Zalama signifies to oppress, suppress or tyrannize. It also signifies to do wrong or evil, to treat unjustly or to deprive anyone of a right. Zalam is the root verb and it has twenty-five different forms. It and they appear have been used in the as many as 289 times. This vast number of occurrences signifies the importance of this issue for Islam.
Islam opposes zulm (injustice). In a hadith God says: ‘O, my slaves. I prohibited injustice on Myself so do not do injustice on each other.’ The Prophet also said, ‘Injustice is darkness on the Day of Judgement’.
Zulm signifies putting a thing in the wrong place. The Arabic proverb, ‘Whoever assigned the wolf to guard the sheep has done wrong’, demon strates this meaning. Pertaining to man’s actions, there are three kinds of zulm. The first is between man and God: anyone who rejects faith in God and his revelation is zalim (aggressor), thus ‘Those who reject faith and do wrong—Allah will not forgive them’ (4.167). The second is between man and man: the Prophet said that this is the worst kind of zulm for Allah does not forgive those who do injustice to other people—‘Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a Fire into their own bodies’ (4.10). The victim is the only one who has the right to forgive his oppressors. The third is between man and himself: ‘They harmed Us not but they used to do injustice on themselves’ (7.160).
RAFIK BERJAK
This is the complete article, containing 253 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
as many as 289 times. This vast number of occurrences signifies the importance of this issue for Islam.
