Re: revenge is sweet
well said…forgiveness indeed,…in addition I have found including the person who you feel wronged you in your dua’as does wonders for your soul
something along the lines of ya’allah please guide “so and so” (person who wronged you) on the right path and bring them happiness and in addition to them please accord the same kindness to me
Peace All
Revenge does have a position in the domain of fairness because the concept takes into account two things … the emotional factors which are on the whole irrational and it takes into account the needs of some people who are less patient and in touch with their higher selves … it caters for the people who are more zahiri (apparent) and aesthetic in their life approach.
On the other hand we are told that there is a better position than revenge … in fact even the statement “success is the best form of revenge” is limited because it is still talking about the concept of revenge as something of a requisite … the best action in the face of injustice is forgiveness.
When revenge is required is usually when a situation has a risk of getting out of hand that if forgiveness is offered it may be seen as a form of weakness and could result in an escalated condition of the original harm. Such as a murderer after proving he has murderous tendencies is likely to kill again if forgiven. If on the other hand a person was killed by accident that may not be the case.
To harm whether it is out of just retaliation/revenge or out of criminal intent there is a burden that has to be carried for it. That burden will appoint itself on our shoulders in the hereafter. If in a war and we kill an enemy soldier … do we think we will not be asked whether we tried our hardest to convince the opposite not to fight and to come to a reasonable understanding.
The power of retaliation is in the hands of the one who has been emotionally harmed … and revenge may extinguish that inner anger/sadness/dismay … but it will burden the soul in its deeds. On the other hand to forgive someone may actually also create a relief and additionally lift the burden on the soul as well.
There is no honour in bloodshed - if we do it out of revenge we are serving our own needs and to serve our own needs is like going to the toilet or eating food and sleeping … how can any of these be considered something pious? Piety is about giving up our RIGHTS in order to serve greater interest - which is the interest of society and the Word of God.