Tafsir of Ash-Shura 42:41

"And whoever defends himself after having been wronged" — [the phrase "after having been wronged" is] read in the passive voice. The verbal noun is thus ascribed to its object, or it is the verbal noun of the passive construction. The lam is for an oath, though it is also permissible that it be the lam of inception, brought for emphasis. Man (whoever) is either conditional or relative, with the verb "defends himself" (intasara) construed according to its form. The phrase "those—there is no path against them" — meaning, against the one who punishes, nor against the one who blames or reproaches, according to its meaning.

The sentence is a conjunction to [the verse] "whoever pardons," and it was brought to explicitly state that what was encouraged—that is, pardoning—was encouraged as a guidance toward what is more appropriate in most cases; it does not mean that there is a path against the one who defends himself, in any aspect or regard. So that the incitement might not suggest the opposite of what is contained therein regarding the negation of the "path" in a general sense, it was introduced with the lam [of oath/emphasis]. And regarding His saying, the Exalted: