DHÂLİM - ظالم

 

Literally: Unjust. Tyrannical. The one who does dhulm.

The one who deviated from as-sirât al-mustaqîm.

 

“In what way is the âyah,  1 وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِى آدَمَ  conformable with the âyah,2 اِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولاً ?

The Answer: There are explanations in the Eleventh and Twenty-Third Words, and is the Second Fruit of the Fifth Branch of the Twenty-Fourth Word. A summary of its mystery is this:

With His perfect Qoudrah, Janâb-i Haqq makes many things from a single thing, makes one thing perform numerous duties, and writes a thousand books on a single page; so too He created man as a comprehensive species, in place of many species. That is, He willed that through man, a single species, functions would be performed to the number of the different levels of all the species of animals. For this reason, He placed no fıtrî limit on man's powers (quwwa) and senses, no fıtrî restriction and left them free. The powers and senses of the other animals are limited and under a fıtrî restriction. Whereas each of man's powers may roam free over an endless distance towards infinity. For since man is a mirror to the infinite manifestations of Al-Khâliq of the Universe's Names, his powers have been given an infinite capacity.

For example, even if the whole world is given to man, with his greed, he will say: 3 هَلْ مِنْ مَزِيدٍ And through his selfishness, he finds it acceptable that a thousand people should suffer harm for his own benefit. And so on. There is boundless development in bad morality and he may reach the degree of the Nimrods and Pharaohs; in accordance with the intensive form in the âyah above, he is the most dhâlim. Similarly, he may manifest endless progress in good morality, and may advance to the degree of the prophets and siddîqîn.

Moreover, contrary to the animals, man is ignorant about all the things necessary for life and is compelled to learn everything. He is in need of innumerable things, and therefore in accordance with the intensive form in the same âyah, is most ignorant. But when animals come into the world, they are both in need of few things, and may learn all the things they need, all the conditions of their lives, in one or two months, or even one or two days, or in some cases, in one or two hours. It is as if they have been perfected in another ‘âlam, and come thus. But then man can only rise to his feet in one or two years, and in fifteen is only able to distinguish between what is beneficial and what is harmful. The intensive form of "most ignorant" indicates this, too.” The Letters ( 390-391)

 

Through the decree of وَلاَ تَرْكَنُوا اِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ 4 the noble âyah threatens terrifyingly and severely, not only those who support dhulm and are the tools of it, but also those who incline slightly towards it. For, just as consenting kufr is kufr, so too, consenting dhulm is dhulm.

Thus, one of the people of perfection perfectly interpreted one of the many jewels of this âyah as follows:

One who assists a dhâlim in the world is the men of despicableness

That is a dog, who receives pleasure from serving the unjust hunter.

The Twenty-Eighth Letter - The Fourth Matter which is the Fourth Risale

 

What is the reason for this calamity, which arises from the wrongdoings of some individuals, taking the form of a general calamity in the country to a degree?

The Answer: From the point of general calamity being aroused from the wrongdoings of the majority, most people in a ma’nawî manner participate in the actions of those dhâlim individuals by supporting them through their actions or with iltizâm or through joining them; they cause the general calamity.

The Conclusion of The Fourteenth Word