Al-Qur'an Surah Fussilat Verse 34

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is best, and you will see that the one you had mutual enmity with him will turn as if he were a close friend.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Good and evil cannot be equal. Respond ˹to evil˺ with what is best, then the one you are in a feud with will be like a close friend.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is good; the one whom you have enmity with will become as if he was a close friend.

A. J. Arberry

Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend.

Abdul Haleem

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,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Nor can good and evil be equal. Repel thou evil with that which is goodly then behold he between whom and thee there was enmity, will be as though he was a warm friend.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better; Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Prophet), good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with that which is good, and you will see that he, between whom and you there was enmity, shall become as if he were a bosom friend (of yours).

Ahmed Ali

Good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with what is good. Then you will find your erstwhile enemy like a close. affectionate friend.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the good deed and the evil deed will never be equal; O listener! Repel the evil deed with a good one, thereupon the one between whom and you was enmity, will become like a close friend.

Ali Quli Qarai

Good and evil [conduct] are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best. [If you do so,] he between whom and you was enmity, will then be as though he were a sympathetic friend.

Ali Ünal

Goodness and evil can never be equal. Repel evil with what is better (or best). Then see: the one between whom and you there was enmity has become a bosom friend.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And good and evil are not alike. Repel (evil) with that (benign and graceful way) which is best, and lo, the person between whom and you there is enmity will behave as if he were your warm-hearted friend.

English Literal

And the good/goodness does not become equal/alike and nor the sin/crime, pay/push/repel with which it is best , so then who (is) between you and between him animosity as though/as if he (is a) concerned guardian/ally .

Faridul Haque

And the good deed and the evil deed will never be equal; O listener! Repel the evil deed with a good one, thereupon the one between whom and you was enmity, will become like a close friend.

Hamid S. Aziz

And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel evil with what is best, when lo! He between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were an intimate friend.

Hilali & Khan

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, 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.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah and does good, and says: I am surely of those who submit?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend.

Muhammad Sarwar

Virtue and evil are not equal. If you replace evil habits by virtuous ones, you will certainly find that your enemies will become your intimate friends.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel with that which is most just, and see, the one whom there is enmity between you will be as if he were a loyal guide.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.

Wahiduddin Khan

Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend,

Talal Itani

Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like an intimate friend.

Tafsir jalalayn

And they are not equal, the good deed and the evil deed, [even] with respect to their subdivisions, because any number of such [good deeds] are [always] above any number of the latter. Repel, the evil deed, with that, in other words, with that trait, which is better, such as [repelling] anger with endurance, ignorance with forbearance, and [the intention to inflict] harm with pardon, then, behold, he between whom and you there was enmity will be as though he were a dear friend, in other words, then your enemy will become like a close friend in terms of [his] affection [for you], if you act in such a way (alladh, `he ... whom', is the subject; ka-annahu, `as though', is the predicate; idh is an adverbial particle for [expressing] the comparative import).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّيَةُ

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal.

means, there is a huge difference between them.

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

Repel (the evil) with one which is better,

means, `when someone does you wrong, repel him by treating him well,' as Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"There is no better punishment for one who has disobeyed Allah with regard to you, than your obeying Allah with regard to him."

فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ



then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.

means, `if you treat well those who treat you badly, this good deed will lead to reconciliation, love and empathy, and it will be as if he is a close friend to you and he will feel pity for you and be kind to you.'

Then Allah says