on the basis of equitable retaliation and justice, and what is needed for the welfare of the religion and to offer sincere counsel to Muslims.
The former is exemplified by the complaint of someone who has been wronged: “So-and-so struck me, took my property, denied me my rights,” and the like.
Allah Most High says:
“Allah does not like evil words to be voiced openly, except by one who has been wronged.”
[Surah al-Nisā’: 148]
This verse was revealed concerning a man who stayed as a guest among some people, but they did not extend hospitality to him. Providing hospitality to a guest is obligatory, as is indicated (1) by authentic hadiths. When they denied him his right, he was entitled to mention it. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—permitted him to exact from them (2), out of their crops and property, the equivalent of the hospitality due to him. He said:
“Coming to his aid is obligatory upon every Muslim.” (3)
This is because it is authentically established that he said:
“Support your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.”
I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, I support him when he is oppressed, but how am I to support him when he is an oppressor?”
He replied, “You prevent him (4) from committing oppression; that is how you support him.” (5)
As for need, an example is Hind bint Utbah’s request for a ruling, as it is authentically established that she
(1) The words “to it” are added in ح and ب.
(2) ح, ر, and ب read: “to retaliate against them”; all other manuscripts read: “to take compensation from them.”
(3) In his Tafsīr, 2/394–396, Ibn Kathīr cites the hadiths concerning the interpretation of verse 148 of Surah al-Nisā’. Among them is a hadith narrated exclusively by Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Halabī ed., 4/133, from al-Miqdām ibn Abī Karīma—may Allah be pleased with him—who reported that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Any Muslim who stays as a guest among a people and by morning has been denied hospitality must be assisted by every Muslim until he obtains from his host’s crops and property the hospitality due him for that night.” A hadith with the same meaning, narrated from Abū Hurayra, appears in al-Musnad. Al-Albānī authenticated Abū Hurayra’s hadith in Silsilat al-Ahādīth al-Sahīha, 2/194.
(4) ن and م read: “by preventing him.”
(5) The hadith, with slight differences in wording, is narrated from Anas ibn Mālik—may Allah be pleased with him—in al-Bukhārī, 3/128–129, Book of Wrongdoings and Usurpation, chapter “Support Your Brother Whether He Is an Oppressor or Oppressed”; 9/22, Book of Coercion, chapter “A Man’s Oath to His Companion That He Is His Brother”; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3/326–357, Book of Tribulations, chapter 59, “Muhammad ibn Hātim al-Mu’addib narrated to us”; and al-Musnad, al-Halabī ed., 3/99, 201.