The Power of Forgiveness

“…..when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.”…….”

This is part of the verse number 30 from Chapter 2 of the Quran, when man has been informed that he has been created as a “khalifa” of God. The word “khalifa” may mean a representative or someone who follows or some one who holds affairs in absence of other. Nevertheless, whatever be the exact word meaning here, it is clear that the appointment of man is to such a post where he is either a representative of God or someone who is holding the affairs of God in his (apparent) absence or someone who God has given some kind of sovereignty to legislate. In all these capacities, how serious the affair is and how humbled should we be in our job to act as the representatives of God! It is also important to understand who we are “khalifa” to. We are representatives of God not just to each other but to other creation as well.

Should not then we forgive and overlook, for we too want God to forgive us? And indeed God is described in the Quran repeatedly as forgiving and merciful, this is how we are supposed to act. The words I have used from “should not then……” to “….God is oft forgiving…” are a close rendering of what appears in Quran in Chapter 24, verse 22.

God has informed us in Chapter 42 verses 36 onwards about the ones for whom there are abundances in heaven. One of the characters He mentions of such people is “forgiving nature”. God says that “they forgive even when they are angry”. A few verses later is the following statement, “….but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with God”. Just preceding this verse God has allowed us to “defend ourselves” (42:39) or informed us that “recompense of an injury is an equal injury” (42:40), but these statements are followed by a lesson on forgiveness. Similarly in the next verse we are once again asked to “defend, after a wrong has been inflicted” on us (42:41), but this once again is followed by the words, “but indeed if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an affair of great resolution” (42:43).

All these characteristics of forgiveness are found in the Prophet of God in their highest degree. He is reported to have said,

“Be merciful to others and you will receive mercy. Forgive others and God will forgive you.”

In another report found in Tirmidhi, Hazrat Aisha describes the Prophet in the following words,

“The Prophet (saw)…………….would not respond to an evil deed with an evil deed, but rather he would pardon and overlook.”

In yet another report in Abu Dawood, Hazrat Anas reports the following,

“I never saw a case involving legal retaliation being referred to the Messenger of Allah except that he would recommend pardoning.”

Simultaneously it is very important to understand that forgiving where forgiveness was not due (e.g. In case of a heinous crime) is still lesser a crime than punishing an innocent. In a hadith in Tirmidhi, Hazrat Aisha narrates from the Prophet,

“Verily, it is better for the leader to make a mistake forgiving the criminal than it is for him to make a mistake punishing the innocent.”

A directive like this from the Prophet (saw) should tell us the seriousness of the positions we are holding. Fatwa passing, Takfir, unforgiving, ruthlessness, oppressive nature are opposed to the sprit of Islam.

In another Hadith from Ibn Majah Hazrat Abu Huraira reports that the Messenger (saw) said,

“Avoid applying legal punishments as long as you find an excuse to avoid them”.

At another place within Ibn Majah Hazrat Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever conceals the fault of his Muslim brother, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever exposes the fault of his Muslim brother, Allah will expose his faults, until He shames him, due to it, in his own house.” The power of forgiving nature is clear from this Hadith that it would help a person when God judges. Does not the Quran say, “Pardon and overlook. Would you not like that God should forgive you?” (24:22) This spirit of pardoning and forgiving and overlooking is also aptly put forward in a quote attributed to Isa (as) in the Bible,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

The idea of forgiving and pardoning before a matter reaches the court of law is encouraged even more, for the judge has to act on the complaint. The Prophet (saw) in his capacity as a judge is narrated to have said, and this is in Sunan Abi Dawood:

“Forgive the infliction of prescribed penalties among yourselves, for any prescribed penalty of which I hear must be carried out.”

What beautiful that a similar quote is attributed to Isa (as) in the Bible,

 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way”.

Hazrat Umar is reported, through a hasan chain of narrators, to have said, “Whoever does not show mercy will not receive mercy. Whoever does not forgive others will not be forgiven. Whoever does not pardon others will not be pardoned. Whoever does not protect others will not be protected.” A similar message is reported from Hazrat Isa (as) from the Bible, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your God will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your God forgive your trespasses.”

I wish to end this small writeup by informing you of an incident where a person accused Hazrat Umar of injustice, followed by a quote from Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Umar, who was an emblem of justice got angry and was about to hit the person that another Sahaba recited verse 199 of chapter 7 of the Quran to him,

“Hold to forgiveness, command what is right and turn away from an ignorant”. The narrator says, “By God, Umar did not do anything after he heard this verse being recited.”

Hazrat Umar is also reported to have said in Musannaf,

“That I relax the legal punishments is more beloved to me than applying them with doubts.”

Remember Quran is not Surah Tawbah only and Prophet (saw) is not Maghazi only! There is a whole lot out there which form the rules in general, while Tawbah and Maghazi (and similar things) are exceptions to the general rules! The spirit of Islam lies in Forgiveness and pardoning, than in punishment and revenge.