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One of the reasons for happiness is to forgive those who oppress you, give those who deprive you, and be very good at those who offend you. Forgiveness purifies the heart from anger, hatred, and enmity. It also clarifies the heart and brings happiness and joy because a person cannot be happy if his heart is full of anger and enmity. God almighty says in his holy book: “Tell my servants to say the best of what they have, the evil sows discord among them”[1]. Watch carefully how he gave him the honor of being attributed to him almighty, for example when he says:”the servants of the beneficent[2]”, and tell “my servants to say the best of what they have”.
If someone tells you: Someone has offended you and mentioned you badly, you have the choice of doing the good and what is better because God almighty doesn’t tell us to say the good, but recommends us to say what’s better. He uses in the verse the superlative form. This deeply shows that God’s servants don’t exchange offense with another offense despite that they have the right to do that. But, it’s better to exchange the offense with the good: “ the person between whom and you there is enmity will behave as if he were your warm-hearted friend”[3].
In addition, our master, the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) teaches us a great lesson to respond to the offense with good on the difficult day when his wounds healed, his tooth broken and his uncle, the master of martyrs Hamzah (may God be pleased with him) died. After all what he faced and suffered, he only said: ”Oh God, forgive my people because they don’t know[4]”. So watch carefully how their misdeeds didn’t prevent him from his good desire to ask God to forgive them.
This is another example about one of our servants who was taught manners by the prophet Mohammad (pbuh). He was one of the men whom an offense or ignorance doesn’t provoke him; an ill speech of the fool vanishes inside him the same as a stone vanishes in the ocean sea depths. We mean here Aba Zarr Al Ghafari (may God be pleased with him). Oneday, a man insults him, so Aba Zarr told him:” Oh you, do not exaggerate in insulting us and keep a place for peace because we don’t reward someone who disobeys God when behaving with us in more than obeying God when behaving with him”[5].
A believer has a merciful, kind, and a soulful heart. He forgives others, restrains his anger, shows forbearance towards those who offend him, and respects them even if they are disrespectful. A believer is more eminem than proceeding with rage, anger, and hatred. How can his heart know hatred if it’s full of the guidance of God and love for his believers.
Vanguard of the Hearts, Al Ma’arif Islamic and Cultural Institution
[1] Surah Al Isra’a, verse 53
[2] Surah Al Furqan, verse 63
[3] Surah Fussilat, verse 34
[4] Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani, The Great Dictionary, part 6, page 120, Hadith 5694, Edition: 2, Library of Science and Wisdom, Mosul.
[5] Abu Saad Mansour bin Al-Hussein Al-Abi, the prose of Al-Durr, part 2, page 55, edition: 1, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, and Muhammad bin Muflih Al-Salihi Al-Hanbali, legal literature, and the sponsored grants, part 2, page 11, edition: Alam Al-Kutub, Al-Tazkira Al-Hamduni , and others.
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