Do Not Oppress People by Reporting Them to Oppressors
Ibn ‘Aqil al-Hanbali (d. 513 A.H.) is reported to have said:
رأيت الناس لا يعصمهم من الظلم إلا العجز، ولا أقول العوام، بل العلماء، كانت أيدي الحنابلة مبسوطة في أيام ابن يوسف، فكانوا يستطيلون بالبغي على أصحاب الشافعي في الفروع، حتى منعوهم من الجهر بالبسملة، والقُنوت، وهي مسألة اجتهادية، فلما جاءت أيام النظام، ومات ابن يوسف، وزالت شوكة الحنابلة استطال عليهم أصحاب الشافعي استطالة السلاطين الظلمة، فاستعدَوا بالسجن، وآذَوا العوام بالسعايات، والفقهاء بالنبذ بالتجسيم.
قال: فتدبرت أمر الفريقين، فإذا بهم لم يعمل فيهم آداب العلم…
I have seen that some people were only stopped from oppressing others due to their incapability [i.e., lack of political support and backing from rulers]. I am not referring to laypeople but rather scholars. The Hanbalis were the dominant force in the period of Abu Yusuf, and they would tyrannize the Shaf’is in subsidiary legal matters. This was to the extent that they prevented them [i.e., the Shaf’is] from loudly reciting the Basmalah [in Salah] or performing the Qunut [in the Fajr Salah], despite it being an issue open to ijtihad. Then when the period of Nizam [al-Mulk] commenced, and Abu Yusuf died, the might of the Hanbalis subsided, and the Shafi’is now began to tyrannize them in the manner of oppressive rulers. They arranged for the imprisonment of people, harmed the jurists by hurling against them the charge of anthropomorphism, and hurt members of the common folk by slandering and informing against them.
He [i.e., Ibn ‘Aqil] said: So I reflected on the two camps, and I came to the realization that they were not observing the necessary manners of knowledge...[1]
Ibn Aqil’s words have much relevance today, particularly in this situation where sectarianism appears to be a driving force for engaging in oppression against one’s theological opponents to further their own sect’s cause.
Imam Ahmad would disapprove of reporting people to oppressive rulers. Imam Ahmad stressed that even if the person whom you warn and rebuke for sinning does not stop, you should still not report him to the Sultan out of fear that he will oppress him,[2] even if they are your neighbors who are drinking alcohol, creating a disturbance by playing the lute, etc.[3] Imam Ahmad even forbade testifying on behalf of someone who was insulted or beaten to the Sultan if he feared that the accused would be oppressed.[4]
Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (d. 386 A.H.) said:
وقالوا فيمن اعتدي على رجل فقدمه إلى سلطان معتد يعلم أنه إذا قدمه إليه تجاوز في ظلمه وأغرمه مالا يجب له عليه، فقدمه إليه فغرمه مالا ظلما فقد اختلف في تضمينه، فقال كثير من أصحابنا: إنما عليه الأدب وقد أثم فيما فعل.
And concerning a man who transgresses against someone and then he (i.e., the transgressed man] takes him (i.e., the transgressor) to the Sultan knowing they will oppress that individual and financially penalize him and make him pay something that is not required of him. So if he takes him to the Sultan and the man is unjustly fined, there is a difference of opinion regarding his (i.e., the transgressed man) liability...many of our companions (from amongst the Malikis) said that he must be disciplined and that he committed a sin.[5]
He is also reported to have said:
وأما الرجل يأتي إلى السلطان فيخبره بأسماء قومٍ وموضعهم وهو يعلم أن الذي يطلبهم به السلطان ظلمٌ، فينالهم بسبب تعريفه بهم غرمٌ أو عقوبةٌ، فأراه ضامنًا لما غرمهم مع العقوبة الموجعة.
As for a man who goes to the Sultan and gives him names and locations of people, knowing that the Sultan is seeking them for oppression, and then due to the information he provides, they are fined or punished, then I see that he is liable for the financial penalty he made them pay, and he deserves severe punishment.[6]
[1] Ibn Muflih, Al-Furu’, (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2009), part 2, p. 14
[2] Al-Bahuti, Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ ‘an Matn al-‘Iqnaa’, (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyyah, 2009), vol. 3, p. 37
[3] Al-Khallaal, Al-Amr bil-Ma’ruf wal-Nahy ‘an al-Munkar, (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyyah, 1986), pp. 53-54.
[4] Ibn Muflih, Al-Aadaab al-Shar’iyyah, (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyyah, 1996), vol.1, pp. 151-152
[5] Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, An-Nawadir wal-Ziyaadaat, (Beirut: Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, 1999), vol. 10, p. 372
[6] Ibn Yunus, Al-Jaami’ li-Masaa’il Al-Mudawwanah, (Umm al-Qura, Dar Al-Fikr, 2013), vol. 18, p. 361