Document Type : Academicm and Research

Authors

• Ali Ahmad Naseh ¹
• Golam Hosein Arabi ²
• Seyed Sadruddin Shawl chest ³

¹ Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

³ Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Highlights

A Comparative Interpretation of Retaliation according to Allamah Tabatabai and Syed Qutb[1] *

Ali Ahmad Naseh¹ , Golam Hosein Arabi² , and Sadruddin Sadrishal³

¹ Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran. Email: aliahmadnaseh@yahoo.com

² Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran. Email: golamhosein.arabi@gmail.com

³ Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Theology and Teachings, University of Qom, Qom, Iran (corresponding author). Email: s.sadrishal@stu.qom.ac.ir

Abstract

Retaliation is innately present in human beings and instinctively in some animals. Retaliation has various types including divine and non-divine retribution. In this paper, a comparative study of this topic has been conducted in the commentaries of al-Mīzān and Fī Ẓilāl al-Qurʾan and the common and different points between them have been extracted. This study has provided some conclusions that are as follows: 1) Both exegetes consider retaliation as part of divine customs and believe it to be divided into two categories, individual and social. 2) Social retaliation is considered part of the rights of society. 3) Forgiveness and pardon in instances of personal retaliation are good; however, it has been censured regarding social rights. 4) God takes retribution from guilty and sinful human beings when they have been reminded of divine signs and manifestations and proof has been completed over them. 5) Allamah Tabatabai considers qiṣāṣ (equal retribution) as a type of retaliation; however, Syed Qutb does not. 6) Neither of the two exegetes has indicated who the retaliator is when it has a social aspect and is among social rights. 7) Syed Qutb’s discussions regarding retaliation overlap and are sometimes inconsistent; whereas it is not so in the discussions of Allamah Tabatabai.

Keywords: al-Mīzān, retaliation, Syed Qutb, Fī Ẓilāl al-Qurʾan, equal retribution, Allamah Tabatabai

Introduction

In sixteen verses of the Quran, the root word naqama has been used seventeen times, and in thirteen of those instances (3: 4; 5: 59; 7: 126 & 136; 14: 47; 15: 79; 30: 47; 32: 22; 39: 37; 43: 25, 41, & 55; 44: 16), God has been mentioned as the avenger or the master of retribution.

This study strives to find the views of two exegetes, Allamah Tabatabai and Syed Qutb, regarding the topic of retaliation in the Quran and then study the results obtained by comparing their views.

Allamah Tabatabai’s view on retaliation

The points that Allamah Tabatabai has mentioned under verses of the Quran related to retaliation are briefly as follows:

1. Equal retribution is a kind of retaliation and is specific to Muslims, not to the dhimmis or others.
2. An oppressed seeking retribution from the oppressor is not only not incorrect; rather it is commendable and right that justice is established and the legislation of the law of equal retribution and retaliation has a nurturing and corruption-preventing aspect.
3. Retaliation is the punishment of the wrongdoer for the wrong that he has committed. The solace of the heart is not one of its requirements; rather, one of the effects of retribution is the solace of the heart.
4. Retaliation includes non-humans and even animals. The principle of retaliation also concerns them; however, the quantity and quality of that and comparing the retaliation in animals with humans is another matter.
5. Pardoning that causes the rights of others to be squandered is wrong and not permitted.
6. Not rushing to retaliate against wrongdoers, oppressors, and the deviated is good so that a) the right path is clear for them from that which is astray and b) the path of repentance and forgiveness is possible for them.
7. The two divine promises of the retribution and punishment of the oppressed and help to the prophets by God are inviolable.
8. Personal retaliation has been seen as a vital principle among human beings and even some animals. Retaliation in human beings, in whom the personal aspect is mostly with the motive of easing the mind and appeasing one’s anger, is not rational; rather, it is mostly emotional.
9. In social retaliation, qiṣāṣ (equal retribution) and types of accountabilities are addressed. In these instances, the motivation for retaliation is mostly rational and its purpose is to protect the social system, prevent unrest, and establish stability in society; otherwise, the general security of society would be compromised and the well-being of society would give way to unrest.
10. Social retaliations, which are considered part of the rights of the society, though they may be the one with individual rights in some instances and the rights of the individual are enforced by the law; however, in such instances, society does not give up its rights and admonishes and punishes the offender.
11. Wherever in the Quran and narrations retribution is attributed to God, it refers to retribution for one of the rights of the divine religion that have been lost.
12. Retaliation is both an individual and social right. Retributions have been attributed to God where one of the rights of the Islamic society has been lost, even though in some of the instances, the rights of the individual are also secured, such as instances where the sharia and religious law take back the rights of the oppressed from the oppressor.

The view of Syed Qutb regarding retaliation

The sum of points that Syed Qutb has mentioned under Quranic verses related to retaliation are as follows:

1. Qiṣāṣ (equal retribution) is not retaliation.
2. Retaliation is synonymous with hostility and hatred.
3. Syed Qutb has brought retaliation in the category of insult, persecution, harassment, and torture.
4. Divine commands must be obeyed and adhered to; otherwise, one must await punishment and retribution from God.
5. Syed Qutb has placed retaliation in the category of punishment and considered it penalization and punishment.
6. According to verses of the Quran, before going to the hereafter, the offenders will also face retribution in the world; that is, they will face difficult punishment in the world and the hereafter.
7. Anger is an innate matter. If anger is for God and God’s religion, it is right and just, good, and righteous. Therefore, anger is not essentially forbidden. Even though believers cannot be like the Prophet; however, they can be merciful in anger and rage and pardon others when they have the power to retaliate if it is regarding personal and individual matters.
8. When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) goes to the hereafter, God himself will take the responsibility of retribution from those who denied Him; otherwise, God helps the Prophet as per His promise to him and the Prophet will take revenge on the criminals.
9. One of the factors that lead to divine punishment and retribution is doubt in the belief in God and mocking reality.
10. Syed Qutb has not considered retaliation to be negative in some instances; rather, he evaluates it as positive and attributes it to God and considers God to be the avenger.

Conclusion

The results that are achieved from the comparison of the views of Allamah Tabatabai and Syed Qutb are as follows:

1. Allamah Tabatabai has independently discussed and studied the topic of retribution with an open and broad view and explained its different types: he has separated divine retribution, retribution by the prophets, and retribution by the believers from non-divine and non-infallible retribution and specified their scope. And he has also separated the limits of right and wrong retaliation.
2. Syed Qutb has not presented his views regarding retaliation clearly and explicitly.
3. Syed Qutb has not provided an independent meaning of retaliation and the reader of his exegesis cannot easily gain a complete meaning of retaliation; rather, he finds a scattered meaning in between verses.
4. The views of Syed Qutb regarding retaliation seem to be contradictory, confusing, ambiguous, insufficient, and unclear.
5. The views of Syed Qutb regarding retaliation under the related verse are more in the context of a brief report rather than providing an opinion in that regard.
6. It seems appropriate that Allamah Tabatabai should have explained under whose command and order should retaliation be managed after the command of God, in the sense that the executer and avenger concerning social affairs during the period of the presence of an Infallible and during occultation is missing from his discussions.
7. Finally, we must mention that neither of the two exegetes has addressed in their exegesis that if God has given the oppressed the permission of retribution, how will it be put into practice?

References

Holy Qoran 

Ahmad, K. (1989). Kitab al-ʿayn. Hejrat Publishing. [In Arabic].

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Dehkhoda, A. A. (1993). Lughatname-yi Dehkhoda. University of Tehran Press. [In Persian].

Moein, M. (1992). Farhang-i Farsi. Amir Kabir Publishers. [In Persian].

Moshiri, M. (1998). Collegiate Persian Dictionary. Peykan. [In Persian].

Qutb, I. H. (2004). Fi zilal al-Qurʾan. Dar al-Shurooq. [In Arabic].

Tabatabai, M. H. (1995). Tarjume-yi tafsir al-Mizan. (M. B. Musavi, Trans.). Daftar-i Intisharat-i Islami. [In Persian].

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[1] This article has been summarized from the doctoral thesis of Syed Sadruddin Sadrishal titled: “Taḥlīl-i gūnehā va kārkardhā-yi intiqām dar Quʾran va hadith” [Analyzing the types and function of retaliation in the Quran and narrations].

* Received: 2023 Sep 26 | Received in revised from: 2023 Nov 11 | Accepted: 2023 Nov 22 | published online: 2023 Dec 21

• Naseh, A.A., Arabi, G.H., & Sadrishal, S. (2023). A Comparative Interpretation of Retaliation according to Allamah Tabatabai and Syed Qutb. Comparative Interpretation Research, 9 (2), 79-100. https://doi.org/10.22091/PTT.2024.9747.2264

Keywords

• al-Mīzān
• retaliation
• Syed Qutb
• Fī Ẓilāl al-Qurʾan
• equal retribution
• Allamah Tabatabai 

Main Subjects

• Islamic