Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 39

(Ayah 39) {وَ الَّذِيْنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ … :} This is the fourth attribute. Here, there is a question that previously their attribute of forgiving at the time of anger was mentioned, and here taking revenge is considered their virtue, so how can this be reconciled? The best answer has been given by the famous Tabi‘i Ibrahim Nakha‘i, who, describing the conduct of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), said: {’’ كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ يَكْرَهُوْنَ أَنْ يَّسْتَذِلُّوْا وَ كَانُوْا إِذَا قَدَرُوْا عَفَوْا۔‘‘} [ ابن کثیر بحوالہ ابن أبي حاتم : ۱۸۴۸۶، وقال حکمت بن بشیر سندہ صحیح ] “The believers disliked accepting humiliation, but when they gained power, they would forgive.” The summary is that if forgiving causes the criminal to desist from his crime, then forgiveness is better, but if forgiving increases his rebellion and boldness in crime, then revenge should be taken. The evidence for this is the word {’’ الْبَغْيُ ‘‘} (rebellion). A poet has said:
{إِذَا أَنْتَ أَكْرَمْتَ الْكَرِيْمَ مَلَكْتَهُ ¤ وَ إِنْ أَنْتَ أَكْرَمْتَ اللَّئِيْمَ تَمَرَّدَا}
“When you honor a noble man, you become his master, but if you honor a vile person, he becomes rebellious.”
Ibn Kathir said, meaning that they have the power to take revenge on the one who wrongs and oppresses them; they are neither helpless nor humiliated, but they have the ability to take revenge on the rebellious, yet when they gain control, they forgive, just as Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to his brothers: « لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ » [ یوسف : ۹۲ ] “There is no blame on you today, may Allah forgive you.” Even though he had full power to call them to account and to take revenge for the treatment they had given him, and just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to those people on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah who had reached the limits of enmity against him and whose necks could have been severed at a single gesture from him: [ لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ ] [ السنن الکبرٰی للنسائي : ۱۱۲۹۸ ] And just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave those eighty (80) men who had descended from Mount Tan‘im to attack him. When he gained control over them, he showed kindness to them despite having power. Similarly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave Ghawrath bin Harith, who intended to kill him suddenly; when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sleeping, he drew the Prophet’s sword from its sheath, and when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up, it was naked in his hand. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him, so he put it down. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called his companions, told them the whole story, and forgave him. (See Bukhari: 4136) Similarly, he forgave Labeed bin A‘sam, who had performed magic on him, and did not even question him. (See Bukhari: 5765) Likewise, he forgave the Jewish woman Zainab, the sister of Marhab, the Jew of Khaybar, whom Muhammad bin Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him) killed, who had mixed poison in the shoulder of a goat at Khaybar. The shoulder of the goat informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called the woman, she confessed. He asked her, “What made you do this?” She said, “My intention was that if you are a Prophet, this will not harm you, and if you are not a Prophet, we will be rid of you.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) let her go, but when Bishr bin Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) died due to that poison, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) killed her in retaliation. (See Bukhari: 3169; Abu Dawood: 4509, 4511) There are many more such hadiths. (And to Allah belongs all praise) All these incidents are found in both Bukhari and Muslim, or in one of them.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

39. And those who, when oppression [57] is inflicted upon them, defend themselves.

[57]
Standing Firm Against Oppression and Retaliating Against the Oppressor:

That is, when arrogant and tyrannical people oppress them, they do not submit before them; rather, they stand firm in front of them. They do not show weakness, just as the Muslims in Makkah endured the hardships from the disbelievers but did not bow before them. And if they have the courage to take revenge, they do so. Their characteristic is that when they are dominant, if they wish, they can forgive the subdued, or if they wish, they can take only as much revenge as the oppression done to them, and they consider forgiveness to be better. However, when a powerful person, in the pride of his strength, attacks them, they stand firm before him and do not bow or submit before any oppressor or arrogant person.