he is harmed for his striving by another person’s hand or tongue, his reward for that rests with Allah. He does not seek compensation from that wrongdoer for the wrong he has suffered. Rather, if the wrongdoer repents and accepts the truth for which that striving was undertaken, repentance wipes away what preceded it:
“Tell those who disbelieve that if they desist, their past will be forgiven.”
If, however, he does not repent but persists in opposing the Book and the Sunnah, then he is opposing Allah and His Messenger. The rights violated by his sins belong to Allah and His Messenger, although the believers “also” have a right subordinate to Allah’s right. This applies when he is punished to uphold Allah’s right, so that Allah’s word may be supreme and all religion may be devoted to Allah, not merely for retribution.
If the disbelievers commit aggression against the Muslims—for example, by mutilating them—the Muslims may mutilate them as they themselves were mutilated, though patience is better. If they do so, that falls within the full scope of jihad. Praying against wrongdoing disbelievers as a class is prescribed and commanded. Qunūt (supplication during prayer), praying for the believers, and praying against the disbelievers have been prescribed.
As for praying against particular individuals, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to curse so-and-so and so-and-so, it has been reported that this was abrogated by His words:
“You have no say in the matter.”
This has been discussed at length elsewhere, in what I wrote in the citadel in Egypt. The reason is that one does not know whether Allah is pleased for a particular individual to perish; rather, he may be among those whose repentance Allah accepts. This differs from praying against them as a class: when one prays against them for something that brings honour to the religion, humiliation to its enemies, and their suppression, one is praying for what Allah loves and is pleased with. Allah loves faith, the people of faith, their ascendancy, and the humiliation of the disbelievers. Thus, this is a prayer for what Allah loves. As for praying against a particular individual for something when it is not known whether Allah