There is a Superior Power
Over All of Us

A believer recognises others’ need and does not do anything which will hurt the feelings of others. He never does them any harm.

Abu Masood al-Badri was, by his own account, a senior companion. He said that once when he was beating his servants, the Prophet of Islam came to him. On seeing this, the Prophet said, “O Abu Masood, learn that God has more power over you than you have over this slave.” On hearing these words the whip fell from Abu Masood’s hand. He said, “I will never again hit any slave.” Later he set his slave free. The Prophet of Islam said: “If you had not done so, you would have incurred the risk of hell fire.” (Sahih Muslim 1659)

All the forms of persecution and injustice in the world have one reason and that is that when one person confronts another person, he regards it to be a human affair. He thinks that his adversary is just a human being. And if he does him any injustice, he is not going to be punished for it.

But the reality is that there is a superior power over human beings and that is God. God is watching all human beings. Anyone who hurts another unjustly or does any injustice to anyone will be chastised and punished by God for his misdeeds.

The anticipation of God’s punishment is the greatest deterrent for any wrongdoer. It makes a person aware that the issue he has taken up as something human is indeed a divine matter. You may be powerful as compared to others but, as compared to God, no one is powerful. When God chastises, no one, whether powerful or powerless, can escape God’s wrath.

This belief reinforces moral disciplines and curbs the misuse of human freedom. If you are convinced of this reality, you will not seek out anyone weak whom you can oppress and you will not seek out anyone helpless against whom you feel emboldened to perpetrate some act of injustice.