Can We Say that a Person Has Wronged His Lord?

Question

Tauhid Lab Assistant · Accepted Answer

> TL;DR: Saying “he wronged his Lord” is theologically imprecise. The revealed wording teaches that humans wrong themselves by disobeying, while Allah can neither be harmed nor wronged; better phrases are “he wronged himself” or “he transgressed Allah’s limits” [HAD1][TAF2][TAF6]. One may also say “he violated the right of Allah” in the sense of disobeying His command, while keeping the emphasis on self-harm and personal accountability [TAF4][FAT3].

Direct principle and wording guidance
- Oppression/injustice (zulm — putting something out of its proper place; wrongdoing or transgression) is categorically forbidden; Allah declared, “I have made oppression forbidden for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you,” which establishes that injustice cannot touch Allah and must not occur among people [HAD1].  
- Revelation consistently frames sin as a person wronging himself: “Allah does not wrong people in the least; people wrong themselves” [TAF2][TAF7]. Adam and Eve’s model repentance was: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves” (zalamna anfusana), not “we wronged You” [TAF6].  
- Humans can neither harm nor benefit Allah; thus, “wronging Allah” in the sense of injuring or diminishing Him is impossible [HAD1].  
- Still, there is a meaningful category called the “rights of Allah” (huquq Allah — the due claims of the Creator upon His servants, such as obligatory worship). A sin infringes these rights without harming Allah; hence it is more precise to say: “he violated the right of Allah,” “he disobeyed his Lord,” or “he wronged himself before his Lord” [TAF4][FAT3].  
- Classical and juristic discourse categorizes wrongdoing as: wronging oneself by sin; polytheism (shirk) as the greatest injustice; and wronging others by violating their rights [FAT1]. When others’ rights are violated, restitution and seeking pardon are mandatory; otherwise liability persists into the Hereafter [HAD3].

Foundation and logic: why this precision is wise
- The wording centers moral responsibility where it belongs: on the human agent. Since Allah cannot be harmed, the real damage of sin accrues to the sinner’s own soul and future, which is why the Qur’anic commentary repeatedly states that people wrong themselves [TAF2][TAF7].  
- It safeguards God’s transcendence and perfection: injustice is impossible for Allah, and nothing diminishes His dominion [HAD1][FAT4].  
- It balances awe with hope. Because the loss is ours, the gate of turning back remains open: “I will continue to forgive them as long as they seek forgiveness” (istighfar — seeking forgiveness from Allah) [HAD6]; and even repeated failings met with sincere returning (tawbah — repentance with regret and resolve) remain within the sphere of forgiveness [HAD7].

Modern, practical applications of language
- In teaching and khutbahs: Prefer “he wronged himself by disobeying Allah” (zalama nafsahu) or “he transgressed Allah’s limits” over “he wronged his Lord,” mirroring revealed phrasing and avoiding misconceptions about harming Allah [TAF2][TAF6].  
- In counseling and mentorship: Say, “You’ve hurt your own heart and future; seek Allah’s pardon,” foregrounding responsibility and hope, not fatalism [TAF2][HAD6].  
- In compliance/ethics training: When explaining duty vs. breach, distinguish between “rights of Allah” (e.g., missed obligatory prayer) and “rights of people” (e.g., unpaid wage). The former requires repentance to Allah; the latter requires restitution and seeking pardon in addition to repentance [FAT3][HAD3].  
- In parenting/education: Model Adam’s words with children—“We wronged ourselves”—to nurture accountability and the practice of repair (repentance and making amends) [TAF6][HAD7].

Psychological, social, and ethical benefits directly tied to the principle
- Personal accountability without despair: The sinner sees the loss as self-inflicted yet remediable through repentance and seeking forgiveness, supported by explicit divine assurances of pardon for those who keep turning back [HAD6][HAD7].  
- Protection from theological confusion: Clear speech avoids implying that Allah can be diminished or wronged; He cannot be harmed and never wrongs anyone [HAD1][TAF2].  
- Justice in community life: When harm reaches others, the prophetic directive is immediate amends and pardon-seeking in this world to avoid spiritual bankruptcy on the Day of Judgment [HAD3]. This language fosters a culture of restitution and reconciliation.

## Preferred expressions and when to use them
- “He wronged himself” (zalama nafsahu — he harmed his own soul by disobedience): Use for personal sins that don’t directly violate others’ rights, aligning with Adam’s dua and Qur’anic style [TAF6][TAF2].  
- “He disobeyed his Lord” (asa rabbahu — he contravened the command): Emphasizes breach of duty to the Creator without implying harm to Him [TAF4].  
- “He violated the right of Allah” (huquq Allah): Appropriate doctrinally to denote neglected obligations, while remembering no harm touches Allah [TAF4][FAT3].  
- “He oppressed another” (zalama ghayrahu): For interpersonal wrongs, to be followed by

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Can We Say that a Person Has Wronged His Lord?

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