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wa-ʾin ʿāqabtum fa-ʿāqibū bi-mithli mā ʿūqibtum bihī wa-la-ʾin ṣabartum la-huwa khayrun li-ṣ-ṣābirīna
Should you retaliate, retaliate with the like of what you have been made to suffer, but if you are patient that is surely better for the steadfast.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 126
126. “And if you punish then punish as you were punished with; but if you are patient, decisively, it will be best for the patient ones.”
Up till now, the issue in question dealt with the matter as to how one must engage in a logical dialogue or an emotional or rational disputation with the opponents. Nonetheless, if the worst comes to worst and there is an entanglement involved, and they take up arms and invade, the Holy Qur’an orders in implication that If you are supposed to retaliate, your retaliation must be with what you have suffered and not more than that. However, if you do not lose patience and have a forgiving attitude, this would be best for those who are patient.
The verse says:
“And if you punish then punish as you were punished with; but if you are patient, decisively, it will be best for the patient ones.”
In some quotations, we have it that this verse was revealed during the ’Uhud Battle’ when the Prophet (S) witnessed the painful plight of the martyrdom of his uncle Hamzat-ibn-Abdul-Muttalib, in which case, the enemy was not content with killing him. They tore up apart his chest and side with utmost atrocity, taking out his liver or heart, and cut off his nose and ears, which made him (S) quite upset. Then he said:
“O’ My Lord! You are worthy of praise and I take up my case to you and you are my help and of assistance in whatever I notice.”
According to the comments made in Majma‘-ul-Bayan, Jawami‘-ul-Jami‘, Burhan, Safi etc, the Muslims, witnessing the scenario, declared:
“If we get access to them, we shall amputate them all.”
Nonetheless, in other commentaries like: ‘Ayyashi, Durr-ul-manthūr, and other commentaries, this quotation has been attributed to the Prophet (S) himself. At this moment the revelation of the above verse took place, upon which occasion, the Prophet (S) declared:
“O’ Lord! I shall be patient, I shall be patient.”
This was, perhaps, the most painful moments in the life of the prophet, he controlled his nerves once again, selecting the second way which consisted of “forgiving.” And as we note in the history of the conquest of Mecca, the day when the Prophet (S) overcame those stone-hearted people, he declared a general amnesty to them and kept to his words in the Battle of ’Uhud. Truly speaking, if one wants to witness superior examples of manhood and those of humane affections, he should try to put the story of ’Uhud alongside that of the Conquest of Mecca and make a comparative study of the two.
It is probable that no other nations in a conquering position, has ever treated the conquered one which the Prophet (S) did after the Muslims conquest of the pagans of Mecca considering the situation where retaliation and hatred were the rule of the game within the fabrics of the society and of the social order. In such a situation, hatred and hostilities were passed down from one generation to the next and a stop to the will to taking revenge was considered as a great defect.
As a result of all this magnanimity in character, amnesty and forgiveness, such a backwardly illiterate and obstinate nation was so moved and then awakened where, according to the Qur’an, groups after groups embraced Islam, the religion of Allah.