60 Preface ۞ ذٰلِكَ وَمَن عاقَبَ بِمِثلِ ما عوقِبَ بِهِ ثُمَّ بُغِيَ عَلَيهِ لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفورٌYusuf AliThat (is so). And if one has retaliated to no greater extent than the injury he received, and is again set upon inordinately, God will help him: for God is One that blots out (sins) and forgives (again and again).1Ordinarily Muslims are enjoined to bear injuries with patience and return good for evil (23:96). But there are occasions when human feelings get the better of our wise resolutions, or when, in a state of conflict or war, we return “as good as we get “. In that case our retaliation is permissible, provided the injury we inflict is not greater than that we receive. After such retaliation, we are even, but if the other side again acts aggressively and goes beyond all bounds in attacking us, we are entitled to protection from God in spite of all our faults; for God is One that blots out our sins, and forgives again and again.