[Machine] In his saying, "So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you" [Al-Baqarah 194] and his saying, "And whoever avenges himself after being wronged, those have not upon them any cause for blame" [Ash-Shura 41] and his saying, "And if you punish, then punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed" [An-Nahl 126] and his saying, "And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it" [Ash-Shura 40], this and similar verses were revealed in Makkah while the Muslims were few in number and had no authority to overcome the polytheists. The polytheists used to insult and harm them, so Allah commanded the Muslims that whoever wanted to retaliate should do so in a similar manner, or they could exercise patience and forgive, which is better. When Allah's Messenger ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah and Allah gave him authority, he commanded the Muslims to bring their disputes to their authorities for resolution, and not to exceed their limits against each other like the people of Jahiliyyah. He said, "And whoever is killed unjustly - We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law]" [Al-Isra 33]. This means that the authority will support him until he achieves justice against his oppressor. And whoever takes revenge for himself without the authority's permission, then he is a sinner who has transgressed the limits, and he has acted upon the ignorance of pre-Islamic customs and has not accepted the judgment of Allah.  

فِي قَوْلِهِ {فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْ} [البقرة 194] وَقَوْلِهِ {وَلَمَنِ انْتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ} [الشورى 41] وَقَوْلِهِ {وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ} [النحل 126] وَقَوْلِهِ {وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا} [الشورى 40] فَهَذَا وَنَحْوُهُ نَزَلَ بِمَكَّةَ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَلِيلٌ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ سُلْطَانٌ يَقْهَرُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَكَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يَتَعَاطَوْنَهُمْ بِالشَّتْمِ وَالْأَذَى فَأَمَرَ اللهُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَنْ يُجَازِي مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُجَازُوا بِمِثْلِ الَّذِي أَتَى إِلَيْهِ أَوْ يَصْبِرُوا وَيَعْفُوا فَهُوَ أَمْثَلُ فَلَمَّا هَاجَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَأَعَزَّ اللهُ سُلْطَانَهُ أَمَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْ يَنْتَهُوا فِي مَظَالِمِهِمْ إِلَى سُلْطَانِهِمْ وَلَا يَعْدُو بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ كَأَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ {وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْصُورًا} [الإسراء 33] يَقُولُ يَنْصُرُهُ السُّلْطَانُ حَتَّى يُنْصِفَهُ مِنْ ظَالِمِهِ وَمَنِ انْتَصَرَ لِنَفْسِهِ دُونَ السُّلْطَانِ فَهُوَ عَاصٍ مُسْرِفٌ قَدْ عَمِلَ بِحَمِيَّةِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَلَمْ يَرْضَ بِحُكْمِ اللهِ