The Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “Help thy brother, whether he is doing wrong to others, or is being wronged.” A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, I can understand helping one who is being wronged, but how can I help him when he is doing wrong?” The Holy Messenger replied, “Stop him from doing wrong: this is your help to him.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
What about helping an oppressor? A noble soul, however generous, would say no to it. But Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) says yes, he can be helped. He enjoins the follower to help his brother even if he is doing wrong to others. One of the blessed Companionsdid affirm that it is understandable to help a person who is being wronged. But he stood in want to know how it would be justifiable to help one who is doing wrong. Pat came the reply from the Holy Messenger, who had been sent to the world to establish justice and weed out all that is unjust and oppressive: “Stop him from doing wrong!” Those who care to remove injustice and oppression from the face of the earth can well realise the grains of truth and wisdom inherent in this Prophetic injunction. If this one Prophetic injunction is followed in letter and spirit, we can change the very complexion of the world today. Then there would be no murder, no genocide, no physical assault on the innocent, no injustice and no oppression.