Imran Ahsan Karim-Mirza, Australia
Alexander the Great’s march across the ancient world was a tempest of ambition and terror. From the moment he crushed Thebes in 335 BCE – slaughtering over 6,000 and selling the rest into slavery – he made it clear that resistance would be met with annihilation. Thebes, once a beacon of Greek power, was wiped from the map.
In the shadowed corridors of ancient history, few events echo with the horror of the Jie genocide in 4th-century China. Amid a brutal civil war, General Ran Min unleashed a decree soaked in blood: exterminate the Jie. His forces swept through cities like a plague, slaughtering over 200,000 men, women, and children. The bodies were dumped into mass graves, and an entire ethnic group was nearly erased from existence.
Centuries earlier, in 146 BCE, Rome fulfilled its chilling vow – Carthago delenda est (Carthage must be destroyed). After a relentless siege, the Roman legions stormed Carthage, killing up to 100,000 people and enslaving tens of thousands more. The city burned for ten days, reduced to ash and silence.
In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire surged across Asia like a tidal wave of fire and steel. Led by Genghis Khan and his successors, the Mongols razed cities to the ground, leaving behind fields of ash and silence. At Nishapur, after the death of a Mongol commander, the wrath of the empire was unleashed – over 100,000 people were slaughtered in a single act of vengeance.
These tales of bloodthirst and revenge reveal something profound about the human condition.
The science of revenge
James Kimmel Jr is an author and legal scholar whose work, The Science of Revenge, explores the intersection of law, psychology, spirituality, and violence – particularly the concept of revenge. In his compelling exploration of human behaviour, Kimmel reframes revenge not merely as a moral failing or emotional impulse, but as a deeply ingrained, compulsive addiction.
Like a drug, revenge hijacks the brain’s reward circuitry – particularly the nucleus accumbens (frontal part of the brain) – flooding it with dopamine and creating a cycle of craving, gratification, and repetition. The pattern is disturbingly familiar: pain leads to craving, craving to reward, and reward to repetition. It is a loop that mirrors substance abuse, with vengeance offering fleeting relief while perpetuating deeper emotional wounds.
The roots of this cycle lie in the brain’s response to social rejection and humiliation. The anterior insula, a region associated with emotional pain, lights up in moments of perceived injustice or exclusion. In turn, retaliatory thoughts activate the brain’s reward system, offering a neurochemical balm to the sting of shame.
This neurological interplay explains why most mass killers are not clinically psychotic but are instead consumed by obsessive grievances and an insatiable hunger for revenge. Their actions are not random – they are ritualistic attempts to reclaim dignity through destruction.
History, too, bears witness to the weaponisation of revenge. Figures like Hitler and Stalin transformed personal and collective grievances into political instruments, channelling national humiliation into violent ideologies. Revenge, in their hands, became a tool of mass mobilisation, cloaked in the language of justice but driven by the neurochemical allure of retribution.
Forgiveness is a triumph
Yet Kimmel does not leave us in despair. He offers a path forward – one rooted in neuroscience and compassion. Forgiveness, he argues, is not a weakness but a neurological triumph. It activates the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s centre for rational thought and emotional regulation, helping to suppress the addictive impulses of revenge. Unlike vengeance, which deepens emotional distress, forgiveness interrupts the cycle, offering genuine relief and emotional resolution.
To aid this transformation, Kimmel introduces the “Non-Justice System” – a therapeutic mental courtroom where individuals can safely process their grievances without resorting to retaliation. This guided exercise blends neuroscience, psychology, law, sociology, and history, allowing participants to articulate their pain, confront their anger, and ultimately release their craving for revenge.
It is a radical reimagining of justice – not as punishment, but as healing. In Kimmel’s vision, revenge is not destiny. It is a habit, a neural loop that can be broken. And in its place, forgiveness offers not just peace, but liberation.
The day vengeance died
As the sun rose over the desert sands of Mecca in 630 CE, a moment of reckoning arrived. Prophet Muhammadsa, once exiled and hunted by the Quraysh, returned not as a vengeful warrior, but as a merciful leader. With an army of 10,000 at his back, he entered the city that had persecuted him, mocked his message and waged war against his followers.
But instead of bloodshed, there was silence. No swords were drawn. No homes were burned. The Prophetsa declared a general amnesty. His fiercest enemies – those who had plotted his death, tortured his companions, and defiled his faith – were forgiven. Among them was their leader Abu Sufyan, once a staunch adversary, now spared and honoured, besides hundreds more of former sworn enemies.
Over the past few months, our beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, has delivered a series of compelling Friday sermons that explored the profound events surrounding the conquest of Mecca. Through these sermons, we were guided through remarkable accounts of forgiveness – extended even to those once consumed by bloodlust and hostility.
These acts of mercy were not only unprecedented in their scope but also deeply transformative. They stand as timeless examples of moral courage, illuminating a path beyond vengeance and setting a standard for humanity that transcends eras and borders.
In that moment, vengeance died, and mercy triumphed. The conquest of Mecca became not a tale of domination, but a testament to the power of forgiveness. It was a turning point in history – where the victor chose peace over punishment, and hearts were won not by force, but by the grace of one man – the Holy Founder of Islam, Muhammadsa.
The science of forgiveness
James Kimmel Jr presents a powerful and science-informed argument for why forgiveness is not only ethically superior but also neurologically and psychologically healthier than revenge. In his book The Science of Revenge, he explores how the human brain responds to perceived injustice and how our instinct to retaliate is deeply rooted in neurobiology.
Kimmel’s central thesis is that revenge operates like an addiction, and forgiveness offers a path to healing that is both immediate and transformative. He explains that when someone feels wronged, the brain’s pain network – particularly the anterior insula – is activated, producing emotional distress. Seeking revenge triggers the release of dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s reward centres such as the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum. This creates a temporary sense of relief or pleasure, much like the high from addictive substances.
However, this relief is fleeting. The pain often resurfaces more intensely, leading to compulsive revenge-seeking behaviour that can spiral into violence, fractured relationships, and long-term suffering.
In contrast, forgiveness has a remarkable neurological effect. Even imagining forgiveness can deactivate the brain’s pain network, stopping emotional suffering. It also shuts down the reward circuitry that fuels revenge cravings and activates the prefrontal cortex, which governs rational thought and self-control.
Kimmel refers to forgiveness as a “neurological superpower” and a “wonder drug” – free, safe, and instantly effective. It allows individuals to regain clarity and emotional balance without the destructive consequences of retaliation.
Kimmel’s research further reveals that revenge is the driving force behind most forms of human violence, from interpersonal conflicts like bullying and domestic abuse to large-scale atrocities such as terrorism and war.
He estimates that 19 of the 20 deadliest events in human history were motivated by compulsive revenge-seeking. This insight underscores the urgent need to shift away from revenge-based responses and toward forgiveness as a means of breaking cycles of harm.
Forgiveness, according to Kimmel, is not just a personal virtue but a societal necessity. It enables individuals and communities to heal from trauma, escape destructive behavioural patterns, and cultivate compassion and peace.
He also challenges conventional notions of justice, arguing that modern legal systems often function as institutionalised revenge mechanisms. What society frequently labels as justice is, in his view, socially sanctioned retaliation that perpetuates suffering rather than resolving it.
Through his work, Kimmel invites readers to reconsider their relationship with justice and revenge, advocating for a paradigm shift toward forgiveness – not only as a moral choice but as a scientifically validated path to personal and collective well-being.
Conclusion
When we reflect on Kimmel’s insights into the psychology of revenge alongside the historical account of the conquest of Mecca over fourteen centuries ago, the actions of Prophet Muhammadsa emerge as profoundly transformative. His decision to forgive his enemies – at a moment when retribution would have been both expected and justified – was not merely an act of mercy, but a strategic and spiritual triumph.
Forgiveness, in this context, became a catalyst for peace and a source of liberation for all Muslims. It distinguished the Prophetsa as a visionary leader, setting a precedent that defied the violent norms of human history and redefined the moral compass of leadership and justice.