Ash-Shura (Consultation)

40. The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof; but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. Indeed, He likes not the wrong doers.

41. And indeed whosoever seeks succor [for compensation] after he has suffered wrong for such there is no blame against them.

One may take just vengeance against the transgression of his rights;

(“The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof”);

however, one who is powerful enough to take vengeance but he forgives and makes reconciliation shall be granted a great Reward;

(“but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah”).

The clause;

“his reward is with Allah”

is attested twice in the Holy Qur’an; an instance of which¹ regards Meccan Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the other instance concerns forgiving the evil deeds committed by others attested in the blessed Verse in question. Thus, it is evident that the recompense for forgiving and making reconciliation is on a par with emigration toward Allah.

The blessed Verse 40 is saying that believers are such that if someone wrongs them, they take a well-measured vengeance upon them and a believer who forgives the wrong done to him by his brother in faith shall be granted a great Reward by God Almighty, since Allah does not favor wrong-doers.

Verse 41 is saying that one who takes his revenge upon someone who has wronged him shall stay unharmed by the Muslim community nor shall he be chastised nor reproached for his vengeance.

It is everyone’s legitimate right to take revenge upon the wrong-doer since it is not reproached in this world nor will it be recompensed in the Hereafter. However, if he forgives the wrong-doer, he shall be rewarded by God Almighty.