The reply to this misunderstanding:
First: Islam prohibits Muslims to oppress others, and this is proved by the following:
1 – Allah, the Almighty, says in the Quran: {And never think that Allah is unaware of what the
wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror]} (Abraham: 42).
2 – Allah, the Almighty, also says: {O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah knows all what you do} (The Table Spread with Food:8).
3 – The speech mentioned in The Correct Series, no. 767, the prophet (PBUH) said: "Be afraid, from the curse of the oppressed, even if he is a disbeliever, as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah."
Notice his (PBUH) words: "even if he is a disbeliever".
4 – The prophet's companions are the best example of justice with others, and this is proved in the biography and history books; some of which were mentioned in the reply to the previous misunderstanding.
Therefore, it's clear now that their allege is false and untrue.
Second: The speech the objectors referred to has many narrations mentioned in The Correct Bukhari. I will mention one of those narrations that illustrate the narration they referred to, and the meaning will be clarified through gathering the two narrations. In The Correct Buhkari, no. 6438, Anas narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: "Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed." A man asked: "O messenger of Allah! I will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?" The prophet (PBUH) replied: "By preventing him from oppressing others, for that is how to help him". Notice that this narration illustrates the other narration they referred to, and clarifies the meaning of how to victory an oppressor.
I say: This will be more clear by giving an example: If there's a Muslim man named (Khaled) is walking to his work, and on his way he finds a Muslim fighting with a Christian; the Muslim beats the Christian so hard. So, he interrupts them and blames the Muslim for beating the Christian man. In this case, Khaled victories the Muslim by stopping him from oppressing the Christian man; so is this oppression for others? Or is it the maximum level of mercy in Muhammad's (PBUH) commandments?
The answer: No doubt that this speech is the best example of Muslims' mercy and justice with others.
Another example: A Muslim man named (Ahmad) is going to the masjed (mosque), when he finds a brother in Islam named (Ismael), and he is smoking. So, Ahmad goes to him and advices him to quit smoking….Here Ahmad victories his brother in Islam, Ismael, as he is oppressing himself by smoking, and this is the meaning of the speech: "Victory your brother whether he's oppressed or an oppressor", and not what the objectors misunderstood.
Third: The prophet (PBUH) prohibited oppressing the promised disbeliever and the people of the book, and this is completely opposite to what the objectors allege. This is proved by the following:
1 – Abu Dawood's Sunan, book of (Capitation), chapter (The people of the book's trade), no. 2654, Abu Sakhr Al Madini narrated from Safwan Ibn Solaim , who narrated from a number of the prophet's companions that he (PBUH) said: "Beware, if anyone oppresses a promised man, or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for him on the day of judgment".
2 – The Correct Bukhari, book of (Capitation) chapter (The Sin of Killing a Promised Man Without Committing a Crime), no. 2930, Abdullah Ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims, shall not smell the smell of paradise though its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years."
Fourth: When reading the Bible, we find the common proverb in Egypt (Me and my brother should unite against our cousin, but me and my cousin should unite against the stranger), which is prohibited in Islam because Muhammad (PBUH) ordered us to be just with people regardless their religion or their relationship with us. This is mentioned when prophet Moses (PBUH) killed the Egyptian man when he fought with his Israeli brother. This is in Exodus 2:11-12:
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.[c] 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand
Someone may say: This story is also mentioned in the Quran!
I say: The Quran mentions the following: {And he entered the city at a time of inattention by its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, "This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy"} (The Stories:15).
Notice: "so Moses struck him and unintentionally killed him". Thus, prophet Moses (PBUH) didn't intend to kill the Egyptian, and Allah, the Almighty, says in the Quran: {And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for]} (The Combined Forces:5).
But the Bible mentions that prophet Moses (PBUH) killed the Egyptian "intentionally", as he kept looking here and there before killing the man to make sure that no one sees him: "12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand"!!
Written by Akram Hassan Morsi
Translation: Professor Islamic translation
