(40–43) “The recompense of an evil deed is an evil deed equal to it. But whoever pardons and sets matters right, his reward is with Allah. Indeed, He does not love the wrongdoers. As for those who defend themselves after being wronged, there is no cause for blame against them. Blame lies only upon those who wrong people and transgress in the land without right. Those will have a painful punishment. But whoever remains patient and forgives—surely that is among the matters requiring firm resolve.”
In these verses, Allah mentions three levels of retribution: justice, graciousness, and injustice.
The level of justice is to repay an evil deed with one equal to it, without excess or deficiency: a life for a life, every limb for its corresponding limb, and property compensated with its equivalent.
The level of graciousness is to pardon the offender and set matters right. Hence He said: “But whoever pardons and sets matters right, his reward is with Allah.” He will reward him with an immense reward and abundant recompense. Allah made setting matters right a condition of pardon, indicating that when the offender is not fit to be pardoned and the interests recognized by the Sacred Law require his punishment, pardon is not enjoined in that circumstance.
Assigning the one who pardons his reward with Allah encourages pardon and encourages the servant to treat people as he would love Allah to treat him. Just as he loves Allah to pardon him, let him pardon them; and just as he loves Allah to overlook his faults, let him overlook theirs, for recompense is of the same nature as the deed.
As for the level of injustice, He mentioned it in His words: “Indeed, He does not love the wrongdoers”—those who initiate wrongdoing against others or repay an offender with more than the offense committed against them warrants. Any excess is injustice.
“As for those who defend themselves after being wronged”—that is, they defend themselves against those who wronged them after the wrong has actually occurred—“there is no cause for blame against them.” That is, they incur no sin by doing so.
The words, “those who, when subjected to aggression,” together with His words, “those who defend themselves after being wronged,” indicate that aggression and wrongdoing must actually have befallen them and occurred.
As for merely intending aggression against another and intending ⦗761⦘ to wrong him without anything actually occurring, this is not repaid in kind. Rather, the person is disciplined in a manner that deters him because of whatever word or deed has proceeded from him.
“Blame lies only”—that is, liability to punishment prescribed by the Sacred Law applies only—“upon those who wrong people and transgress in the land without right.” This encompasses wrongdoing and aggression against people in their lives, property, and honor. “Those will have a painful punishment”—one that causes pain to their hearts and bodies in proportion to their wrongdoing and aggression.
“But whoever remains patient” in the face of harm inflicted upon him by people “and forgives” them by overlooking what proceeds from them, “surely that is among the matters requiring firm resolve.” That is, it is among the matters Allah has urged and emphatically commanded. He has stated that it is attained only by those endowed with patience and a great share of goodness. It is among the matters for which none are granted success except people of firm resolve and lofty aspiration, and those endowed with understanding and insight.
Indeed, refraining from retaliating on one’s own behalf, whether by word or deed, is among the hardest things for the soul. Patiently enduring harm, overlooking it, forgiving it, and responding to it with kindness are harder still. Yet this is easy for one to whom Allah makes it easy, who strives against his own soul to acquire this quality, and who seeks Allah’s help in doing so. Then, once the servant tastes its sweetness and experiences its effects, he embraces it with an open heart, magnanimity, and delight.