such as by punishing or imprisoning some of them, executing those among them whose execution is required, or taking similar measures—then that should be done, and there is no need for fighting.

As for the claim, “Allah has obliged us to seek vengeance,” this is a lie against Allah and His Messenger. Allah has not obliged anyone wronged by his fellow Muslim believer in matters of blood, property, or honour to exact his due. Indeed, whenever He mentions people’s rights in the Quran, He encourages pardon. He, Exalted is He, says:

“And wounds are subject to equal retaliation. But whoever waives it as charity, it is an expiation for him.”

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“Then half of what you stipulated, unless they waive it or the one in whose hand is the marriage tie waives it.”

As for His saying, Exalted is He:

“And We prescribed for them therein: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and equal retaliation for wounds. But whoever waives it as charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—it is they who are the wrongdoers.”

Although this was prescribed for the Children of Israel—and even if the ruling for us is the same as theirs regarding laws that have not been abrogated—what is intended here is equality among believers with respect to their lives, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Muslims’ lives are equal in worth, and they stand united against all others.”

“A life for a life” applies even if the killer is an obeyed chief from a noble tribe and the victim an ordinary tradesman, a newcomer. The same applies whether one is old and the other young, one rich and the other poor, one Arab and the other non-Arab, or one a Hāshimite and the other a Qurashī. This refutes the practice followed by