✍️ By: Ali bin Mohammed Al-Harbi
In moments when light fades and hearts suffocate, one feels as though the world has closed its doors upon them, and that earthly justice has been blinded. There is no pain more intense than being wronged when one knows they are in the right, no pain deeper than being accused when innocent, and no knife slower than the one injustice plunges into a sincere heart.
When a person is wronged, they find no one around to hear their pain, no one to read their tears. Everyone passes by, everyone is preoccupied, and they remain alone in a heavy silence like a long night. Only then does the heart begin to speak to itself, and the soul begin its journey to find solace, not in people, but in the unfailing justice of God.
In those moments, the oppressed reach for an old book, open a page of the Quran, or search through the annals of history for the downfall of the oppressors. They do so not out of hatred, but out of a desperate need for survival, like someone seeking a breath of air amidst the thick smoke of tyranny. They want to tell themselves, "Others have walked this path before, persevered, and were victorious."
When one reads about Pharaoh, who proclaimed, “I am your supreme lord,” and then drowned in an instant while crying out for help, the oppressed feel that divine justice is not far off. When one reads about Qarun, who was swallowed up by the earth along with his house, one's heart is reassured that wealth cannot protect the oppressor, no matter how tyrannical. And when one reads about the People of the Ditch and the fire that the tyrants kindled for the believers, one understands that victory is not measured by escaping the fire, but by remaining steadfast in truth until the end.
The oppressed read these stories not to harbor resentment, but to find solace. They read them to believe that the universe has a Lord who never sleeps, and that the supplication of the oppressed rises from their tears, piercing the gates of heaven and reaching the Throne without permission. That supplication is never rejected, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Beware the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and God.”
Injustice is not only about depriving someone of money or rights, but also about hurtful words, condescending looks, unjust judgments, and the abandonment one feels when expecting support. How many people among us have suffered injustice at work, within their families, or among their friends, remaining silent out of fear, politeness, or weakness, yet carrying an unseen ember in their hearts that flares up whenever they recall the incident?
The wronged person, by nature, does not seek revenge as much as he seeks understanding. He wants to understand why this happened to him, why doors were closed to him, and why no one stepped forward to restore his rights. Then he finds the answer when he reads that God gives respite but does not neglect, and that He, the Exalted, said:
“And never think that God is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].”
That verse alone is enough to restore the breath of the oppressed and calm their boiling blood. For God does not forget, and though the earth may be silent, the heavens will not.
When a person is wronged, something within them changes, never to be the same again, as if injustice melts their heart and reshapes it anew. They become more aware, closer to God, and more sensitive to the meaning of mercy. The oppressed learn in the experience of injustice lessons that cannot be taught; they come to understand the value of justice and the meaning of strength—not the strength of tyranny, but the strength of patience.
Therefore, when God loves a servant, He tests him, to purify him, elevate him, and teach him that true strength is not in the hand, but in patience, and that divine justice does not come late, but comes at the time when it restores the dignity of truth and the tranquility of the heart.