Verse 41
The Consultation • makkah
View Aspects
وَجَزَٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
2:195; 10:28; 16:127.
Commentary:
The verse forms the basis of the penal laws of Islam. The real object underlying the awarding of punishment to the guilty person, according to Islamic teaching, is his moral reformation. If forgiveness is calculated to do him some moral good, he should be forgiven. He should be punished, if punishment is likely to lead to his reformation; but the punishment should in no case be disproportionate to the offence committed. Islam does not believe in the monastic teaching of turning the left cheek when the right is smitten nor in the Jewish doctrine of "an eye for eye." It adopts the golden mean. The next three verses shed some further light on this subject.
2:195; 16:127.
The verse forms the basis of the penal laws of Islam. The real object underlying the awarding of punishment to the guilty person according to Islamic teaching, is his moral reformation. If forgiveness is calculated to do him some moral good, he should be forgiven. But he should be punished, if punishment is likely to lead to his reformation; the punishment, however, should in no case be disproportionate to the offence committed. Islam does not believe in the monastic teaching of turning the other cheek, nor in the Jewish doctrine of "an eye for an eye," under all conditions. It adopts the golden mean.