if a nation adopts a wrong course of action, it may be years before it
begins to experience its effects. The law may operate slowly in the
case of nations, but sooner or later every nation will have to face the
consequences of its wrong actions. (The point will be elucidated in a
subsequent chapter).
Finally, for the question as to what actions are right and what
actions are wrong, the answer is supplied partly by reason and partly
by Revelation. Revelation gives general guidance and broadly
indicates the difference between right and wrong actions. Human
reason acting in the light of Revelation, cannot miss the right path.
Revelation, again, may be tested by acting upon it and examining the
results. The Qur'an offers to be judged by this pragmatic test:
Say (O Muhammad PBUH)! O my people, work according to your
power (and plan). Lo! I too am working (according to mine). Thus you
will come to know for which of us will be the happy sequel. Lo! The
wrong-doers will not be successful (6:136).
The Qur'anic concept of the Law of Requital raises a very vital
question which requires serious consideration. We have seen that
this law is based strictly on justice. The point for consideration is
whether it has any place for ''forgiveness'' or "mercy''? The reply is
both no and yes. If I do some wrong to somebody else, he may
forgive me, i.e., may not take revenge from me: but if I do wrong to
my own self, none can forgive me. Similarly, mercy is an emotional
reaction which can obviously find no place in the working of law
and justice. Still, there is a place for "forgiveness" and "mercy" as
will be seen from the following example. You put your finger in fire
and it gets burnt. And you must suffer the consequence – the pain
and agony which is its inevitable result. There is no question of
anybody forgiving you or taking mercy on you. But the same God
Who has made the law that fire burns and pain is its inevitable result,
has made another law. It is that a certain medicine has the property
of giving relief to the pain and effacing the devastating result of
burning. A recourse to this law of God would do away with the
painful result of your former action. The provision of this second
law is "mercy" from God, and obedience of this law results in
"forgiveness" of our wrongdoing. This law is as universal as the
former one and does not work differently in different individual
cases. Nor has it any appeal to emotion. This is the Qur'anic concept
of "forgiveness" and "mercy" The point will, however, be discussed
further in the next chapter.
The Law of Requital 155