Governance & Politics · Quran topic

Injustice

الظلم · Zulm

Putting things where they do not belong harms the soul, ruins societies, and earns divine accountability.

105 verses · 7 parts · 9 min read

Study guide based on

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

«الظلم» · Volume 11

At a glance

In the Quran, justice is the bedrock upon which the heavens and the earth stand, while injustice, or الظلم dhulm, is its devastating opposite. At its linguistic core, dhulm means placing something where it does not rightly belong, whether by excess, deficit, or choosing the wrong time or setting. Whenever a person deviates from the boundary set by Allah, strips someone of their rights, or offers devotion to other than the Creator, they commit an act of injustice.

The Quran mentions the root (ظ ل م) hundreds of times, warning humanity that while Allah is entirely exalted above wrongdoing, people routinely wrong themselves and others. Dhulm begins in subtle ways: giving in to impulses, neglecting repentance, or harboring arrogance, but its outcomes can corrupt entire communities and devastate the soul.

Studying the Quranic presentation of dhulm helps us recognize our vulnerabilities. It urges believers to champion fairness, curb anger, protect sacred bonds, and actively rectify wrongful deeds before facing the ultimate accountability of the Hereafter.

Key verses

Hud 11:101: Allah affirms that when past civilizations were ruined, He did not wrong them; rather, they wronged their own souls through disbelief and transgression.
Luqman 31:13: Luqman counsels his son that associating partners with Allah is an immense injustice, as it directs worship away from the only One worthy of it.
Ibrahim 14:34: Humanity is inherently prone to wrongdoing and ungratefulness, failing to appreciate divine blessings unless guided by sincere faith.

Words to know

الظُّلْم al-dhulm

Placing something where it does not rightly belong, whether by addition, reduction, or deviation from truth, used in the Quran for both major sins like shirk and minor transgressions.

Appears 315 times in the Quran.

Most common forms: ظالِم (129), ظَلَمَ (110), ظُلُمَة (23), ظُلْم (20), أَظْلَم (16)

Root: ظ ل م

البَغْي al-baghy

Seeking to exceed moderation in whatever one undertakes, which can be either blameworthy or praiseworthy, though mostly blameworthy in the Quran.

Root: ب غ ي

الطُّغْيَان al-tughyan

Exceeding the boundary in disobedience and oppression, specifically involving dominance, coercion, and severe wrongdoing.

Root: ط غ ي

الجَوْر al-jawr

Deviating from the straight path and departing from balance in governance or judgment by exceeding or falling short.

Exonerating Allah from injustice

From the paper: «تنزيه الله سبحانه عن الظلم»

The Quran repeatedly exalts Allah above any form of injustice. In both Meccan and Medinan passages, He explicitly negates wrongdoing from Himself, asserting that He never treats His servants with tyranny Al-Anfal 8:51. Scholars note that when the Quran uses intensive terms to deny injustice, it refutes both the origin and abundance of dhulm: if extensive oppression is negated despite its perceived power, then slight wrongdoing is all the more impossible for the All-Wise, All-Merciful Creator.

Divine retribution is never arbitrary. When past communities faced destruction, it was not because Allah willed injustice upon them, but because they continually defied guidance and transgressed boundaries Ghafir 40:31. In parallel expressions, the Quran declares that Allah never wronged those who suffered punishment; rather, they destroyed themselves through their own persistent sins An-Nahl 16:33, At-Tawbah 9:70.

Even on the Day of Judgment, transgressors will confess their misdeeds and openly acknowledge divine justice Al-Mulk 67:11, Al-An'am 6:130. As affirmed in sacred tradition, Allah has forbidden injustice for Himself and made it strictly forbidden among creation.

«يتضح من الأمثلة السابقة أن الله سبحانه قد نفى الظلم عن نفسه بأكثر من صيغة، وهذا يدل على أن الله سبحانه عدلٌ لا يظلم أحدًا من مخلوقاته.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Injustice as a human tendency

From the paper: «الظلم طبيعة إنسانية»

Allah honored the children of Adam above much of creation, endowing humanity with intellect, a noble form, and the inner capacity to choose between gratitude and rejection Al-Isra 17:70, At-Tin 95:4, Al-Insan 76:3. Humans possess a primordial disposition, or fitrah, inclined toward monotheism and virtue, having borne witness to Allah's lordship before entering earthly existence Al-A'raf 7:172, Ar-Rum 30:30.

Despite this spiritual potential, the Quran highlights that humanity has a recurring vulnerability toward wrongdoing and ingratitude. When people receive countless divine blessings, many fail to recognize the Giver and instead direct their devotion toward false alternatives, placing gratitude where it does not belong Ibrahim 14:34. By prioritizing fleeting desires over their true spiritual purpose, humans frequently harm their own souls Al-Ankabut 29:40.

Scholars observe that dhulm is an inclination within human nature that thrives when nurtured by evil surroundings, unchecked power, and weak moral restraint. However, when an upright community enforces justice, champions the weak, and upholds divine boundaries, this base inclination can be transformed into righteousness and fairness.

«ورغم كل هذا فقد ذكر الله سبحانه في القرآن الكريم طبائع ذميمة تتنافى مع طبيعة الإنسان التي فطر الله الناس عليها، والتي منها الظلم الذي أكد القرآن الكريم وجوده في الطبيعة الإنسانية.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Types of injustice

From the paper: «أنواع الظلم»

The Quran categorizes injustice into two broad dimensions: wronging oneself and wronging others. The gravest form of wronging oneself is associating partners with Allah, which Luqman identified as an immense injustice Luqman 31:13. Shirk attributes divine qualities to created beings that possess neither benefit nor harm Ar-Ra'd 13:16, stripping the soul of heavenly reward and leading to eternal loss Ali 'Imran 3:151, Al-Ma'idah 5:72. Self-inflicted injustice also encompasses disbelief Al-Baqarah 2:254, major hypocrisy that conceals hostility beneath a facade of faith At-Tawbah 9:65-66, Al-Munafiqun 63:1, violating divine boundaries Al-Baqarah 2:229, preventing remembrance in mosques Al-Baqarah 2:114, concealing testimony Al-Baqarah 2:140, and forging lies against Allah Al-An'am 6:144.

The second dimension involves harming others. This includes:

Social mistreatment such as backbiting, defamation, slander, false accusations, and bearing false witness.
Material exploitation, such as unlawfully killing a soul Al-Isra 17:33, usurping land, consuming wealth through false means An-Nisa 4:29, dealing in usury An-Nisa 4:160-161, cheating in transactions, and delaying debt repayment.
Domestic wrongdoing, including disrespecting parents Al-Isra 17:23, withholding financial support, showing favoritism among children, depriving women of their inheritance An-Nisa 4:11, and severing family ties Muhammad 47:22.

Islam commands absolute equity across all interactions Al-An'am 6:152, reminding believers that personal animosity must never justify injustice Al-Ma'idah 5:8.

«ومن الشرك: التقرّب إلى الموتى وأصحاب القبور من الأولياء والصالحين وغيرهم، وذلك بدعائهم والاستغاثة بهم، والذبح والنذر لهم، والطواف بقبورهم، والحلف بهم تعظيمًا لهم، واعتقاد النفع والضر فيهم، وأن لهم تصرفًا في هذا الكون، وقدرة على الدفع والرفع والضر والنفع والعطاء والمنع.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Causes of injustice

From the paper: «أسباب الظلم»

Injustice does not arise in a vacuum; it stems from distinct spiritual ailments identified across the Quran:

Disbelief and ingratitude: Denying Allah's favors leads directly to placing deeds and words outside their proper divine boundaries Al-Baqarah 2:254.
Following whim and conjecture: Tyrants and transgressors abandon sound reflection and follow blind desires, which alienates them from the truth Ar-Rum 30:29.
Arrogance and opulence: Abundance in health or wealth often deludes a person into thinking they are self-sufficient, prompting them to exceed boundaries and look down upon others Al-Alaq 96:6-7, as seen in the defiance of Nimrod Al-Baqarah 2:258 and Pharaoh An-Nazi'at 79:17-24.
Envy: Resentment of others' blessings caused Iblis to refuse prostrating before Adam Sad 38:76, and drove Qabil to murder his brother Habil.
Aligning with oppressors: Leaning on wrongdoers and validating their conduct makes one complicit in their sin, drawing divine wrath Hud 11:113, At-Tawbah 9:23, Al-Ma'idah 5:51.
Abandoning repentance: Persisting in sin without seeking forgiveness hardens the heart and deepens oppression against oneself and others Al-Hujurat 49:11, whereas sincere reform opens divine mercy Al-Ma'idah 5:39.
Pursuing base desires: Chasing forbidden physical and material pleasures leads people to breach divine boundaries and sever social bonds Al-Baqarah 2:229, An-Nisa 4:27.

«ولو قال: (الظالمون هم الكافرون) لكان قد حكم على كل ظالم -وهو من يضع الشيء في غير موضعه- بالكفر.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Ways to prevent and remedy injustice

From the paper: «سبل الوقاية من الظلم وطرق العلاج»

The Quran outlines proactive defenses to prevent dhulm before it takes hold:

Establishing universal justice: Upholding fairness without bias prevents the spiral of retaliatory oppression An-Nahl 16:90, Al-Ma'idah 5:8.
Protecting social bonds: Verifying news and dispelling malicious rumors preserves communal harmony Al-Hujurat 49:6.
Restraining anger: Managing rage stops disputes from escalating into hostility Ali 'Imran 3:134.
Confronting the oppressor: Communities must restrain wrongdoers rather than standing by passively Al-Ma'idah 5:105.
Avoiding reliance on oppressors: Withholding support, affection, and emulation from tyrants deprives them of the power to oppress Hud 11:113, Al-Qasas 28:40.

When injustice has already occurred, the Quran prescribes practical remedies. First, living intimately with the Quran and prophetic teachings reveals the destructive end of oppressors Al-Ahqaf 46:12, Al-Hajj 22:45. Second, sincere repentance requires ceasing the sin, feeling genuine remorse, resolving not to repeat it, and returning rights to their rightful owners At-Tahrim 66:8. Third, reminding transgressors of historical consequences may prompt them to reconsider Al-A'raf 7:164. Fourth, cultivating internal awareness and reverence of Allah shields the heart from transgression Ar-Rahman 55:46, An-Nazi'at 79:40-41. Finally, the oppressed can turn to supplication, a potent recourse that ascends directly to Allah without barrier Al-Qamar 54:10.

«فالدعاء سلاح يقصم به الله ظهر المتجبّرين، ويزلزل به عروش المتعالين، وينسف به صولة المتطاولين، ولكن إذا تأخرت إجابة دعوة المظلوم فما هي إلا فرصة متاحة للظالم لكي يراجع نفسه، ويحاسبها على فعلته هذه، حتى يعيد للمظلوم حقه، ويعتذر إليه عما بدر منه، ويتوب إلى الله من هذا العمل.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Effects and consequences of injustice in this world

From the paper: «آثار الظلم وعاقبته في الدنيا»

Injustice carries devastating earthly consequences that tear through personal peace and communal stability. First, it eradicates safety: while faith and equity produce security, wrongdoing breeds chronic fear, anxiety, and vulnerability Al-An'am 6:82. Second, it invites barrenness and economic hardship, replacing prosperity with hunger and dread as a direct result of ingratitude and defiance An-Nahl 16:112. Third, oppressors are stripped of divine guidance and success, earning spiritual estrangement Ali 'Imran 3:86.

Fourth, societies that persist in injustice face deprivation of good things. Past communities had lawful provisions restricted and endured societal collapse due to usury, false consumption of wealth, and impeding others from the truth An-Nisa 4:160-161. Fifth, injustice leads to ruined homes and subjugation: Allah allows tyrants to fall prey to other oppressors, rendering their dwellings desolate ruins An-Naml 27:50-52, Al-An'am 6:129.

Finally, the Quran records the downfall of oppressive civilizations Hud 11:100-102. The flood overtook the people of Nuh after their mockery and persecution Al-Qamar 54:9-15. The town of Lut was pelted with stones after violently defying the laws of nature Al-Ankabut 29:28-35. The people of Thamud were struck down by a catastrophic blast after insolently slaying the miraculous she-camel Al-A'raf 7:73-78. In every instance, their downfall demonstrated that regimes built on injustice inevitably perish.

«قصّ القرآن الكريم على الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم العديد من قصص الأمم السابقة التي خالفت أنبياءها، فظلمتهم وظلمت نفسها، فما كان من الله سبحانه إلا أن انتقم منهم، وأهلكهم بسبب أفعالهم.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Consequences of injustice in the hereafter

From the paper: «عاقبة الظلم في الآخرة»

The consequences of injustice culminate in terrifying punishments in the Hereafter. The distress begins at the moment of death, where angels strike the dying oppressors, demanding their souls amid intense agony and humiliation for their pride and falsehood Al-An'am 6:93.

On the Day of Resurrection, wrongdoers will experience profound disgrace and debasement. They will stand exposed before their Lord, trading blame and futile accusations with those they followed or misled Saba 34:31. Their punishment in the fire is described as an enduring, perpetual torment from which there is no escape or respite Ash-Shura 42:45.

In that dread assembly, no ransom will be accepted. Even if a wrongdoer possessed all the riches of the earth duplicated over, they would gladly offer it to ransom themselves from the penalty, but to no avail Az-Zumar 39:47-48. Struck by horror, they will desperately plead for a second chance to return to the world and act righteously, an impossible request that is firmly denied Ash-Shura 42:44.

Furthermore, absolute justice will be exacted. Every unaddressed grievance will be resolved: the good deeds of the oppressor will be transferred to the oppressed, and if those deeds run out, the sins of the victim will be loaded onto the wrongdoer, ensuring that no injustice goes unanswered.

«فقد بيّن الله سبحانه صورة الظالمين، وما يحل بهم عند سكرات الموت من كرب وهوان.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Takeaways

Evaluate your daily treatment of family and dependents
Social injustice frequently starts at home through parental disrespect, favoritism among children, or unfair distribution of inheritance. Auditing how you treat those closest to you preserves kinship and protects you from subtle dhulm.
Actively verify news before sharing it
Unverified rumors ignite discord and injustice across communities. Following the Quranic command to investigate reports protects innocent reputations and keeps societal bonds intact.
Do not condone or facilitate wrongdoing
Relying on oppressors, praising their conduct, or assisting in their exploitation makes a person an accessory to their guilt. Standing apart from wrongful systems is a vital spiritual safeguard.
Return misappropriated rights immediately
True repentance requires more than remorse: it demands returning stolen wealth, seeking pardon for broken trusts, and undoing slander before earthly accounts transfer to the court of the Hereafter.

Reflect

In what subtle ways might I be placing things where they do not belong in my relationship with Allah?
Is there anyone in my family, workplace, or community whom I have treated unfairly or whose rights I am currently delaying?
When I witness an injustice, do I passively accommodate it, or do I take principled steps to stop it?
What unresolved grievance or broken trust do I need to rectify today before it becomes an unpayable debt on the Day of Judgment?

Go deeper

Linguistic meaning

Linguistically, dhulm derives from placing a thing somewhere other than its proper place, whether by addition or deficit, or by deviating from its proper time or location. It is also associated with darkness and the absence of light.

قال ابن فارس: «الظلم مشتق من ظلم يظلم مظلمة بفتح اللام وكسرها، وأصله وضع الشيء في غير موضعه».

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

Technical meaning

In Quranic terminology, dhulm signifies turning away from correctness and putting something where it does not belong, whether by excess, deficiency, or altering its proper timing or setting. This covers directing worship to other than Allah, ruling by other than His revelation, and depriving people of their rightful dues.

«فالمعنى اللغوي والاصطلاحي متفقان تمامًا.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 11

How it differs from related terms

البغي transgression: While both share the concept of exceeding limits, dhulm is consistently blameworthy, whereas baghy can occasionally be used in a praiseworthy sense of seeking good, though its dominant Quranic usage is blameworthy excess.
الطغيان tyranny: Dhulm represents unmerited harm without compensation, primarily rooted in diminishing rights, while tughyan denotes crossing boundaries into abhorrent wrongdoing accompanied by dominance, coercion, and haughtiness.
الجور incline from equity: Jawr is specifically the departure from uprightness and moderation in governance, ruling, or arbitration, contrasted with adl (justice), whereas dhulm is the baseline reduction of rights, contrasted with insaf (rendering full equity).