Continuation of the chapter: "The Chapter on Oppression Being Darknesses" — Explanation of the hadith of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Therefore, Abu Dharr said: From the Prophet, from Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: .
Abu Idris — who is one of the narrators of this hadith — would kneel on his knees when he narrated this hadith. End of the hadith:
And Abu Idris, the narrator of the hadith, knelt on his knees to indicate the importance of this Holy Hadith. It is the state of a person when he is surprised by something; he stands on his knees as if stunned and overwhelmed. So, this hadith, in reality, while being from the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) — and the speech of Allah has an effect, as you all know — also clarifies that He is the One who is free of need from all creation, and that He is the One who bestows favor upon all His servants. So, in this Holy Hadith, He details something of His (Blessed and Exalted is He) greatness and majesty:
First of all, He addresses His servants and says:Sahih Muslim 2577a:
In this first paragraph, there is a very extensive discussion related to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) on one hand, and on the other hand to what they call the science of theology (kalam), because the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):Sahih Muslim 2577a contains an explicit statement of two things, one of which many people may not notice. As for the fact that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is free from oppression, this is a matter agreed upon by all Muslims, and there are many, many verses in this regard. However, the philosophy of this prohibition is related to the science of theology. We hear and read in this hadith this expression that did not come in the Noble Qur'an. Our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) declares in the Qur'an that He does not wrong people in any way, and there is no doubt in that. But the hadith explicitly states something else, saying: Sahih Muslim 2577a:
And this means that within the power of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), if He willed, He could wrong people. Where do we take this from?
From His saying:Sahih Muslim 2577a In it is a very strong indication that oppression is within the reach of the power of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and that He is capable of everything, including wronging people if He willed. But Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this hadith alerts us that out of His perfection, He has elevated Himself above wronging people in any way, even though He is able to do so. But far be it from Him to wrong people in any way. Therefore, this explicit Arabic expression came: Sahih Muslim 2577a.
As for what is related to the science of theology, it is to clarify what is meant by oppression, or in other words, what is the linguistic meaning of oppression:
"Oppression in language is placing a thing in other than its appropriate place", oppression in language: it is placing a thing in other than its appropriate place. And the phrase of one of the great scholars of language, in the exact text, al-Raghib al-Asbahani said: "— meaning oppression in language — placing a thing in other than its specific place by deficiency or excess, or deviation from its time or place", this is the definition of oppression. So, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) when He explicitly states in this hadith that He has forbidden oppression for Himself, it means that He does not place a thing in other than its befitting place, He does not place a thing in its appropriate place deficient or excessive, or similar to that which contradicts the attribute of perfection. This is oppression, and this is what our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has declared Himself free from.
O My servants, indeed I have forbidden oppression for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, you are those who err in the night and the day, and I forgive sins and do not care, so seek forgiveness from Me and I will forgive you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except the one I feed, so ask Me for food and I will feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except the one I clothe, so ask Me for clothing and I will clothe you. O My servants, if your first and last, and your humans and jinn, were upon the most pious heart of one of your servants, that would not increase anything in My kingdom. And if they were upon the most wicked heart of a man, that would not decrease anything from My kingdom. And if they gathered on one plain and asked Me, and I gave every person among them what he asked, that would not decrease anything from My kingdom except as the sea is decreased by a needle dipping in it once. O My servants, it is only your deeds that I record for you. So whoever finds good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds other than that, let him not blame anyone but himself.
يا عبادي إني حرَّمت الظلم على نفسي وجعلته بينكم محرماً فلا تظالموا ، يا عبادي إنكم الذين تُخطئون بالليل والنهار وأنا أغفر الذنوب ولا أُبالي فاستغفروني أغفر لكم ، يا عبادي كلكم جائع إلا من أطعمته فاستطعموني أطعمكم ، يا عبادي كلكم عار إلى من كسوته فاستكسوني أكسُكم ، يا عبادي لو أنَّ أولكم وآخركم وإنسكم وجنكم كانوا على أتقى قلب عبدٍ منكم لم يزد ذلك في ملكي شيئاً ، ولو كانوا على أفجر قلب رجل لم ينقص ذلك من ملكي شيئاً ، ولو اجتمعوا في صعيدٍ واحدٍ فسألوني فأعطيت كل إنسانٍ منهم ما سأل لم ينقص ذلك من ملكي شيئاً إلا كما ينقص البحرُ أن يغمص فيه المــــِخيط غمسة واحدة ، يا عبادي إنما هي أعمالكم أجعلها عليكم ، فمن وجد خيراً فليحمد الله ، ومن وجد غير ذلك فلا يلومُ إلا نفسهAbu Idris — who is one of the narrators of this hadith — would kneel on his knees when he narrated this hadith. End of the hadith:
And Abu Idris, the narrator of the hadith, knelt on his knees to indicate the importance of this Holy Hadith. It is the state of a person when he is surprised by something; he stands on his knees as if stunned and overwhelmed. So, this hadith, in reality, while being from the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) — and the speech of Allah has an effect, as you all know — also clarifies that He is the One who is free of need from all creation, and that He is the One who bestows favor upon all His servants. So, in this Holy Hadith, He details something of His (Blessed and Exalted is He) greatness and majesty:
First of all, He addresses His servants and says:
O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself
يا عبادي إني حرَّمتُ الظلم على نفسيIn this first paragraph, there is a very extensive discussion related to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) on one hand, and on the other hand to what they call the science of theology (kalam), because the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
I have forbidden oppression for Myself
حرمت الظلم على نفسيI have forbidden oppression for Myself
حرمت الظلم على نفسيAnd this means that within the power of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), if He willed, He could wrong people. Where do we take this from?
From His saying:
I have forbidden oppression for Myself
حرمت الظلم على نفسيI have forbidden oppression for Myself
إني حرمت الظلم على نفسيAs for what is related to the science of theology, it is to clarify what is meant by oppression, or in other words, what is the linguistic meaning of oppression:
"Oppression in language is placing a thing in other than its appropriate place", oppression in language: it is placing a thing in other than its appropriate place. And the phrase of one of the great scholars of language, in the exact text, al-Raghib al-Asbahani said: "— meaning oppression in language — placing a thing in other than its specific place by deficiency or excess, or deviation from its time or place", this is the definition of oppression. So, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) when He explicitly states in this hadith that He has forbidden oppression for Himself, it means that He does not place a thing in other than its befitting place, He does not place a thing in its appropriate place deficient or excessive, or similar to that which contradicts the attribute of perfection. This is oppression, and this is what our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has declared Himself free from.