Islam: The Moderate Religion

There is no affection or special treatment for the relative because he is related
to you and no harm of the enemy because he is your personal enemy, as Allah
says:
} ُﻨ َﻣآ  َﻦﻳ ِﺬﱠﻟا ﺎَ ﱡﳞَأ ﺎَﻳ  ﱠﻻَأ  َﲆَﻋ ٍم ْﻮَﻗ  ُنﺂَﻨ َﺷ  ْﻢُﻜﱠﻨ َﻣ ِﺮْ َﳚ  َﻻ َو  ِﻂ ْﺴِﻘْﻟﺎِﺑ َءا َﺪ َﻬ ُﺷ ِﱠِﷲ  َﲔِﻣا ﱠﻮَﻗ اﻮُﻧﻮُﻛ اﻮ
َنﻮُﻠَﻤْﻌَﺗ  َﲈِﺑ  ٌﲑِﺒ َﺧ َﱠﷲا  ﱠنِإ َﱠﷲا اﻮُﻘﱠﺗا َو ى َﻮْﻘﱠﺘﻠِﻟ  ُب َﺮْﻗَأ  َﻮ ُﻫ اﻮُﻟ ِﺪْﻋا اﻮُﻟ ِﺪْﻌَﺗ {
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allâh and be just witnesses and
let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just:
that  is  nearer  to  piety,  and  fear  Allâh.  Verily,  Allâh  is  WellAcquainted
with what you do. (Al-Ma'idah 5:8)
At-Tabari  one  of  the  authorities  of  commentary of  the  Quran  explained  this
verse  saying:"What  Allah  means:  O  you  who  believe  in  Allah  and  His
Messenger ,  let  there  be  from  amongst  your  manners  and  qualities,
establishing justice and being fair and equal with the people as witnesses over
them, amongst yourselves and even with your enemies, do not oppress anyone
regarding  your  rulings/legislations/religious  verdicts  and  all  actions  in
general. If you do so then you will be exceeding the bounds and limits which
Allah  and  His  Messenger have  prescribed  for you  in  dealing  with  your
enemies for their conflicting you and going against you, and do not abandon
or be negligent in what Allah has prescribed for you from His legislations and
laws  amongst  yourselves  because  of  their  being  allies  and  friends  to  you,
rather come to a final resolution by practicing my orders and commandments,
the boundaries which I set, and act upon it with my order."
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The great expounder of the Quran Ibn Kathir said about this verse:
The meaning of this verse is apparent, as it commands: Let not the hatred for
some people, who prevented you from reaching the Sacred House in the year
of  Hudaybiyyah,  make  you  transgress  Allah's  Law  and  commit  injustice
against them in retaliation. Rather, rule as Allah has commanded you, being
just with everyone. We will explain a similar Verse later on,
} ى َﻮْﻘﱠﺘﻠِﻟ  ُب َﺮْﻗَأ  َﻮ ُﻫ ْاﻮُﻟ ِﺪْﻋا ْاﻮُﻟ ِﺪْﻌَﺗ ﱠﻻَأ  َﲆَﻋ ٍم ْﻮَﻗ  ُنﺂَﻨ َﺷ  ْﻢُﻜﱠﻨ َﻣ ِﺮْ َﳚ َﻻ َو {
And  let  not the enmity and  hatred  of  others  make  you avoid justice. Be
just: that is nearer to piety" (Al Ma’idah 5:8)
This verse which commands: do not be driven by your hatred for some people
into abandoning justice, for justice is ordained for everyone, in all situations.