وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ 34
Translations
And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.
Transliteration
Wa lā tastawī al-hasanatu wa lā as-sayyiʾah. Idfaʿ bi-al-latī hiya aḥsan fa-idhā al-ladhī baynaka wa baynahu ʿadāwatun ka-annahu waliyyun ḥamīm.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah teaches that good and evil are not equal, and commands believers to repel harm with what is better—meaning to respond to evil with kindness and excellence. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that when one meets hostility with virtue, the hostile person becomes like a close, sincere friend, demonstrating the transformative power of moral excellence in reconciling enmities. This principle reflects the Islamic emphasis on moral superiority and patience (sabr) as instruments of social healing.
Revelation Context
This verse was revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period when Muslims faced persecution and hostility from the Quraysh. The surah's theme of detailed divine signs and guidance provides context for this teaching on moral conduct during adversity. It addresses the believers' struggle to maintain ethical standards despite provocation, offering them a strategy rooted in spiritual superiority rather than retaliation.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by strength, but the one who controls himself when angry.' This directly relates to the ayah's teaching on responding with kindness rather than retaliation.
Themes
Key Lesson
When faced with hostility or harm, responding with kindness and moral excellence is not weakness but the highest form of strength—it has the power to transform enemies into allies. This ayah invites modern readers to transcend cycles of conflict through character-driven responses, aligning personal conduct with divine values even in the face of injustice.