This very early Meccan Sūra, though it referred in the first instance to a particular incident in a cruel and relentless persecution, carries the general lesson that cruelty ultimately ruins itself. The man who rages against holy things is burnt up in his own rage. His hands, which are the instruments of his action, perish, and he perishes himself. No boasted wealth or position will save him. The women, who are made for nobler emotions, may, if they go wrong, feed unholy rage with fiercer fuel—to their own loss. For they may twist the torturing rope round their own neck. It is a common experience that people perish by the very means by which they seek to destroy others.

C. 291 | [111:1-5] The Chosen One of God, in his earnest desire to proclaim the Message, gathered his kin together to hear and judge with open minds between error and truth. Behold, the fiery “Father of Flame” blazed up with foul abuse and curses, and said to the holy one: “Perish thou!” With his hands he took stones and cast them at the holy one’s head. Purse-proud he headed relentless persecution. His wife laid snares, tied thorns with twisted ropes of prickly palm-leaf fiber, and strewed them in the holy one’s path on darkest nights, for cruel sport! But lo! the curses, insults, spite, harmed not the Innocent, but hit the wrongdoers themselves and branded them with eternal infamy!