Is oppression (zulm) haram?

Haram Speech & character Quran · 2 Hadith · 1

Short answer

Yes. In a hadith qudsi Allah says that He has made oppression unlawful for Himself and unlawful among people, so do not oppress one another. The Quran warns that Allah is not unaware of what the wrongdoers do (14:42).

Evidence

Quran

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍۢ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلْأَبْصَٰرُ ﴿٤٢﴾

Deem not that Allah is unaware of what the wicked do. He but giveth them a respite till a day when eyes will stare (in terror),

إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ ﴿٤٢﴾

The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom.

Hadith

1 Sahih Muslim 2577d

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that he reported it from his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious:Verily I have made oppression unlawful for Me and for My servants too, so do not commit oppression. The rest of the hadith is the same

Arabic text (with chain of narrators)

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ، الْوَارِثِ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى ‏ "‏ إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي الظُّلْمَ وَعَلَى عِبَادِي فَلاَ تَظَالَمُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِنَحْوِهِ وَحَدِيثُ أَبِي إِدْرِيسَ الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَاهُ أَتَمُّ مِنْ هَذَا ‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.