I am reminded of an anecdote written by Sa‘di in his book Bustan, in which he states that once a noble man was bitten by a dog. When he returned home, his homefolk noticed the dog bite.
A simple and innocent girl who was present said: ‘Why did you not bite the dog in revenge?’ The man responded: ‘Humans cannot behave like dogs.’
Similarly, when a person is abused and cursed by a wretch, it is incumbent upon a believer to abstain from responding in kind. Otherwise, this example of dog like behaviour shall be applicable to such people.
The beloved of God have been abused with the worst of invectives and are grieved in the worst possible manner. However, they were always addressed in the following word
وَاَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ الۡجٰہِلِیۡنَ1
(Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 103)
1 Turn away from the ignorant (Surah al-A‘raf, 7:200). [Publisher]