2. On the authority of Abu Saeed Saad ibn Malik ibn Sinaan al-
Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him: The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) said, "There is not to be any
causing of harm (dharar) nor is there to be any reciprocating
of harm (dharaar)."
3. Ibn Abdul Barr says that dharar means to harm someone else.
Dharaar on the other hand refers to harming someone in
response to some harm that was received from the other
person but not in the manner that is correct or just according
to the law. Hence, dharaar refers to responding to
someone's harm in an improper way that goes beyond the
limits of what is right and just.
4. Since wrongdoing and harm are to be completely avoided,
this automatically implies that their opposites are to be acted
upon. In other words, a believer is to bring about benefit or,
at the very least, perform a neutral act. Hence, a believer's
every deed should either be positively beneficial or, at the
very least, not causing any harm to anyone.
5. If someone is harmed by someone else then the person has
the right to defend himself and repel that harm, even if he
harms the perpetrator in the process. Such does not violate
the principle of this hadith. But a person does not have the
right to "take the law into his own hands." The harmed
person has two choices: either forgive the perpetrator or take
his matter to the proper authorities
6. In the same way that one cannot harm others, he also does
not have the right to harm himself, his body or those he is
responsible for. This principle, then, should also extend to
the animal kingdom and environment.
