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An-Nahl (The Bee)

Verse 126of 128

وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لِّلصَّٰبِرِينَ﴿١٢٦

Translation (Sahih International)

And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِنْwa-inAnd if
عَاقَبْتُمْʿāqabtumyou retaliate
فَعَاقِبُوا۟faʿāqibūthen retaliate
بِمِثْلِbimith'liwith the like
مَاof what
عُوقِبْتُمʿūqib'tumyou were afflicted
بِهِۦ ۖbihiwith [it]
وَلَئِنwala-inBut if
صَبَرْتُمْṣabartumyou are patient
لَهُوَlahuwasurely (it) is
خَيْرٌۭkhayrunbetter
لِّلصَّـٰبِرِينَlilṣṣābirīnafor those who are patient

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Command for Equality in PunishmentAllah commands justice in punishment and equity in settling the cases of rights. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that, concerning the Ayah,فَعَاقِبُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ(then punish them with the like of that with which you were afflicted.) Ibn Sirin said, "If a man among you takes something from you, then you should take something similar from him." This was also the opinion of Mujahid, Ibrahim, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, and others.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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