Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (749)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

34–35. “Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is best, and behold, the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as though he were a devoted friend. Yet none is granted this except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one endowed with immense good fortune.”

The Most High says: “Good and evil are not equal.” That is, performing good deeds and acts of obedience in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure is not equal to committing evil deeds and sins that incur His displeasure. Nor is treating people kindly equal to mistreating them—in their essential nature, their character, or their recompense: “Is the reward for goodness anything but goodness?”

He then commanded a particular form of kindness of tremendous importance: showing kindness to those who mistreat you. He said: “Repel evil with what is best.” That is, if someone mistreats you—especially someone who has considerable rights over you, such as a relative, companion, or the like—whether in word or deed, respond by treating him kindly. If he cuts you off, maintain ties with him; if he wrongs you, pardon him; and if he speaks ill of you, whether in your absence or presence, do not respond in kind. Rather, pardon him and address him gently. If he shuns you and ceases speaking to you, offer him kind words and extend the greeting of peace to him. When you respond to mistreatment with kindness, a tremendous benefit results:

“Behold, the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as though he were a devoted friend”—that is, as though he were a close and compassionate relative.

“Yet none is granted this”—that is, none is enabled to attain this praiseworthy quality—“except those who are patient,” restraining themselves when faced with what they dislike and compelling themselves to do what Allah loves. For souls are naturally disposed to repay mistreatment in kind and refuse to pardon the wrongdoer—so how much more difficult is it to treat him kindly?

But when a person exercises patience and self-restraint, obeys his Lord’s command, recognizes the abundant reward, and understands that repaying a wrongdoer in kind will not benefit him at all but will only intensify the enmity—and that treating him kindly does not diminish his standing, for whoever humbles himself for Allah, He raises him—the matter becomes easy for him. He then acts accordingly with pleasure and finds it delightful.

“And none is granted it except one endowed with immense good fortune.” ⦗750⦘ This is because it is one of the qualities of the elect among creation, through which a servant attains eminence in this world and the Hereafter, and it is among the greatest traits of noble character.

﴿٣٤ - ٣٥﴾ ﴿وَلا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ * وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ﴾ . يقول تعالى: ﴿وَلا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلا السَّيِّئَةُ﴾ أي: لا يستوي فعل الحسنات والطاعات لأجل رضا الله تعالى، ولا فعل السيئات والمعاصي التي تسخطه ولا ترضيه، ولا يستوي الإحسان إلى الخلق، ولا الإساءة إليهم، لا في ذاتها، ولا في وصفها، ولا في جزائها ﴿هَلْ جَزَاءُ الإحْسَانِ إِلا الإحْسَانُ﴾ ثم أمر بإحسان خاص، له موقع كبير، وهو الإحسان إلى من أساء إليك، فقال: ﴿ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾ أي: فإذا أساء إليك مسيء من الخلق، خصوصًا من له حق كبير عليك، كالأقارب، والأصحاب، ونحوهم، إساءة بالقول أو بالفعل، فقابله بالإحسان إليه، فإن قطعك فَصلْهُ، وإن ظلمك، فاعف عنه، وإن تكلم فيك، غائبًا أو حاضرًا، فلا تقابله، بل اعف عنه، وعامله بالقول اللين. وإن هجرك، وترك خطابك، فَطيِّبْ له الكلام، وابذل له السلام، فإذا قابلت الإساءة بالإحسان، حصل فائدة عظيمة. ﴿فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ﴾ أي: كأنه قريب شفيق. ﴿وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا﴾ أي: وما يوفق لهذه الخصلة الحميدة ﴿إِلا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا﴾ نفوسهم على ما تكره، وأجبروها على ما يحبه الله، فإن النفوس مجبولة على مقابلة المسيء بإساءته وعدم العفو عنه، فكيف بالإحسان؟ ". فإذا صبر الإنسان نفسه، وامتثل أمر ربه، وعرف جزيل الثواب، وعلم أن مقابلته للمسيء بجنس عمله، لا يفيده شيئًا، ولا يزيد العداوة إلا شدة، وأن إحسانه إليه، ليس بواضع قدره، بل من تواضع لله رفعه، هان عليه الأمر، وفعل ذلك، متلذذًا مستحليًا له. ﴿وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ﴾ ⦗٧٥٠⦘ لكونها من خصال خواص الخلق، التي ينال بها العبد الرفعة في الدنيا والآخرة، التي هي من أكبر خصال مكارم الأخلاق.