Discover the meaning of the term Al-ẓlm (ظلم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readPlacing a thing outside its place. In the law (shari'a): transgressing from right to falsehood, which is injustice (jawr); it has been said: it is disposing of another's property and exceeding the limit.
Committing a sin that removes uprightness ('adala), without repentance or repair; that sin is the one which, if committed by a person, renders his testimony inadmissible. As for one who commits sins that do not remove uprightness, he is not an oppressor, but he is not preserved from sin. The oppressor is thus more specific than the non-preserved one, and the preferable view is that zulm is placing a thing outside its place. Yes, as the noble shaykh, the renewer of the religion, al-Sa'di al-Shirazi (may Allah sanctify his secret), said.
'Zulman' and 'mazlama': placing a thing outside its place. He is 'zalim' and 'zallam', and he or she is 'zallum'. 'Wronged his right': to usurp it or diminish it. 'The road': to swerve from it. 'Tazallama': to complain of injustice, to bear injustice. 'Among the Shafi'is: one who has seized property by aggression. 'Al-zallama': what a man complains of; one says: 'with so-and-so is my zallama'. 'Al-zulm': placing a thing outside its proper place, by diminution or increase, or by displacement of its time and place; exceeding the right; idolatry (shirk), as in the Quran: 'Those who believe and do not mix their faith with injustice, for them is security and they are guided' (al-An'am 82). In the law: transgressing from right to falsehood, which is injustice (jawr) (al-Jurjani). In the law: disposing of another's property and exceeding the limit (al-Jurjani). 'Al-mazlama': what is claimed from the oppressor; it is the name of what he took from you; plural: mazalim.
Placing a thing outside its place.
Disposing of another's property and exceeding the limit.
﴿مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًۭا فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتٍۢ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ﴾
« Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see. »
Surah البقرة : 17
﴿أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۭ وَرَعْدٌۭ وَبَرْقٌۭ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ﴾
« Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers. »
Surah البقرة : 19
﴿وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾
« And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers." »
Surah البقرة : 35
﴿وَإِذْ وَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ﴾
« And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him, while you were wrongdoers. »
Surah البقرة : 51
﴿وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾
« And We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you." And they wronged Us not - but they were [only] wronging themselves. »
Surah البقرة : 57
﴿فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ رِجْزًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ﴾
« But those who wronged changed [those words] to a statement other than that which had been said to them, so We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were defiantly disobeying. »
Surah البقرة : 59
This term appears in 210 verses of the Quran.