al-Ẓālimīn and tuẓlamūn are interpreted in seven ways:
1. al-Ẓālimīn is used in the sense of polytheists (mushrikūn); as in the following verses:
"The curse of Allah is upon the ẓālim (that is, the polytheists who prevent others from the path of Allah)." (al-Aʿrāf 7:44)
"Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the ẓālim (that is, the polytheists)." (Hūd 11:18)
There are many similar verses.
2. By the term al-Ẓālimīn, it is meant those Muslims who wrong themselves due to a sin (dhamb) other than shirk (associating partners with God); as in the following verses:
({It was said to Adam and Eve}: "Do not approach this tree, lest you be among the ẓālimīn (that is, those who wrong themselves by committing a fault)." (al-Baqara 2:35)
({Yūnus called out}: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the ẓālimīn" (that is, I wronged myself due to the sin I committed). (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:87)
Yūnus wronged himself due to a sin (dhamb) other than shirk.
Whoever transgresses the limits of Allah (that is, violates His command regarding divorce, and thus wrongs himself by this act of disobedience other than shirk)... (al-Ṭalāq 65:1)
A similar example is found in Sūrat al-Baqara:
And among them is he who wrongs himself (that is, by committing a major sin other than shirk). (Fāṭir 35:32)
Here, it refers to those among the people of tawhid (the oneness of God) who, while not committing shirk, wrong themselves by committing major sins.
3. al-Ẓulm is used in the sense of wronging others; as in the following verses:
Whoever is killed while being oppressed (that is, the slain is unjustly killed by the murderer)... (al-Isrāʾ 17:33)
...Whoever does this with enmity and ẓulm (that is, kills someone and seizes their property), We will soon drive him into the Fire. (al-Nisāʾ 4:30)
Indeed, those who consume the property of orphans unjustly (bi-ẓulm)... (al-Nisāʾ 4:10)
4. al-Ẓulm is used in the sense of deficiency or diminishing; as in the following verses:
Both gardens produced their fruit and did not ẓulm (that is, did not diminish) anything from it... (al-Kahf 18:33)
We will set up the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be ẓulm (that is, nothing will be diminished from anyone). (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:47)
Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves (that is, they harmed or diminished themselves). (Āl ʿImrān 3:117)
They did not wrong Us (that is, did not harm Us) by gathering more manna and quails than needed for a day, but they wronged themselves (that is, they diminished themselves). (al-Aʿrāf 7:160)
5. By ẓulm, it is meant wronging oneself by committing shirk and denial; as in the following verse:
We did not wrong them (that is, by punishing the disbelievers of all nations in the Hereafter without sin), but they were ẓālim (that is, due to their kufr (disbelief) and denial). (al-Zukhruf 43:76)
6. Yazlimūn is used in the sense of denying out of obstinate rejection (juhūd); as in the following verses:
But as for those whose scales are light, it is they who have put themselves in loss because they used to ẓulm Our verses (that is, they denied the Qur'an, claiming it was not from Allah). (al-Aʿrāf 7:9)
Then We sent Moses after them with Our signs (that is, the miracles of the hand and the staff) to Pharaoh and his assembly, but they ẓulm them (that is, they denied Our miracles, claiming they were not from Allah). (al-Aʿrāf 7:103)
And to Thamūd We gave the she-camel as a sign, but they ẓulm her (that is, they denied her, claiming she was not from Allah). (al-Isrāʾ 17:59)
7. By al-Ẓālimīn, it is meant thieves (and theft); as in the following verses:
Its recompense is that of the one in whose bag it is found (that is, the one found with the stolen goods is a thief, and the punishment for theft is loss of freedom). Thus do We recompense the ẓālimīn (that is, We enslave thieves as a recompense for their theft, employing them according to the degree of their theft). (Yūsuf 12:75)
As for the male thief and the female thief, cut off their hands in recompense for what they have earned (...). But whoever repents after his ẓulm (that is, after his theft)... (al-Māʾida 5:38-39)