Is it permissible to supplicate against a specific person if he is an oppressor? And if his oppression extends to others, should I supplicate against him?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah bless you, is it permissible to supplicate against a specific person if he is a disbeliever or an oppressor?The Shaykh : How do you say it?
The questioner : Supplication, meaning you supplicate against him, he is an oppressor?The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible for you to supplicate against a person with what he supplicated against you, whether he is specific or not, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 90a and this is a specific thing. And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:194] And He the Exalted said: So if someone wrongs you, you have the right to supplicate to Allah against him with what he wronged you with, but do not exceed the limit.
The questioner : Shaykh, if for example this person's oppression extends to Muslims or groups or such, is it permissible for me to supplicate against him even if I was not wronged?
The Shaykh : If this oppression is from the ruler, from the one in authority, it is obligatory that you ask Allah for guidance for the one in authority, because if you supplicate against him for retribution, the matter will only increase in severity. But if you supplicate to Allah the Exalted and Majestic for him with guidance and success, much good will result from this, because it is the norm that if the shepherd is righteous, the flock will be righteous. For this reason, Imam Ahmad said: "If I knew that I had a supplication that would be answered, I would direct it to the ruler" Yes.
The questioner : Supplication, meaning you supplicate against him, he is an oppressor?The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible for you to supplicate against a person with what he supplicated against you, whether he is specific or not, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
They (the hearers) said: Messenger of Allah, does a man abuse his parents too? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Yes, one abuses the father of another man, who in turn abuses his father. One abuses his mother and he in turn abuses his (the former's) mother.
لعن الله من لعن والديه قالوا : يا رسول الله أيسب الرجل والديه ؟ قال : نعم يسب أبا الرجل فيسب أباه ويسب أمه فيسب أمهSo whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you
فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْAnd the recompense for an evil is an evil like it
وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَاThe questioner : Shaykh, if for example this person's oppression extends to Muslims or groups or such, is it permissible for me to supplicate against him even if I was not wronged?
The Shaykh : If this oppression is from the ruler, from the one in authority, it is obligatory that you ask Allah for guidance for the one in authority, because if you supplicate against him for retribution, the matter will only increase in severity. But if you supplicate to Allah the Exalted and Majestic for him with guidance and success, much good will result from this, because it is the norm that if the shepherd is righteous, the flock will be righteous. For this reason, Imam Ahmad said: "If I knew that I had a supplication that would be answered, I would direct it to the ruler" Yes.