Al-Qasas (The Stories)

17. “He said: “My Lord! For the bounty You have bestowed on me, never shall I be a supporter of the guilty’.”

It is better that we call Allah in our supplications by the holy word ‘Rabb’ (Lord).

The bodily power is one of the bounties of Allah (s.w.t.) given to human beings. (Moses (as) had ability that he could kill a pagan by his fist.)

Moses implicitly said to Allah:

“For the gratitude of this bounty that You included me in Your forgiveness and caused me not to be seized by the enemies, and for the gratitude of all bounties that You have bestowed on me since the beginning, I will never support the guilty and will not be the helper of the unjust. On the contrary, I will hasten to help the oppressed and the deprived.”

The verse says:

“He said: “My Lord! For the bounty You have bestowed on me, never shall I be a supporter of the guilty’.”

The purpose of Moses (as) from this noble sentence was that he would never cooperate with the criminal sinful people of Pharaoh and he (as) would be the supporter of the oppressed Children of Israel.

In Islamic jurisprudence there is a large chapter about ‘helping the sin’ and ‘assisting the oppressors’; or there are many traditions which show that one of the most clear sins is helping the unjust, tyrants, and criminals. It causes man to share the evil fate of theirs.

In principle, the unjust, tyrants, and persons like Pharaoh are some particular members who always exist in every society, and if the crowds of people do not cooperate with them the tyrannical kings will not become so tyrant.

When a group of vile and weak fellows, or the seekers of an occasion and mammonists gather around them and become as their aids or, at least, as their multitude of soldiers, they usually provide a satanic power for them.

This Islamic and humane principle has repeatedly been emphasized on in the Holy Qur’an.

For example, Allah in Surah Al-Ma’idah, No. 5, verse 2 says:

“…And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression…”.

There are some other evidences in it, too.

The Qur’an explicitly says:

“And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the Fire will touch you…”1

The Qur’anic word /rukun/, whether it may be meant in the sense of heartily inclination, outward cooperation, or expressing content, or friendship and benevolence, or obedience on which each of commentators have delivered a commentary, or a concept that envelops all of them and it is reliance, confidence and dependence, is a lively evidence and attestation to our purpose.

Muhammad-ibn-Muslim Zuhari was a learned man who had cooperation not only with the system of Umayyads but also with Husham-ibn-‘Abdul-Malik in particular.

Imam Zayn-ul-‘Abidin Ali-ibn-il-Husayn (as), after avoiding him of helping the unjust, in his shaking words told him:

“Did they not invite you to their own group and did they not form a center by you that the mill of their oppression turns around its axis? Did they not set you as a bridge for their passing unto their afflictions, as a ladder for their aberrations, an emissary for their misguidance, and a follower for their shameful path? They create doubt the scholars by you, and through you they entrap the hearts of ignorant simple-minded ones. What a little price they gave you for that which they took from you, and instead of what they ruined from you, how little they built! Ponder upon yourself, because there is no one to be sympathetic for you save yourself; and as a responsible man reckon your account.”2

Truly this clear expressive logic of the Imam (as) can attract the attention of any courtier and dependent scholar to his evil end.

Concerning the verse under discussion, Ibn ‘Abbas says:

“This verse is among the verses which attest that supporting the guilty is a crime and a sin, while helping the believers is obeying the commandment of Allah.”

Once one of the scholars was told:

“So and so is the writer of an unjust person, and what he writes is only his accounts. If he takes a salary for this work, his living will be safeguarded, otherwise he and his family will seriously be involved in poverty.”

In answer to this question, the scholar only said:

“Have you not heard the word of that righteous man (Moses) who said: ‘…My Lord! For the bounty You have bestowed on me, never shall I be a supporter of the guilty.”

Ali (as) in a tradition said:

“Avoid tyranny because verily a tyrant will never smell the smell of Paradise.”3

The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“Allah, Almighty and Glorious, says: ‘By My Honour (and Glory) I will certainly take vengeance from the unjust in this world and the next; and take vengeance from the one who sees an oppressed and he can help him but he does not help him.’”4

The Messenger of Allah (S) says:

“The Wrath of Allah is violent on the one who is unjust upon whom that finds no helper save Allah.”5

Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“The oppressor, the one who helps him, and he who is content of it all three are the associates of the oppression.”6

Imam Ali (as) advised both Hassan and Husayn (as), saying:

“…Be enemy of the oppressor and the helper of the oppressed…”7

Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“No oppression is more serious than oppressing the one who finds no helper for it except Allah.”8

The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“Whoever breaks the oath of allegiance, or establishes an aberration, or hides a knowledge, or occupies one’s property unjustly, or helps an oppressor in his oppression while he knows that he is surely an oppressor, he has certainly refused Islam.”9

The holy Prophet (S) once said:

“When people see an oppressor (who is committing cruelty) and do not take his hands (do not hinder him of it) it will be nigh that Allah inflicts a punishment upon them.”10

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

“There have been written three words on the fourth door of the doors of Hell: Allah abases the one who disgraces Islam; Allah abases the one who disgraces Ahl-ul-Bayt; Allah abases the one who helps the oppressors in their injustice upon people.”11

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minin Ali (as) said:

“The most vicious of people is the one who helps (the oppressor) against the oppressed.”12