Surah Muminun ayat 96 Tafsir Quran 23:96

﴿ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ ۚ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ﴾
[ المؤمنون: 96]

23:96 Repel, by [means of] what is best, [their] evil. We are most knowing of what they describe.

Ward off with that which is better that is to say with the better trait of pardoning and shunning them the evil act the hurt they cause you — this was revealed before the command to fight them. We know best what they allege what they invent of lies and what they say and so We will requite them for it.

Repress your offended and wounded feelings and repel evil with what is gracious in words or in action

The Command to call on Allah when Calamity strikes, to repel Evil with that which is better, and to seek refuge with Allah Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to call on Him with this supplication when calamity strikes: رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّى مَا يُوعَدُونَ ( My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened. ) meaning, `if You punish them while I am witnessing that, then do not cause me to be one of them.' As was said in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih:
«وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَومٍ فِتْنَةً فَتَوفَّنِي إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مَفْتُون»
( If You want to test people, then take me to You cause me to die without having to undergo the test. ) وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـدِرُونَ ( And indeed We are able to show you that with which We have threatened them. ) means, `if We willed, We could show you the punishment and test that We will send upon them.' Then Allah shows him the best way to behave when mixing with people, which is to treat kindly the one who treats him badly, so as to soften his heart and turn his enmity to friendship, and to turn his hatred to love.
Allah says: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ ( Repel evil with that which is better.
) This is like the Ayah: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌوَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ ( Repel (the evil ) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, ( will become ) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it except those who are patient) 41:34-35.
meaning, nobody will be helped or inspired to follow this advice or attain this quality, إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ ( except those who are patient ) meaning, those who patiently bear people's insults and bad treatment and deal with them in a good manner when they are on the receiving end of bad treatment from them. وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ ( and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion ) means, in this world and the Hereafter.
And Allah says: وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ ( And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin." ) Allah commanded him to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them.
We have already stated, when discussing Isti`adhah ( seeking refuge ), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say,
«أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِه»
( I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations. ) His saying: وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ ( "And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me." ) means, in any issue of my life.
So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc.
Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say:
«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَمِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْت»
( O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death. )

The Command to call on Allah when Calamity strikes, to repel Evil with that which is better, and to seek refuge with Allah Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to call on Him with this supplication when calamity strikes: رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّى مَا يُوعَدُونَ ( My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened. ) meaning, `if You punish them while I am witnessing that, then do not cause me to be one of them.' As was said in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih: «وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَومٍ فِتْنَةً فَتَوفَّنِي إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مَفْتُون» ( If You want to test people, then take me to You cause me to die without having to undergo the test. ) وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـدِرُونَ ( And indeed We are able to show you that with which We have threatened them. ) means, `if We willed, We could show you the punishment and test that We will send upon them.' Then Allah shows him the best way to behave when mixing with people, which is to treat kindly the one who treats him badly, so as to soften his heart and turn his enmity to friendship, and to turn his hatred to love.
Allah says: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ ( Repel evil with that which is better.
) This is like the Ayah: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌوَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ ( Repel (the evil ) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, ( will become ) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it except those who are patient) 41:34-35.
meaning, nobody will be helped or inspired to follow this advice or attain this quality, إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ ( except those who are patient ) meaning, those who patiently bear people's insults and bad treatment and deal with them in a good manner when they are on the receiving end of bad treatment from them. وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ ( and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion ) means, in this world and the Hereafter.
And Allah says: وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ ( And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin." ) Allah commanded him to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them.
We have already stated, when discussing Isti`adhah ( seeking refuge ), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, «أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِه» ( I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations. ) His saying: وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ ( "And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me." ) means, in any issue of my life.
So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc.
Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَمِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْت» ( O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death. )

( Repel evil with that which is better ) repel by means of " there is no god except Allah " the expression of idolatry which is coming from Abu Jahl and his host; and it is also said that this means: repel from yourself their indecent talk through the greeting of peace. ( We are best Aware of that which they allege ) of lies.

Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best-Acquainted with the things they utter.

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