is often translated as "oppression" and this gives some people the impression that it refers only to, for example, the relationship between a ruler and his subjects. However, although that is obviously a type of dhulm, that is not the proper complete understanding of the word dhulm. To avoid that misunderstanding, it has been translated in a much more general sense as "wrongdoing" instead of "oppression," while oppression is simply one form of dhulm. In this hadith, Allah has forbidden dhulm in a general sense, including all of its various forms. 

Lane's Lexicon defines ظلم (Dhulm) thusly: “ظَلَمَ [Dhalama] when intransitive usually means: he did wrong; or acted wrongfully, unjustly, injuriously, or tyrannically: and when transitive: he wronged; or treated, or used, wrongfully, unjustly, injuriously, or tyrannically.

الظُلم [adh-Dhulm] signifies the putting a thing in a place not its own; putting it in a wrong place; misplacing it;... and it is by exceeding or falling short, or by deviating from the proper time and place: or the acting in whatsoever way one pleases in the disposal of the property of another: and the transgressing the proper limit. There are three major different forms of dhulm. First, the dhulm that the person commits to himself by acts of disobedience to Allah: This type of dhulm comprises many acts but the most heinous of them, as mentioned above, is to ascribe partners to Allah. In addition to this, any kind of sinful behavior is a type of dhulm against oneself. The sinner is harming himself and not behaving properly toward his own soul when he commits a sin. This is why Allah describes going beyond the limits He has set as a kind of dhulm.
Second, the dhulm that a person commits toward others: Any kind of harm that a person does to another is a form of dhulm and is forbidden. A Muslim may not harm another's honor, wealth or life.
A third type of dhulm is that committed toward the other creatures Allah has created or toward creation in general. For example, if a person kills an animal just for sport or play, he has committed dhulm. If a person mutilates an animal, he has committed dhulm and is deserving of being cursed. Al-Bukhari records from ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the person who mutilated animals.

Another important way of categorizing dhulm is into the following three divisions, as done by al-Hakeemi, first, the dhulm that is not forgiven by Allah (unless one repents), which is shirk. Second, dhulm that will not be overlooked until it is reconciled in either this life or the next, and that is the wrongdoing toward other humans. This kind of wrongdoing cannot be left without it being resolved — either by forgiveness from the wronged person or punishment in this life or the Hereafter. Third, dhulm that Allah may either overlook or punish one for. These are the sins, other than associating partners with Allah, which a person commits and which only affect himself.
The one who commits dhulm must realize that Allah is not unaware of what he is doing. Allah will take him to task even though Allah may be giving him some respite at the present moment. One of the reasons that a people are destroyed by Allah is the dhulm that they commit. There are also numerous hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ)that condemn and censure dhulm. The one who commits dhulm must be especially fearful when he realizes that the supplication of the one he is wronging will be responded to by Allah, even if that wronged person were an unbeliever. On the other hand, Allah praises the opposite of dhulm, which is thecharacteristic of justice and integrity."

Flamingo asked, "How to keep oneself from committing dhulm?" Starling said, "In the Quran, Allah has described mankind as apt to committing a great deal of dhulm to itself and others. It is easy for man, given his nature, to commit dhulm and he is prone to committing dhulm often. When a Muslim realizes this fact and he also realizes how dangerous dhulm is to his religion and well-being, he will seek the means that will help him avoid dhulm as much as possible. Sultaan mentions the following means that may help a person in preventing himself from committing. First, the person must develop taqwa within himself. Taqwa will help the person remain away from dhulm as dhulm is an act that is very displeasing to Allah and He has forbidden it. Second, the person should try to develop humility within himself. Sultaan mentions this point because he says that humility is the opposite of pride and arrogance, which are two of the factors that lead many people to commit dhulm. Third, the person should try to free himself from any feeling of hasad (envy) because hasad is also a major cause behind much dhulm. Fourth, the person should read about the great reward for being just and righteous (the opposite of dhulm) and how pleasing that is toAllah. In other words, he should read those verses in the Quran and hadith, that will incite him to take on those praiseworthy characteristics. Fifth, he should turn to Allah and pray for guidance and help in purifying his soul of this great evil. Sixth, the person should think about and take seriously the evil results of committing dhulm. He should realize that no real success or prosperity will ever come to those who are dhaalimeen (wrongdoers). He should reflect upon the fact that committing dhulm may keep one from getting guided by Allah. In his prayers, while reciting surah al-Faatiha, he may ask Allah to guide him to the straight path but he may not be so guided because of his acts of dhulm which are a barrier to his complete guidance. He should also consider the punishment for the wrongdoers. He should recall that the punishment for the wrongdoers is not just in the next life but, one way or another, they will receive some punishment in this life."

Starling then said, "O my brothers and sisters, this is one of the most important hadith; it is a must to memorize it and ponder over its meanings as it has uncountable important points to it. It prohibits all forms of injustice and oppression, thus leading to justice, which is one of the main goals of the shariah. Furthermore, it encourages one to pray to Allah for guidance and one's worldly needs, for supplication is one of the greatest forms of worship. The hadith also discusses some of the attributes of Allah, such as His being free of any need of this creation.

One of the characteristics that must distinguish the true believers from all others, is their justice, or 'adl, even with respect to people they hate. Their hatred for a people does not allow them to swerve from justice in any way. The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, understood well that the establishment of justice was one of the key goals of the religion of Islam. When asked by the Emperor of Persia what brought the Muslims to their lands, two different Companions answered in similar terms, "Allah has sent us to take whoever wishes from the servitude of mankind to the servitude of Allah, and from the tightness of this world to its expanse, and from the injustice of the ways of life in this world to the justice of Islam.

The opposite of dhulm is 'adl or justice. 'Adl is to put something in its place. So, the point is, that mankind must establish justice, or 'Adl.  However, justice is only established by following what Allah has revealed. The polytheists established some of their own practices and forbid many things without any authority from Allah. Allah revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell them that such are not the just matters that Allah has ordered him to do.
The greatest justice is tawheed and the greatest injustice is shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah is the only One with attributes that make Him worthy of worship. Allah also created every human and bestowed upon each numerous bounties. For humans to then turn to others and worship others alongside Allah is the greatest form of injustice. Allah bestows on them bounties and then they worship and thank others. This is like a person doing a favor for someone and then that person goes and thanks a third person for the favor. Such is not proper or just behavior by any means.

The true source of justice and truth is to be found in what Allah has revealed. The greatest source of evil and injustice is the ignoring of what Allah has revealed. Allah describes those who do not abide by what He has revealed as the wrongdoers and oppressors.
Allah knows what is truth and justice. In His mercy, He has revealed the Books and sent Messengers to establish that true justice. However, ignorant humans actually turn their back on Allah's revelations in the name of justice. They believe that they can establish justice through their own man-made laws and systems. Democratic movements, liberal slogans, secularist philosophies, women's liberation movements and so forth are all, they claim, meant to bring about justice. But they can never bring about justice. They can never bring about justice because their very foundation is an extreme case of injustice or dhulm. Their very foundation is to ignore Allah as the source of guidance and  to replace Him by man himself. This is putting man in the place of God and  there can be no greater injustice than that. This is the reality although they may  not realize it or they may claim to be calling to what is just and good.
And do you know, my brothers and sisters, if justice is enforced, what follows it?" Shama said, "Prosperity!" Starling said, "That's right my brtother! And Allah knows best."

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted." - [QS.4:135]

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Reference :
- Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, Commentary On The Forty Hadith Of Al Nawawi Volume 2, Al-Basheer Publications