"And the good deed and the evil deed are not alike." The good deed in this context is pardon and forgiveness, and the evil deed is what occurs between people in terms of insults and hatred.

Muhammad said: The meaning is: The good deed and the evil deed are not alike, and the [second] 'la' (not) is an expletive.

"Repel with that which is better." He says: Repel ugly speech and harm with pardon and forgiveness; that was in the time between them and the polytheists before they were commanded to fight them.

Yahya narrated, from Fitr, from Abu Ishaq al-Hamdani, from Abu al-Ahwas, from his father, who said: "I said, 'O Messenger of God, I have a neighbor who treats me poorly in our neighborhood. Should I treat him as he treats me?' He said: 'No, for the upper hand is better than the lower hand.'"