An-Nahl 16:126

Juz 14 · Page 281

16:126

وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّٰبِرِينَ

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.

Context

Limits of retaliation: the martyrdom of Hamza

126–128

As narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka'b, when Hamza was martyred at Uhud and his body mutilated, the Companions vowed a far harsher retaliation should the opportunity arise. Thereupon the verses were revealed: "If you retaliate, retaliate to the same degree as the wrong done to you; but if you endure patiently, that is surely better for the patient." The Prophet chose patience and renounced retaliation. Although Surah an-Nahl is counted as Meccan, the prevalent view is that these verses were revealed at Uhud in the Medinan period, while some scholars hold they were revealed in Mecca.

Tirmizî 3129; Vâhidî, Esbâbü'n-Nüzûl

Revelation context of the surah

Surah-wide

An-Nahl is Meccan, dated to the late Meccan period; there is a report that its closing verses on retaliation were revealed in Medina after Uhud. It marshals proofs of God's oneness through His blessings, and counsels the persecuted believers to be patient and to invite with wisdom and fair exhortation.

Klasik tefsir mukaddimeleri; esbâb-ı nüzul rivayetleri

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