42. Sura ash-Shura

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَجَزَاء سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ...

42: 40. The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree):

C4581. See last note.

When you stand up for rights, either on private or public grounds, it may be through processes of law, or by way of private defence in so far as the law permits private action. But in all cases you must not seek a compensation greater than the injury suffered. The most you can do is to demand equal redress, i.e., a harm equivalent to the harm done to you. Even this may serve to curb your unregenerate soul, or a community bent on revenge. But the ideal mode is not to slake your thirst for vengeance, but to follow better ways leading to the reform of the offender or his reconciliation. See 41:34, and 23:96.

You can take steps to prevent repetition, by physical or moral means;

the best moral means would be to turn hatred into friendship by forgiveness and love. In that case the compensation or reward (if we must use such terms) is infinitely greater, for it wins the good pleasure of Allah.

But this active righting of wrongs, whether by physical or by moral or spiritual means, which are commended as better, is an antithesis to the monkish doctrine, when you are smitten on one cheek, to turn the other also. This would not suppress, but encourage wrong-doing. It is practised by none but poltroons, and is preached only by hypocrites, or men who want to make slaves of others by depriving them of the power of self- defence. It occurs in two of the four canonical Gospels ( Matt. 5:39, and Luke 6:29), but we need not therefore assume that it was preached by Jesus.

... فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ...

but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, His reward is due from Allah:

C4582. To love Allah is the highest motive of our conduct, for it leads to the love of Allah's creatures; to win the approbation and love of Allah, is the highest reward, far transcending any compensation or satisfaction we can obtain in this life.

...إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٤٠﴾

for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong.

C4583. Allah does not love those who do wrong. If, therefore we tolerate wrong, or encourage wrong by allowing it to run rampant when we can prevent it, we fail in our duty to Allah.

وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ ﴿٤٣﴾

42: 43. But indeed if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an exercise of courageous will and resolution in the conduct of affairs.

C4586. It is harder to be patient and forgive, and yet to get wrongs righted, as was done by the holy Prophet, than to bluster about and "punish the guilty" or "teach them lessons".

It may look like futility or lack of purpose, but in reality it is the highest and noblest form of courage and resolution. And it may carry out the purpose of reform and the suppression of evil even better than stem punishment.

The gentleness of innocence often "persuades where stronger measures fail." But of course circumstances alter cases, and there is some allowance also to be made for the personal equation of the men you have to deal with: in some cases severity may be called for, but it should be from a strict judicial motive, and not merely from personal anger or spite or any lower motive in disguise.

Asad’s Version:

42: 40 The recompense for am injury is an injury equal thereto (in degrees ) : but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God : for (God) loveth not those who do wrong.

42: 43 But if indeed if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an exercise of courageous will and resolution in the conduct of affairs.