Relationship between Religion and Politics in Islam — Page 24
The Relationship Between Religion & Politics 24 name of forgiveness. You have only to read Shakespeare’s Shylock to know what they had come to. And if Jesus Christ as had permitted them also to take revenge, people whose hearts were hardened would never have forgiven. They would have said, ‘Revenge is also permissible; why not take revenge?’ To appease their own anguish. So, Jesus as took away from them the right of revenge, but that injunction could not be a permanent one. These are the areas where, sometimes, superficial teachings are revealed, but only for certain periods and for times, for historical epochs and not permanently. Then comes the Holy Quran, and the law regarding the matter mentioned In the Holy Quran is: 1 ْنَمَف اَفَع َو َحَلْصَا ٗهُرْجَاَف ىَلَع ِهّٰللا Fa man afaa Wa aslaha fa ajrohu alallah ( Surah ash- Shuraa, 42:41) ‘You have a right to take revenge’. The whole verse in fact says: ‘You have a right to take revenge when you are wronged. But not beyond the measure to which you are wronged’. This is one principle. Secondly, you can also forgive, but not unconditionally. You can only forgive if your forgiveness promotes refor- mation; if it promotes crime, then you cannot forgive. Now, this is the Quranic version which stands on the 1. But whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is with Allah ( Surah ash-Shuraa, 42:41). [Publisher]