Tafseer of The Pilgrimage · Al-Hajj · 22:60
That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized - Allah will surely aid him. Indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted is His mention, means by His word (ذَلِكَ — "that"): this applies to those who migrated for the sake of Allah, then were killed or died. And in addition to that, Allah has also promised them victory over the polytheists (mushrikīn) who wronged them and drove them out of their dwellings.
Thus al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِ ("That, and whoever retaliates with the like of what was inflicted upon him") — he said: "It is the polytheists who wronged the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah promised him victory." And he also spoke about the law of retaliation (qiṣāṣ). Some claimed that this verse came down on the occasion of a group of polytheists who met a group of Muslims, two nights before the end of the Month of al-Muḥarram. The Muslims were reluctant to fight on that day during the sacred months (al-ashhur al-ḥuram). The Muslims therefore asked the polytheists to cease their fighting because of the sanctity of the month, but the polytheists refused this and fought against them and wronged them. The Muslims held firm and were granted victory. Then Allah revealed this verse: ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِ ثُمَّ بُغِيَ عَلَيْهِ ("That, and whoever retaliates with the like of what was inflicted upon him, and then is wronged") — in that the fighting against him was begun while he rejected it — لَيَنْصُرَنَّهُ اللَّهُ ("Allah will surely grant him victory").
And His word: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ ("Verily, Allah is surely Pardoning, Forgiving") — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: Allah is truly Pardoning and Forgiving toward the one who takes revenge upon him who wronged him, after the wrong that the wrongdoer inflicted upon him — and this is his rightful law of retaliation. And Allah forgives the one who began the wrong for what was done to him in equal measure, without punishing him for it.
