Forgiveness

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي خُطْبَتِهِ‌ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ خَلَائِقِ‌[2] الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ الْعَفْوُ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَكَ وَ تَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ وَ الْإِحْسَانُ إِلَى مَنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْكَ وَ إِعْطَاءُ مَنْ حَرَمَكَ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah said in a sermon, ‘Should I tell you what is the best faculty of creatures of this world and of the next world? It is forgiveness for those who do

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَ لَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى خَيْرِ أَخْلَاقِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ تَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ وَ تُعْطِي مَنْ حَرَمَكَ وَ تَعْفُو عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَكَ.

“I must teach you what is the best moral behavior in this world and in the next world. You must establish relations with those who disassociate with you, give to those who deprive you and forgive those who do injustice to you.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ ثَلَاثٌ مِنْ مَكَارِمِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ تَعْفُو عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَكَ وَ تَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ وَ تَحْلُمُ إِذَا جُهِلَ عَلَيْكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Three things are of the noble qualities of this world and of the next world: to forgive those who do injustice to you, to establish relations with those who abandon you and to exercise forbearance when you are ignored.”’

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى الْأَوَّلِينَ وَ الْآخِرِينَ‌ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادٍ أَيْنَ أَهْلُ الْفَضْلِ- قَالَ فَيَقُومُ عُنُقٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ‌[1] فَتَلَقَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ فَيَقُولُونَ وَ مَا كَانَ فَضْلُكُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ كُنَّا نَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَنَا وَ نُعْطِي مَنْ حَرَمَنَا وَ نَعْفُو عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَنَا قَالَ فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ صَدَق

“I heard him saying, “When the Day of Judgment comes, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will gather the first and the last in a single plain. Then a caller will call out: 'Where are the people of virtue?' A group of people will rise, and the angels will meet them and say, 'What was your virtue?' They will reply, 'We used to

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْعَفْوِ فَإِنَّ الْعَفْوَ لَا يَزِيدُ الْعَبْدَ إِلَّا عِزّاً فَتَعَافَوْا يُعِزَّكُمُ اللَّهُ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘You must forgive. Forgiving increases one’s respect, therefore, forgive so Allah may respect you.’”

النَّدَامَةُ عَلَى الْعَفْوِ أَفْضَلُ وَ أَيْسَرُ مِنَ النَّدَامَةِ عَلَى الْعُقُوبَةِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Regret for forgiving is better and easier than regret for being subjected to punishment.’”

كَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع فِي حَائِطٍ لَهُ يَصْرِمُ‌[2] فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى غُلَامٍ لَهُ قَدْ أَخَذَ كَارَةً[3] مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَرَمَى بِهَا وَرَاءَ الْحَائِطِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَ أَخَذْتُهُ وَ ذَهَبْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ هَذَا وَ هَذِهِ الْكَارَةَ فَقَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ يَا فُلَانُ قَالَ لَبَّيْكَ قَالَ أَ تَجُوعُ قَالَ لَا يَا سَيِّدِي قَالَ فَتَعْرَى قَالَ لَا يَا سَيِّدِي قَالَ فَلِأَ

“Abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.) once was in his compound that had palm-trees. 1 looked at one of his slaves who had picked up a certain amount of dates. He threw it on the other side of the wall. I went and picked up what he had thrown and I brought it to the Imam. I said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause,

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع‌[4] يَقُولُ‌ مَا الْتَقَتْ فِئَتَانِ قَطُّ إِلَّا نُصِرَ أَعْظَمُهُمَا عَفْواً.

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.) saying, ‘Whenever two hostile parties face each other, the one who forgives to a greater degree comes out victorious.’”

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص أُتِيَ بِالْيَهُودِيَّةِ الَّتِي سَمَّتِ الشَّاةَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَ لَهَا مَا حَمَلَكِ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتِ فَقَالَتْ قُلْتُ إِنْ كَانَ نَبِيّاً لَمْ يَضُرَّهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مَلِكاً أَرَحْتُ النَّاسَ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَعَفَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْهَا.

“The Jewish woman who had poisoned the sheep to also poison the Holy Prophet was brought before him. He asked her, ‘What made you do this?’ She said, ‘I thought that if he is a prophet it will not harm him and if he is a king people will be relieved of his troubles.’ The Messenger of Allah forgave her.’”

ثَلَاثٌ لَا يَزِيدُ اللَّهُ بِهِنَّ الْمَرْءَ الْمُسْلِمَ إِلَّا عِزّاً الصَّفْحُ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَهُ وَ إِعْطَاءُ مَنْ حَرَمَهُ وَ الصِّلَةُ لِمَنْ قَطَعَهُ.

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘There are three qualities with which Allah increases the respect of a Muslim: To be lenient to those who do injustice to him, to give to tho