A. (Dr. Zakir): This is the month of forgiveness, and since we ask for forgiveness from Allah سبحانه و تعالى, Allah تعالى has also recommended that we human beings, we should forgive others. And there are several verses in the Qur’an which have explained this in detail. Allah سبحانه و تعالى says,
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good”
(SURAH AL-IMRAN, CHAPTER 3, VERSE 134)
which means Allah سبحانه و تعالى loves those who forgive.
Allah سبحانه و تعالى says,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ
“Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant.”
(SURAH AL-A’RAF, CHAPTER 7, VERSE 199)
Further more Allah سبحانه و تعالى says,
وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُولُو الْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوا أُولِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.“
(SURAH AN-NOOR, CHAPTER 24, VERSE 22)
Allah سبحانه و تعالى says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ۚ وَإِن تَعْفُوا وَتَصْفَحُوا وَتَغْفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“O ye who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook, and cover up (their faults), verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(SURAH AT-TAGHABUN, CHAPTER 64, VERSE 14)
So Allah سبحانه و تعالى is encouraging the Muslims and the Believers, that it is better that you forgive as many people as possible and Allah سبحانه و تعالى will forgive you. And we have the best examples in the Prophets of Allahسبحانه و تعالى. We have the example, in the life of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام, where we know Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him), that his ten brothers, they had planed against him and they wanted to kill him. But Allah سبحانه و تعالى saves him. And later on, he meets with the governor of Egypt, and when finally all the brothers are at his mercy. It’s mentioned in the Qur’an, Allah سبحانه و تعالى says, He (Yusuf عليه السلام) said,
قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
He said: “No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!
(SURAH YUSUF, CHAPTER 12, VERSE 92)
that means Yusuf عليه السلام forgives all his brothers.
We have the best example of Forgiveness in the last and final Messenger Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during that ‘fatah’ (conquest) of Makkah, when the ‘mushriks‘ (pagans) of Makkah, who killed many of his relatives, his uncle and many of the ‘Sahabas’ (Companions of the Prophet ﷺ). But when finally, he had victory over them, he forgave all of them. And Allah سبحانه و تعالى says in the Qur’an,
لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ﷺ) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.”
(SURAH AL-AHZAB, CHAPTER 33, VERSE 21)
and Allah سبحانه و تعالى says,
وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
“And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.”
(SURAH FUSSILAT, CHAPTER 41, VERSE 34)
that means repel evil with what is good, that is the best.
And Allah سبحانه و تعالى repeats the message,
وَالَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ
“And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive;”
(SURAH ASH-SHURAA, CHAPTER 42, VERSE 37)
So there are various verses in the Qur’an which Allah سبحانه و تعالى gives us guidance to the human beings that we should forgive other people.
0 Comments