05/08/2026
Supporting the Oppressed: When the Sincerity of Our Principles Is Tested
Supporting the oppressed is not a favour for which they should feel indebted to us, nor an act of charity that we may undertake when convenient and abandon when its consequences become difficult. It is a right they hold over us, a duty demanded by the brotherhood of faith, an act of worship through which we draw closer to Allah, and a test that reveals the sincerity of our principles and the nobility of our character.
Standing with the oppressed when there is no cost is easy. The sincerity of that support is revealed when the hardship intensifies, supporters become scarce, circumstances grow difficult, and speaking the truth comes at a price because of one’s environment, place, or time.
Abandoning the oppressed does not merely leave them alone; it emboldens the oppressor and encourages further injustice. Standing beside them, however, mends their wounded hearts, restores their hope, and sends a message to the world that truth still has people who will not forsake it.
Such were the noble stands immortalised in the history of our Ummah and its scholars. Neither the severity of trials, the scarcity of supporters, nor fear of the consequences prevented them from defending the vulnerable and speaking the truth.
One of the most powerful examples is the stand taken by Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله when he confronted the Tatar leaders and demanded the release of their captives. When they agreed to release the Muslims but refused to free the Jews and Christians under Muslim protection, he would not abandon them. He declared:
> “No—everyone you hold, including the Jews and Christians who are under our protection. We shall secure their release, and we will not leave behind a single captive, neither from our own faith nor from those under our protection.”
His courageous intervention resulted in the release of a number of captives. This is what supporting the oppressed truly means: a principled stand governed neither by personal interest nor religious identity, and undeterred by fear. It is guided by justice and faithfulness to what is right, regardless of how difficult the circumstances or how great the consequences may be.
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, al-Risālah al-Qubruṣiyyah, 28/617–618.
Whoever assists the afflicted, relieves the suffering of those in distress, and brings comfort to a broken heart may hope for Allah’s help when all paths seem narrow. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
> “Allah continues to help His servant as long as His servant continues to help his brother.”
> Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
How desperately the weak and oppressed of our Ummah need people of such courage today. If only those great figures were still among us—or, better still, if there were among us today those who would follow in their footsteps, carry their mission forward, and restore something of their courage and dignity to this Ummah.
*Abu Ahmed Farid*
