Continuation of the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: << أولئك يؤتون أجرهم مرتين بما صبروا ويدرءون بالحسنة السيئة ومما رزقناهم ينفقون >>

Now, and the baa in His saying: is the baa of causality, meaning: because of their patience. They repel evil with good ; the evil is the object of the verb, and the baa in His saying: is the baa of the instrument, just as you say: "I slaughtered with the knife" or "I struck with the stick." So we have a repeller, a repelled thing, and the means by which it is repelled. Who is the repeller in the verse?
The student: The workers.

The Shaykh : And the repelled thing?
The student: The evil.

The Shaykh : The evil, and the means by which it is repelled is the good, just as you say: "I slaughtered with the knife," so we have a slaughterer, a slaughtered animal, and the instrument used to slaughter it. So the good is for them in the position of the instrument by which they achieve their purpose. The author says: "Among them" If they do an evil, they follow it with a good, and the evil is repelled. This good by which the evil is repelled is divided into two categories: a category that removes the evil by way of counterbalancing, and another category that removes the evil by way of erasure and deletion. — How many of you, everyone? — The goods by which evils are repelled are divided into two categories: a category by way of counterbalancing, and a category by way of erasure and deletion. If the good by which the evil is repelled is repentance, and repentance is among the goods, is it not? If it is by way of repentance, it is by way of erasure and deletion. And if it is another good, such as if one repels evils with prayer, [Hud: 114], then this repelling is by way of what?
The student: Counterbalancing.

The Shaykh : Counterbalancing means that the reward of the good is counterbalanced by the punishment of the evil by way of weighing. If the reward of the good outweighs it, the evil is erased; otherwise, it is not. Which of the two is more complete, which of the two repellings is more complete? The first or the second? The first is more complete, because if the first occurs, the second good becomes an increase in elevation of degrees, not a counterbalance to the evil. Then, if the repelling is by way of counterbalancing, the second good may be weaker; the good may be weaker than counterbalancing the evil. So the repelling by repentance is more complete than the repelling by doing another good that counterbalances the evil. And both matters result in repelling. And the author's saying: "Among them" means that the truth is that this statement is sound, but if we say that it is more general and that they repel with good and evil from among them and from others. How from among them and from others? It means that if they are wronged, they repel the wrongdoing with kindness. So there is praise for them here regarding their dealings with creation. Is that appropriate or not? It is appropriate. Allah the Exalted said: [Fussilat: 34-35]. And on this basis, we interpret the verse with both meanings: they repel evil with good regarding what occurs from them in the worship of Allah, and they repel evil with good regarding what occurs from others in dealings. If they are dealt with and someone wrongs them, they counterbalance it