Refutation: “Allah Will Handle the Oppressors — We Just Need to Make Duʿā”

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BY: MUHAMMAD QASIM

The statement, “Don’t worry about oppressors. Allah will deal with them. We only need to make duʿā,” is a false piety that contradicts core Islamic teachings. Islam requires believers to combine duʿā (supplication) with action (ʿamal) against injustice.

1. Qur’anic Evidence: Justice Demands Active Intervention

The Qur’an makes it a mandatory duty to physically, financially, or verbally intervene for the oppressed.

Command to Fight for the Oppressed:

Qur’an 4:75 rebukes passive believers: “And what is [the matter] with you that you do not fight in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed men, women, and children…”
Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr explicitly calls helping the oppressed a religious duty (Fard).

Mandatory Duty of Justice:

Qur’an 4:135 states: “O you who believe! Stand firm for justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves…”

Action Precedes Change:

Qur’an 13:11 establishes the principle of effort: “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Relief follows a community’s genuine effort.

2. Prophetic Evidence (Sunnah): Rejecting Passive Faith

The Prophet Muhammad ($\text{ﷺ}$) established a clear, non-negotiable hierarchy of action against evil, rejecting inaction as an option for a believer

The Three-Level Command to Confront Evil:

Sahih Muslim, Hadith 49: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue. And if he cannot, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.”
Observation: Doing nothing is not a permissible option for a person with faith.
Tawakkul Requires Effort (“Tie Your Camel”):
Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 2517: When asked if he should leave his camel untied and rely on Allah, the Prophet ($\text{ﷺ}$) replied, “Tie it, then trust in Allah.”
Lesson: Duʿā (trust/prayer) without taking all reasonable worldly steps (action) is a misunderstanding of Tawakkul.

3. Scholarly & Theological Evidence: Justice Over Oppression

Classical scholars and sacred texts highlight that justice is a universal, supreme value in Islam that trumps all other considerations.

Allah Forbids Oppression:

Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2577 (Hadith Qudsi): Allah said, “O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another.”

Justice is the Standard for Governance:

Ibn Taymiyyah (in al-Siyāsah al-Sharʿiyyah) stated the famous principle: “Allah supports the just state even if it is led by unbelievers, and He does not support the oppressive state even if it is led by Muslims.”

4. Logical Flaws: The Argument is Based on Fallacies

The “Just Make Duʿā” argument fails logically by creating a false choice and redefining key Islamic terms.

False Dichotomy Fallacy: It falsely claims the choice is “Either pray OR act.” Islam teaches Both pray AND act. Duʿā is a partner to action, not a substitute.
Strawman of Tawakkul: It incorrectly redefines Tawakkul (trust in God) as passivity. The Sunnah defines Tawakkul as exerting maximum effort first, then relying on Allah for the results.

Conclusion: Islam is a religion of both the heart and the hand. We are commanded to pray deeplyandact boldly. We trust Allah, and we tie our camel.

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