Protection of the Oppressed
The duty to stand against oppression and protect the rights of the vulnerable.
Islam strongly condemns oppression (zulm) and mandates support for the oppressed. The Prophet (PBUH) said: 'Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.' When asked how to help an oppressor, he said: 'Prevent him from oppressing—that is helping him.' The Quran describes believers as those who 'do not submit to oppression.' Allah is with the oppressed, and their du'a is answered without barrier. Standing against oppression is a duty even when the oppressor is a ruler or relative. Justice must be upheld regardless of who is at fault.
And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women, and children?
The Prophet (PBUH) said: 'Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.'
Quran
Written about in
- What Islam says about justice
Standing with those who cannot defend themselves is stated as a duty rather than a virtue. The verse names women and children specifically.
- What Islam says about forgiveness
Here the tradition sets a limit on forgiveness that is easy to miss. 'Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed' — and helping the oppressor means stopping him from oppressing. Pardoning someone privately does not cancel the duty to prevent what he is still doing to others.