Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 126

(Ayah126) ➊ {وَ اِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوْا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوْقِبْتُمْ بِهٖ:} The conjunction "waaw" indicates that this is connected to the previous verse, that if anyone commits excess against you, then you may also retaliate with the same excess. Two rulings are clearly established from this verse: first, that it is permissible to exact retribution for murder, etc., in the same manner as the murderer committed the act, and this is supported by the hadith regarding the Jew who crushed a girl's head between two stones, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered him to be killed in the same way. [ دیکھیے مسلم، القسامۃ والمحاربین، باب ثبوت القصاص فی القتل…: ۱۷ /۱۶۷۲ ] Similarly, by the order of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the criminals who killed his shepherds and took away the camels had their eyes pierced with hot irons in retribution, just as they had done. [ دیکھیے بخاری، الحدود، باب المحاربین من أہل الکفر و الردۃ : ۶۸۰۲ ] According to Allah's command, it is permissible to retaliate against the oppressor to the extent of his oppression, not more. He said: «{ فَمَنِ اعْتَدٰى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوْا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدٰى عَلَيْكُمْ}» [ البقرۃ : ۱۹۴ ] "So whoever transgresses against you, then transgress against him in the same manner as he transgressed against you." The prohibition of mutilation by the Prophet (peace be upon him) refers to cases other than retribution, and the narration in Ibn Majah (2667) [ لَا قَوَدَ إِلاَّ بِالسَّيْفِ ] (retribution is not permissible except by the sword) is not established, rather it is weak. For a detailed discussion, see Irwa al-Ghalil (7/285, 289, H: 2229). The second ruling established is that if someone betrays another's trust, or takes his wealth or something and does not return it, then if the oppressed person gets hold of his wealth or something of his, or if he deposits something as a trust with him, it is permissible for him to take from it an amount equal to his own property. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has cited in {’’كِتَابُ الْمَظَالِمِ‘‘} in { ’’بَابُ قِصَاصِ الْمَظْلُوْمِ إِذَا وَجَدَ مَالَ ظَالِمِهِ‘‘} (the oppressed taking retribution when he gets hold of the oppressor's property) the reasoning of Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) from this verse and further substantiated it with other hadiths. Some people prohibit this based on a narration in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: [ أَدِّ الْأَمَانَةَ إِلٰی مَنِ ائْتَمَنَكَ وَلاَ تَخُنْ مَنْ خَانَكَ ] [ أبوداوٗد، البیوع، باب في الرجل یأخذ حقہ من تحت یدہ : ۳۵۳۵ ] "Return the trust to the one who entrusted it to you, and do not betray the one who betrays you." Although there is some discussion about this hadith, even if considered authentic, reclaiming one's own property cannot be called betrayal. Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) has written an excellent discussion on this issue at the end of "Kitab al-Taflis" in {’’ المحلٰي ‘‘}, which is worth reading.

➋ { وَ لَىِٕنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصّٰبِرِيْنَ:} Because Allah Himself will take retribution from the oppressor for them and grant them a great reward for their patience from Himself. Allah said: «{ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنْتَصِرُوْنَ (39) وَ جَزٰٓؤُا سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا فَمَنْ عَفَا وَ اَصْلَحَ فَاَجْرُهٗ عَلَى اللّٰهِ اِنَّهٗ لَا يُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ }» [ الشورٰی : ۳۹، ۴۰ ] "And those who, when oppression befalls them, they retaliate. And the recompense of an evil is an evil like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. Indeed, He does not love the wrongdoers." In Sahih Bukhari, it is reported from Ibrahim al-Nakha'i that the Companions disliked accepting humiliation, but when they gained power, they would forgive. [ دیکھیے بخاری، المظالم، باب الانتصار من الظالم، بعد ح : ۲۴۴۶ ]

➌ Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) summarized from {’’ اُدْعُ اِلٰى سَبِيْلِ ‘‘} up to here: "Previously, it was said to explain in a good manner; in this, concession is given that evil for evil is not bad, but patience is better." (Mawduh)

126. 1. Although permission to take retribution is given in this, provided that one does not exceed the limits, otherwise he himself will become an oppressor, nevertheless forgiving and adopting patience has been declared better.

126. And if you retaliate, then retaliate with the same as you were afflicted with. But if you endure patiently, then indeed, patience is better for those who are patient [129].

[129]
Justice Must Be Observed in Retaliation:

In the explanation of this verse, consider the following hadith: Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b ؓ narrates that on the day of Uhud, sixty-four men from the Ansar and six from the Muhajirin were martyred, among them Sayyiduna Hamza, whose body was mutilated by the disbelievers. Consequently, the Ansar said, "If we ever gain victory over them, we will do the same to them." Then, when Makkah was conquered, Allah Almighty revealed this verse: ﴿وَاِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ.. .. لِّلصّٰبِرِيْنَ﴾. Someone said, "After today, there will be no more Quraysh," but the Prophet ﷺ said, "Except for four persons, withhold your hands from the rest of the Quraysh." [ترمذي۔ كتاب التفسير]

It should be noted that although this surah is Makki, these few verses were revealed in Madinah at the time when the bodies of the Muslims were mutilated in the field of Uhud, and the Ansar had vowed to take revenge, as is evident from the above hadith. In terms of the context, it means that if you face hardships and difficulties in the path of da'wah and propagation, and later you gain power over them, you are permitted to take revenge, but there must be no excess in that retaliation. And if you endure and forgive, this is far better than taking revenge, and in the matter of propagating the religion, the result of forgiveness will prove to be much better for you. In any case, the command in this verse is general and can be applied to any such situation.