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Is it permissible to use the word "Az-Zabaniyah" to refer to the followers of a tyrant, knowing that it refers to the angels of punishment?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no harm in using the term "Az-Zabaniyah" even though it is used for the angels of punishment, as its meaning is broader than that and includes police and rebels. The origin of the word is "az-zaban," which means to push, and Az-Zabaniyah are those who push people forcefully. The word has been used in history books to refer to the police and helpers of oppressors.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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