المائدة

سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ ۚ فَإِن جَاءُوكَ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُمْ أَوْ أَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ فَلَن يَضُرُّوكَ شَيْئًا ۖ وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ 42 وَكَيْفَ يُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِندَهُمُ التَّوْرَاةُ فِيهَا حُكْمُ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَمَا أُولَٰئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ 43 إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ ۚ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ 44 وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالْأَنفَ بِالْأَنفِ وَالْأُذُنَ بِالْأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَّهُ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ 45

RETALIATION AND REMISSION (VERSE NO. 45)

      This verse explains another part of the criminal Laws decreed by God, which was prescribed in the TOWRAT.

      According to that, if someone kills another person intentionally, the guardian of the deceased has every right to put the murderer to death if he wills. If someone injures someone else's eye, nose, or tooth; he can do the same to the injurer. The Law of retaliation is for all and has nothing to do with race, nationality, nobility, rank and wealth.

      But the Law does not enjoin or encourage people on retaliation measures. It depends on the people's free will to avenge or not. On the contrary, forgiveness and pardon is enjoined eagerly by Quran, saying:- ``If anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, his remission shall atone for him.''

RETALIATION IN THE BIBLE

      The retaliation is prescribed in the pentateuch as follows:-

      ``The punishment shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.''   EXODUS 21: 23-24

      In Leviticus 24: 18-21 the same Law is explained with more detail.

      In the Book of Deuternomy 19: 20 we read:- ``In such case SHOW NO MERCY, the punishment is to be, life for life, and eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.''

      Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew 5: 38 modified the old law of Moses which consisted of SHOW NO MERCY in retaliation, in the direction of FULL MERCY, saying:- ``You have heard that it was said; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; but now I tell you, do not revenge on someone who wrongs you. If any one slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too!''

      Between the two above extremes, of Moses saying:- `SHOW NO MERCY' and the saying of Jesus, `SHOW FULL MERCY', Mohammad S.A. has taken a very beautiful way between these two extremes in order to judge the criminals, saying:- ``There is life for you in retaliation; but if any one who has been injured, by way of charity and for the sake of God remits the retaliation, his remission shall atone for his sins in the sight of God.''

      This is why we Muslims believe that Islam is the most perfect one among the Divine Religions, and stands in the upper most class of what Allah has sent down to mankind, through His apostles so far.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)