What will a person gain when he forgives those who have violated his rights? Will Allah be pleased with a person who forgives those who have violated his rights because of it?

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is a virtue to forgive those who have violated one’s rights. A person can forgive the violation of his rights if he wishes. Those who forgive their believing brothers in return for their bad deeds instead of retaliating will definitely be rewarded for it greatly in the hereafter.

One of the good characteristics of the Prophet (pbuh) was to forgive and pardon others. The Prophet always acted tolerantly toward his relatives and Companions; in addition, he forgave his enemies when they were weak and they surrendered, causing many of them to become believers.

As Hz. Aisha states, the Prophet did not answer a bad deed with a bad deed as a trait of his nature; he would forgive people and did not resort to taking revenge.

Those high characteristics were appreciated and loved even by his enemies; he conveyed his love to them, being a means of their eternal salvation.

The Prophet (pbuh) never rejected his enemies when they took refuge in him, surrendered and asked for forgiveness except at the time of war. He accepted their requests and forgave them.    

When the Prophet (pbuh) set out with his crowded army to conquer Makkah, approached Makkah and entered the city, most of his enemies were helpless and had to surrender; they lay before him. However, the Prophet showed that he was the prophet of mercy and forgave his enemies instead of punishing them though he had the power to do so.   

Anyway, his Lord advised him to do so:

"Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant." (Araf, 7/199.)

When the Makkan polytheists heard that the army of the Prophet (pbuh) that had set out to conquer Makkah approached the city, they were scared. Abu Sufyan, the previous chief of Makkah, went out with two people in order to find out about the Islamic army. However, he was caught by the Islamic soldiers on the way. Hz. Abbas, the paternal uncle of the Prophet (pbuh), took him to the presence of the Prophet (pbuh).

Abu Sufyan had harassed and tortured the Prophet (pbuh) when he lived in Makkah before the Migration. He continued harassing the Prophet (pbuh) after his Migration to Madinah too. He organized all of the hostile activities against the Prophet (pbuh).

He ruled the Qurayshis and always made them act against the Muslims; he established armies and got ready for war. He was the commander of the army of the polytheists in the battles of Uhud and Khandaq. He shed the blood of many Muslims in those battles. 

Such a leader of the polytheists was taken to the headquarters of the Prophet (pbuh). After waiting for a night, he became a Muslim. The Prophet (pbuh) showed his dignity that fitted him and forgave him. He also gave Abu Sufyan some privileges. He said, "Anyone who enters the house of Abu Sufyan will be secure."

Thanks to the forgiveness of the Prophet (pbuh), the archenemy joined the ranks of Islam.

When the army of the Prophet entered Makkah, many people joined the ranks of Islam. Abu Sufyan’s wife, Hind, entered into the presence of the Prophet by covering her face with Qurayshi women. She became a Muslim and asked for forgiveness. The Prophet recognized her but pretended not to know her. He forgave her without reminding her what she had done.   

Hind was one of the leading women that played the tambourine and sang with Qurayshi women in order to encourage the polytheists to fight in the Battle of Uhud.

When Hz. Hamza, the beloved paternal uncle of the Prophet (pbuh), had been martyred, she could not overcome her hatred and ambition; she removed his liver and bit it.   

The Prophet (pbuh) tore his heart our when he saw him like that but his forgiveness outweighed. He forgave his most ferocious enemy because she became a believer. Hind’s hatred was transformed into love and had to appreciate him by saying, "I cannot see a better assembly than yours today."

Hz. Hamza’s murderer, Wahshi escaped from Makkah and hid among the tribes for a while. However, he could not find a secure place.   

Finally, somebody said to him, "You can find the most secure place for you near the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Go and ask forgiveness from him."

Wahshi entered into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) shyly. When the Prophet (pbuh) saw Wahshi, he lowered his head. He could not look at him. He remembered his uncle. His head in blood appeared before him. He could not help shedding tears. His murderer was standing before him. He could have killed Wahshi. Nobody would have opposed it. However, he acted nobly and forgave Wahshi. Nevertheless, he told Wahshi not to appear before him again because whenever he saw Wahshi, Hz. Hamza appeared before his eyes and he felt very sad.

Abu Jahl and his son Ikrima were two enemies of Islam that always troubled the Prophet (pbuh) and did their best to harass him. Abu Jahl was a ferocious enemy that threw a tripe of camel on the Prophet (pbuh) while he was praying in the Kaaba, that wanted to suffocate him with his cloak by attacking him from behind, that set traps to kill the Prophet (pbuh) and that worked up to start the Battle of Badr by rejecting all peace offerings. His son Ikrima acted together with his father and was one of the leading enemies of the Prophet (pbuh).

When the Islamic army entered Makkah, Ikrima escaped to Yemen due to his fear. However, his wife became a Muslim. She knew the nobility of the Prophet (pbuh) and saw the people that he forgave. She set out with her slave to find her husband. She found him in Yemen. She told him that she received a guarantee from the Prophet (pbuh) and that he would forgive him.    

They arrived in Madinah. When the Prophet (pbuh) heard that Ikrima had come, he went out to welcome him. He hurried so much that his cardigan fell off. He welcomed Ikrima by smiling. He hugged Ikrima by saying, "Hello O cavalry muhajir!" and complemented him.

Ikrima, who became a believer, felt ashamed of what he had done. However, the Prophet of mercy prayed for Ikrima as follows:  

"O Allah! Forgive him for all the hostility he directed against me and every step he took in order to put out Your light. Forgive him for whatever he said in my presence or absence."

The forgiveness of the Prophet reached even one of his most ferocious enemies.

Habbar bin Aswad was a raving enemy of the Prophet (pbuh). He took pleasure from harassing the Muslims whenever he could. During the Migration, he thrust Zaynab, the daughter of the Prophet (pbuh), and caused her to fall off the camel. Zaynab was pregnant and had a miscarriage. After a while, she died because that fall. Thus, he also became a blood enemy of the Prophet (pbuh). 

On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) ordered him to be killed. He would be killed wherever he would be seen.

Habbar was very scared. He wanted to escape to Iran. Then, he gave up this thought. He acted cleverly and entered into the presence of the Prophet (pbuh). He took refuge in the Prophet (pbuh). He said,  

"O Messenger of Allah! I decided to escape to Iran first. However, I thought about your forgiveness and unprecedented tolerance and came to you. I confess all my crimes. I ask forgiveness from you."

The Prophet opened the gate of forgiveness to him too. He forgave Habbar upon his sincere confession.

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