سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 126
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ﴿126﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if you punish (your enemy, O you believers in the Oneness of Allâh), then punish them with the like of that with which you were afflicted. But if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As-Sâbirûn (the patient).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِنْ
wa-in
And if
عَاقَبْتُمْ
ʿāqabtum
you retaliate
فَعَاقِبُوا۟
faʿāqibū
then retaliate
بِمِثْلِ
bimith'li
with the like
مَا
mā
of what
عُوقِبْتُم
ʿūqib'tum
you were afflicted
بِهِۦ ۖ
bihi
with [it]
وَلَئِن
wala-in
But if
صَبَرْتُمْ
ṣabartum
you are patient
لَهُوَ
lahuwa
surely (it) is
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
better
لِّلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
lilṣṣābirīna
for those who are patient
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
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.
[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.
