How to Eliminate Oppressors

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Mahfuzh ibn Bayyah was asked, “How do we get rid of these oppressive rulers?” 

He answered, “I ask myself and all of you: what have we done to have these types of rulers over us?  As you are, so are the people put over you.  When we stop oppressing our women, our children, our workers, when we start seeing humanity as our fellows in Adamic humanity; when we start doing this, then Allah (s.w.t.) will Change our condition.  It is a Promise in the Quran.” 

سُوۡرَةُ الرّعد,

… إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ۬ سُوٓءً۬ا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ (١١) 

.... Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).  But when (once) Allah wills a people’s Punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him any to protect. (Surah ar-Ra’ad:11) 

Indeed, we reap what we sow, generation upon generation.