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political islam 457c)that want (selfishly) to defend and protect one’s material, intellectual,political, and other interests. Only fights for the formerare fights in ‘God’s way’.They misread another relevant verse, 2:190, through using thewrong variant reading of 22:39 that says ‘to those against whomwar is made [sic], permission is given (to fight), because they arewronged; and verily, God is most powerful for their aid’( Al-\ajj 22:39). This has been understood as God’s permissionof self-defence in the face of aggression or an attack. It has beenoverlooked that the phrase ‘to those against whom war is made’( yuq§talån), using the passive voice, can also be read as ‘to thosewho make war’ ( yuq§tilån), using the active voice. 128 Most exegeteshave tended to accept the first reading (passive voice), butgiven that people are attacked by an aggressor, does it reallyneed divine permission to fight back? Certainly not, becausethe right to defend one’s life, property, land, and dignity isGod-given, a natural disposition instilled into all of His creation,humans, animals, and plants, and does not need Allah’sspecial permission, just like other natural acts such as eating,drinking, breathing, sleeping, and procreating.Verse 2:194 expresses the principle of lex talionis in a responseto an act of aggression, supported by 5:45. 129 The phrase ‘transgressyou likewise against him’ implies restraint in one’sresponse and the avoidance of excessive and unjustified brutality.A violation of the principle of equal retaliation makes anyfight in God’s way null and void, and it also invalidates a fightfor any other reasons, for example, in defence of a nation’ssecurity, or other forms of worldly struggle and contest.128Like YA, the following two translators render the phrase with a passive voice,AH: ‘Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because theyhave been wronged’; AB: ‘Permission is given to those who are fought againstbecause they have been wronged’. However, the other translators render yuq§talån asyuq§tilån, in the active voice, AhA: ‘Permission is granted those (to take up arms) whofight because they were oppressed’; FM: ‘Permission is given to those who fight becausethey are wronged’; MP: ‘Sanction is given to those who fight because they have beenwronged’; AA: ‘Leave is given to those who fight because they were wronged’. Fightin the face of oppression or wrongdoing (not because of an attack)—this is exactlyhow MS understands the verse.129‘We ordained therein for them: “Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, earfor ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal…’ ( Al-M§"ida 5:45).