Lesson Resource for Islamic Studies: Forgiveness in the Quran

Remember this wisdom, Forgiveness is a Divine attribute.

 Forgiveness is a Godly character; it is not exclusive to Allah alone. We can recall several times in our lives where someone hurt or offended us. It could have been for a simple reason such as teasing when we were young, or for something more severe such as theft or abuse. The Prophet ﷺ faced adversity wherever he turned. One such instance was when He ﷺ visit Ta’if to preach Islam.

The Prophet came offering guidance and mercy from Allah, and the people of Ta’if responded by throwing rocks, verbally and physically attacking Him. It was an emotional ordeal for our Beloved ﷺ as Islam had yet to catch on with people. The Prophet was abused and attacked wherever He turned, only to receive attacks similar if not worse than what Ta’if had done. The Prophet lost His relatives and family alliances. He ﷺ was alone, without any support. He ﷺ took cover behind a rock outside of town and called to Allah, to which Angel Jibreel appeared before the Prophet ﷺ.

The angel greeted him and said, “O, Prophet of Allah! I am at your service. If you wish, I can cause the mountains overlooking this town on both sides to collide with each other, so that all the people therein would be crushed to death, or you may suggest any other punishment for them.”

here is a recording of the verses to reflect upon.

In verses 133-134 from Surat Ali-Imran, Allah says:

From Sahih International:

(3:133) And hasten to the forgiveness of your Lord and to a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-fearing.

(3:134) who spend in the way of Allah both in plenty and hardship, who restrain their anger, and forgive others. Allah loves such good-doers."

 

Forgiveness is a Divine attribute, as Allah calls himself الغفور Al-Ghafour and الغفار Al-Ghaffar both are representative of two separate attributes.

Al-Ghaffar implies forgiveness over time’ meaning that He is always forgiving. Al-Ghafur, however, is sighat al-mubalagha, or an expression that amplifies and extends. Therefore, Al-Ghafur is the one who forgives all things.

When Allah mentions to His believers that they are to rush or hasten towards forgiveness to their Lord, we learn that Allah is ultimately the source of our success. How can we succeed without Allah providing success and guidance for us? He then mentions Paradise as the second reason for rushing to Allah, which is for the “God-fearing” Muslim who obeys his Lord. But who is “God-fearing”?

The mentioning of متقين or God-fearing is to remind us of who is in Paradise, it is not just anybody! The ones who received this accolade of متقي as a servant of Allah are the ones who enter Paradise. Does Allah mention how we can become of them?

Allah says, “who spend in the way of Allah both in plenty and hardship”. This is the first part of achieving taqwa - becoming selfless. We often hear about not being distracted by the Dunya as it is just fitna or test for Muslims. The flashy cars and fancy jobs are brilliant to achieve but do not raise your rank in the next life. You being a Mutaqi does. When our stomachs are filled with food during Ramadan, our families are safe and enjoying life, and we feel the barakah in the air - times are good. During these good times, give to others.

Giving is not just money, but any service you can offer in your local community. Whether it is administering medical care, making sandwiches for the homeless, or even teaching computer classes for those seeking jobs. The possibilities are endless, one of the best ways to support the community is by funding scholars and students of knowledge in their pursuit of preserving the tradition of Islam and Tawheed. Many do not take jobs due to their focus on studying, which leads to poverty and other issues which make their sacrifices difficult to bear. Support those in need, and Allah will give you Paradise.

Allah also asks of us to be forgiving when He mentions those “who restrain their anger and forgive others”. When the Prophet ﷺ was attacked by Ta’if, Angel Jibreel appeared before Him and asked if Ta’if should be destroyed. Our Muhammad ﷺ said, “Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah that there will be persons from among their progeny who would worship Allah and serve His cause.”

Forgiveness is a Godly character, one that our Beloved ﷺ embodied through His act of forgiveness towards Ta’if. One can only imagine the physical and emotional attacks from Ta’if that made the Prophet ﷺ plea to Allah for guidance and support. Never did the Prophet ﷺ think about punishing Ta’if, even though He ﷺ had the full right to do so. Instead, the Prophet of Mercy ﷺ chose to make dua for the people who had just wronged him. The result was their childrens’ entry into Islam. Imagine, generations of Muslims who fought for, defended, and supported Islam from Ta’if - all because the Prophet ﷺ made a simple decision to forgive.

Forgiveness is a Divine character, one that represents the people of Paradise. The good-doers, Al Muhsineen, are beloved by Allah because of their forgiveness and patience towards others. If we wish to chart a path towards paradise, we need to live by two fundamental attributes: self-control and selflessness. The Prophet ﷺ was the greatest example of both. When making duaa to Allah, the Prophet thought of His duty towards the Ummah. When the people of Ta’if threw stones at Him ﷺ, self-control kept our Prophet from asking Angel Jibreel to destroy the village. Rather, He ﷺ chose forgiveness, and the result was the salvation of millions of Muslims through the submission or Islam of Ta’if. Instead of punishing, the Prophet ﷺ sought forgiveness and mercy towards His abusers. Through that He ﷺ was able to guide generations of Muslims from Ta’if to Islam even after His ﷺ death.

Our goal is to reflect this behavior from the Prophet Muhammadﷺ. To show self-control and selflessness towards others, despite the pain or challenges we face.

Remember the popular hadith,

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1924