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What is the meaning of "qahr ar-rijal" (the oppression/domination of men) mentioned in the supplication of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety, and sorrow, and inability, and laziness, and cowardice, and miserliness, and the burden of debt, and the oppression/domination of men"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The phrase "qahr al-rijal" (domination/oppression by men) appears in the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, where the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught Abu Umamah a supplication for Allah to remove his worries and settle his debts. Part of it is: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow... and I seek refuge in You from the overwhelming burden of debt and the domination of men." The meaning of "qahr al-rijal" is their overpowering and control, whether they are oppressors or creditors, because that causes weakness in the soul. "Qahr al-rijal" was interpreted as "ghalabat al-rijal" (overpowering by men) in the hadith of Anas, which is agreed upon.

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

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