AFTERMATH OF INJUSTICE

By

Ibn 'Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

If we all understand the fact that anything stolen or obtained unjustly from us are forms of sadaqah that we would harvest on the Day of Judgment, we would learn how to be patient upon many of the crimes or fraudulent acts committed against us. Those who plant seeds that became food at the end of the day would get reward for every mouths that taste the food. Even that which is stolen from farm produces are sadaqah (charity) for the owner of the farm. A farmer will also have rewards for those part of the farm produce that are destroyed by natural disaster or that are afflicted by viruses or damaged through human wickedness. In a hadith reported by Jabir ibn 'Abdillah رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said : 

((ما من مسلم يغرس غرسا إلا كان عليه ما أكل منه له صدقة, وما سرق منه له صدقة ,ولا يرزؤه أحد إلا كان له صدقة)) رواه مسلم

"No one from among the Muslims would sow a plant except that it is for him what was eaten out of it charity, and non of it is stolen except that it is charity, and non of it is destroyed by anyone except that it is charity" [Sahih Muslim]

In another hadith that describes who a muflis (bankrupt) is, Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said a bankrupt is someone who dies upon many acts of worship, but unfortunately, he committed acts of injustice against different kind of people by way of cheating, stealing, backbitting, murder and so on. His good deeds would be used to settle those he cheated, killed unjustly backbitted, insulted, maltreated etc. The case of such a person will be so bad to the extent that by the time his good deeds are exausted while offsetting his victims, if there are still other people he had wronged, the sins of those people would be added to his scale until he has nothing to lay claim to, and he willl be thrown into hell  fire. May Allah save us from all forms of bankruptcy. This is the worst form of bankrupcy. No wonder, one of the scholars said the one who backbites only hurt himself and not the one being backbitted. Similarly, people who commit acts of injustice against other people are only harming and destroying themselves.

Therefore, there is no point in revenging or paying back evil with evil if we really understand this concept very well. Let us be patient on any act of injustice committed against us. This doesn't mean we cannot seek redress in a court of law or appropriate quarters to get some reliefs, but we should always believe Allaah سبحانه وتعالى is the best Judge and He will never be unjust. 

Only Allaah knows what will be the fate of those who steal public funds that are meant for infrastructural developments in our society. If the funds belongs to the nation, it means every members of that nation has been unjustly treated and they will be retributted by the looter on the Day of Judgment. Only Allaah knows how many people have been imprisonment or punished unjustly. Only Allaah knows how many people have died because a single person or group of persons pocketed billions of naira that is meant to provide free healthcare facilities in the community. Only Allaah knows how many lives we have lost on our roads just because some people have embezzled funds meant to provide good roads. Only Allaah knows how many people have been killled for rituals in our society. Only Allaah knows how many people have been killed unjustly with weapons of mass destruction. A lot of people are hungry, they can't pay school fees of their children, not to even talk of paying rents or buying clothes because some few people have swallowed their entitlements. 

For Allaah's sake, if each and everyone of us are to be asking for our rights from looters of public funds, how would they be able to defend themselves? So, brothers and sisters, be patient, don't engage in open protest, don't be angry, don't be provoked, all acts of injustice being committed against you would be indemnified on the Day of Judgement when money, connections, race, nobility, colour, would be of no benefit. On the Day of Judgment, every secrets would be made open and wrongdoers and wicked people would not have any escape route.

May Allaah guide us aright.