The form of retaliation: by words only, or by hand as well

Question

Question: According to the tafsir “Bayan al-Qur’an”, is taking retribution permissible only with spoken words, or is it also permissible by striking with the hand?

Answer

If the wrongdoer said something with his tongue, then taking revenge on him with the tongue is correct, provided that uttering that word is not haram. For example, one person abused the other’s parents and called him a fornicator — then in return calling his parents fornicators is not correct.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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