Part of The Story of Yusuf and al-'Aziz's Wife (series completed)
· Lesson 11 of 25
The story of Joseph and the wife of Al-Aziz | Episode (11) | Defend yourself if you are wronged, for God is your supporter
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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The story of Yusuf, peace be upon him,
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with the wife of al-Aziz:
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defend yourself whenever you are wronged,
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for indeed Allah will grant you victory.
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The Shariah has come prohibiting injustice,
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restraining the hand of the wrongdoer,
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aiding the victim of oppression,
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and ordaining self-defense to ward off impending injustice,
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so that the oppressor does not dare harm people,
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and lest society turn into a jungle
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where the strong devour the weak
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and injustice spreads among the people.
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In the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him,
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with the wife of al-Aziz,
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Yusuf defended himself
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when the wife of al-Aziz cast
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the accusation upon him
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out of slander and injustice.
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Yusuf responded to her,
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directing his speech to al-Aziz,
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who had treated him kindly before.
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He said:
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Yusuf, peace be upon him, took
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the legitimate, prescribed means
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in defending himself and his honor.
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He maintained exemplary manners
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in his speech
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when confronting the slander of the wife of al-Aziz.
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He spoke with utmost brevity
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and precise, well-measured words,
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without reviling her,
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without explicitly accusing her of lying,
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without exceeding boundaries in wording,
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and without any obscenity.
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He said:
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“(Joseph) said: She it was who asked of me an evil act. And a witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before, then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars.” (12:26)
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Indeed, conditioning people to accept injustice
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and to bow down before the oppressor
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is an attitude of pre-Islamic ignorance (Jahiliyyah)
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that Islam came to eradicate.
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Promoting this corrupt conditioning,
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which has become widespread across many
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Muslim societies,
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especially in recent decades,
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is driven by dubious entities
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who have cloaked themselves in religious guise.
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It has been promoted by those in whose hearts is
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a sickness and envy toward those working for Islam
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who offer sincere counsel to the Ummah,
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until many among the general public
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and even the elite have been influenced by this rhetoric.
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Indeed, the Shariah of Islam
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came with teachings to combat this ignorant mentality,
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commanding the exact opposite of what
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this ignorant notion calls for.
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The Shariah of Islam has established
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numerous teachings—
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difficult to enumerate in a brief article—
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all pointing to cultivating resistance against oppression,
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and checking the wrongdoer and staying his hands.
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Among these:
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First:
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the categorical prohibition of injustice in the first place,
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as stated in the Hadith Qudsi:
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"O My servants,
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I have forbidden injustice for Myself,
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and I have made it forbidden among you,
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so do not wrong one another."
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Narrated by Muslim.
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Second:
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Allah's command to lift oppression from people is not fulfilled
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except by stopping the wrongdoer from persisting in his wrongdoing,
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fulfilling the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
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"Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed."
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A man said,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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I help him if he is oppressed,
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but tell me, if he is an oppressor,
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how shall I help him?"
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He said,
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"Restrain him or prevent him from wrongdoing,
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for that indeed is helping him."
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Narrated by al-Bukhari.
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Restraining the oppressor from wrongdoing
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is a divine law
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upheld by reformers in Muslim societies—
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including scholars, callers, and notable figures—
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in every time and place.
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Third:
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the Shariah commands the victim of injustice
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to defend himself
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and protect his honor and property.
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On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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and said,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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what if a man comes wishing to seize my property?"
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He replied,
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"Then do not give him your property."
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He asked,
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"What if he fights me?"
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He replied,
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"Fight him."
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He asked,
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"What if he kills me?"
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He replied,
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"Then you are a martyr."
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He asked,
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"What if I kill him?"
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He replied,
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"He is in the Hellfire."
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Fourth:
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the Shariah considers whoever is killed
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while repelling injustice from himself to be a martyr.
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
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"Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr;
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whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr;
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whoever is killed defending his life is a martyr;
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and whoever is killed defending his family is a martyr."
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Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
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Fifth:
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those who are wronged are promised victory,
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whether sooner or later.
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Allah Almighty said:
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“Sanction is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory;” (22:39)
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“Sanction is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory;” (22:39)
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"Those who were expelled from their homes
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without right..."
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“Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah - For had it not been for Allah's repelling some men by means of others, cloisters and churches and oratories and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft mentioned, would assuredly have been pulled down. Verily Allah helpeth one who helpeth Him. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty -” (22:40)
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"And were it not that Allah repels
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some people by means of others,
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monasteries would have been demolished,
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as well as churches, synagogues,
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and mosques in which
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the name of Allah is mentioned much..."
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“Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah - For had it not been for Allah's repelling some men by means of others, cloisters and churches and oratories and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft mentioned, would assuredly have been pulled down. Verily Allah helpeth one who helpeth Him. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty -” (22:40)
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"Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might."
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The Almighty clarified that repelling injustice
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is an ongoing divine norm (sunnah)
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through which societies are preserved
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and people's worship remains protected.
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Sixth:
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our Lord, glorified and
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exalted be He, permitted the wronged person
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to speak out against the one who wronged him.
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The Almighty said:
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“Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Hearer, Knower.” (4:148)
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"...the public mention of evil speech
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except by one who has been wronged..."
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“Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Hearer, Knower.” (4:148)
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Al-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"The Almighty informs us
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that He does not like the public utterance
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of evil speech;
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meaning, He detests it, loathes it, and punishes for it.
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This includes all wicked statements
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that offend and cause distress,
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such as insults, slander, vilification, and the like;
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all of this is forbidden
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and hated by Allah.
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Its opposite meaning indicates
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that He loves good speech,
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such as remembrance of Allah and kind, gentle words.
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As for His saying: 'except by one who has been wronged,'
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it means that it is permissible for him to supplicate against his oppressor, complain of him,
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and publicly voice grievances against the one who wronged him publicly,
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without lying against him,
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without exaggerating the injustice done,
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and without transgressing by insulting anyone other than his oppressor."
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Seventh: Allah praised poets
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who deploy their poetry to defend against oppressors.
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He said:
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"And the poets—the deviators follow them.
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Do you not see that they wander aimlessly in every valley?..."
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“And how they say that which they do not?” (26:226)
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"Except those who believe, do righteous deeds,
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remember Allah often,
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“Save those who believe and do good works, and remember Allah much, and vindicate themselves after they have been wronged. Those who do wrong will come to know by what a (great) reverse they will be overturned!” (26:227)
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and defend themselves after being wronged. And those who do wrong will know
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to what kind of return they will be returned."
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Eighth:
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the Almighty explained that among the qualities of the believers
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is seeking redress against those who wrong them.
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He said:
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"And those who, when tyranny strikes them, defend themselves..."
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“The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers.” (42:40)
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"...but whoever pardons and reconciles, his reward is with Allah..."
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“The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers.” (42:40)
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“And whoso defendeth himself after he hath suffered wrong - for such, there is no way (of blame) against them.” (42:41)
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“And whoso defendeth himself after he hath suffered wrong - for such, there is no way (of blame) against them.” (42:41)
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“The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom.” (42:42)
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“The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom.” (42:42)
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"...those will have a painful punishment."
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Ninth:
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when Abu Bakr sensed
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that people might stay silent regarding the oppressor
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due to their misunderstanding of a verse from the Book of Allah,
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he stood up to deliver a sermon among them and said:
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"O people,
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you recite this verse
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and apply it out of its proper context:
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'Take care of your own souls;
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“O ye who believe! Ye have charge of your own souls. He who erreth cannot injure you if ye are rightly guided. Unto Allah ye will all return; and then He will inform you of what ye used to do.” (5:105)
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indeed, we heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
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'When people see an oppressor
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and do not restrain his hands,
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Allah will soon encompass them all with punishment.'"
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Narrated by Abu Dawud.
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Tenth:
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al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, titled a chapter in his Sahih:
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"Chapter on Seeking Redress Against the Oppressor,"
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citing the words of the Almighty:
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“Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Hearer, Knower.” (4:148)
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"...except by one who has been wronged..."
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“Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Hearer, Knower.” (4:148)
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"And those who, when tyranny strikes them, defend themselves."
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Ibrahim said,
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"They disliked to let themselves be humiliated,
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but when they had the upper hand, they pardoned."
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There are many other proofs besides these,
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which are difficult to enumerate,
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to say nothing of the statements of the scholars
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affirming the Muslim's right
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to defend himself when wronged.
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Yet after all this,
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someone comes along promoting among Muslims
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the exact opposite of what these proofs indicate,
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wanting to impose a Christian-like monastic way upon Muslims:
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"If he strikes you on your left cheek,
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turn to him your right cheek."
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And whoever opposes their understanding and methodology,
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they label as one of the Kharijites!
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Through this, they have practiced
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an intellectual terrorism upon the people,
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which has silenced them
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in the face of injustice,
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out of fear of being accused of what is not in them,
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thus suffering another layer of oppression
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on top of the injustice that had already afflicted them.
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Indeed, Yusuf, peace be upon him,
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defended himself with dignified speech
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marked by the noble manners of the Prophets.
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And every wronged person
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who follows the methodology of the Prophets
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in defending themselves
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is praiseworthy, not blameworthy.
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Rather, blame falls squarely on whoever faults them
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for seeking redress against the oppressor.
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But how did Allah defend Yusuf, peace be upon him,
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after he had defended himself
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with the means at his disposal?
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There is more to be said on this topic,
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and we shall continue, if Allah wills, in an upcoming gathering
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the story of Yusuf with the wife of the 'Aziz.