Surah Fussilat (فصلت) • Explained in Detail

Quran 41:34

41:34

وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ

walā tastawī l-ḥasanatu walā l-sayi-atu id'faʿ bi-allatī hiya aḥsanu fa-idhā alladhī baynaka wabaynahu ʿadāwatun ka-annahu waliyyun ḥamīmun

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.

— Saheeh International

Good and evil cannot be equal. [Prophet], repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend,

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allâh orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger,[2] and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 24Page 480meccan

Word by Word

وَلَاwalāAnd not
تَسْتَوِىtastawī(are) equal
ٱلْحَسَنَةُl-ḥasanatuthe good (deed)
وَلَاwalāand
ٱلسَّيِّئَةُۚl-sayi-atuthe evil (deed)
ٱدْفَعْid'faʿRepel
بِٱلَّتِىbi-allatīby (that) which
هِىَhiya[it]
أَحْسَنُaḥsanu(is) better
فَإِذَاfa-idhāthen behold
ٱلَّذِىalladhīOne who
بَيْنَكَbaynakabetween you
وَبَيْنَهُۥwabaynahuand between him
عَدَٰوَةٌۭʿadāwatun(was) enmity
كَأَنَّهُۥka-annahu(will become) as if he
وَلِىٌّwaliyyun(was) a friend
حَمِيمٌۭḥamīmunintimate