قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“Say, O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honour whom You will, and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” (Qur’an 3:26)
When I first read this verse, it struck me with both awe and confusion. If Allah alone grants rulership and strips it away, then how do we explain the presence of tyrants and oppressors in positions of absolute power? How can injustice prevail under the watch of the One who is Most Just?
This question has troubled countless hearts throughout history. Yet, the Qur’an itself offers profound insights.
The Qur’an declares:
“And thus We appoint the wrongdoers as rulers over one another because of what they used to earn.” (Qur’an 6:129)
It means that unjust leaders do not rise in isolation. They are often a reflection of the society beneath them. When people collectively fall into negligence, corruption, and moral decay, Allah allows rulers who mirror those very flaws to preside over them. Tyranny, then, is not simply imposed from above — it is also born out of what exists within the people.
In this way, oppressive leadership is both a punishment and a test. It exposes the moral state of a community and forces them to confront the consequences of their actions.
Yet another question arises: why are tyrants not immediately destroyed? Why does Allah allow them to continue their oppression, sometimes for years or even decades?
The Qur’an answers:“And do not think Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when eyes will stare in horror.” (Qur’an 14:42)
This delay is not neglect. It is mohlat - a respite. It allows the oppressor to extend his arrogance, and the oppressed to exercise patience. But when the final reckoning comes, the punishment is all the more severe and the justice all the more absolute.
What appears as unchecked power is, in reality, a rope lengthened only so it may one day tighten with greater force.
When we see thrones, palaces, wealth, and worldly influence, we instinctively associate them with “honour.” But the Qur’an reshapes this perception:
“But honour belongs to Allah, and His Messenger, and the believers.” (Qur’an 63:8)
True honour is not in crowns, armies, or riches. It lies in faith and righteousness. A ruler may be feared by millions, yet if he is unjust, he is already humiliated in the sight of Allah. Conversely, a humble believer with no worldly status may be more honoured before God than the mightiest of kings.
The Qur’an teaches us that honour and humiliation are not measured on the scales of this world but on the eternal scales of the Hereafter.
The Deceptive Allure of This World
There are those who live solely for this dunya, pursuing its pleasures and glories as though it were the ultimate prize. The Qur’an addresses them directly:
“Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments – We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they will not be deprived therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire.” (Qur’an 11:15–16)
"Whoever desires this immediate world, We hasten for him therein what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will enter to burn, condemned and banished.” (Qur’an 17:18)
“Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter – We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world – We give him thereof, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 42:20)
These verses are chilling in their clarity: some people receive their entire portion in this world. Their power, fame, or wealth is all they will ever have, for in the Hereafter they will find nothing but loss and fire.
Looking at the world today, we often see injustice triumph and oppressors thrive. It can shake our faith in justice itself. But these verses remind us of two timeless truths:
Power in this world is fleeting, and so is disgrace. The Qur’an lifts our gaze beyond the temporary rise and fall of rulers and reminds us that all sovereignty, all honour, and all justice belong only to Allah.
So, even if a tyrant appears unshakable, he is already defeated in the sight of the Divine. Even if a believer seems powerless, she carries within her the true badge of honour - faith, patience, and righteousness that shine brighter than any crown.
True sovereignty is with Allah. True honour belongs to the believers. And true justice awaits in the Hereafter.