What Does the Quran Say About Forgiveness

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Question:

What are some Quranic verses about forgiveness? - A summary of Quranic verses emphasizing forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation, in contrast with verses about justice. :::

Answer:

Verse from Quran promoting forgiveness

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with what is better (i.e. Allah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend (Fussilat 41:34). Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them). (Al-A’raf 7:199) And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give (any sort of help) to their kinsmen, Al-Masâkîn (the poor), and those who left their homes for Allâh’s Cause. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allâh should forgive you? And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (An-Nur 24:22) The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof, but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allâh. Verily, He likes not the Zâlimûn (oppressors, polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.). (Ash-Shura 42:40) And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives that would truly be from the things recommended by Allâh. (Ash-Shura 42:43) Those who spend [in Allâh’s Cause - deeds of charity, alms, etc.] in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good­doers). (Aali Imran 3:134) And We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with truth, and the Hour is surely coming, so overlook (O Muhammad SAW), their faults with gracious forgiveness. [This was before the ordainment of Jihâd holy fighting in Allâh’s Cause]. (Al-Hijr 15:85) Say (O Muhammad SAW) to the believers to forgive those who (harm them and) hope not for the Days of Allâh (i.e. His Recompense), that He may recompense people according to what they have earned (i.e. to punish these disbelievers, who harm the believers).(Al-Jathiyah 45:14) Forgiving nature of Prophet saws the Role Model of Islam

Forgiving Nature of The Prophet (PBUH)

NOTE: I don’t agree to everything on the mentioned website.

One of the great qualities of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was that he never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always forgave even his firm enemies. His wife `A ishah reported that Allah s Messenger was not unseemly or obscene in his speech, nor was he loud-voiced in the streets, nor did he return evil for evil, but he would forgive and pardon.

The people of the Quraysh rebuked him, taunted and mocked at him, beat him and abused him. They tried to kill him and when he left for Madinah, they waged many wars against him. Yet when he entered Makkah victorious with an army of 10,000, he did not take revenge on anyone. He forgave all. Even his deadliest enemy, Abu Sufyan, who had fought so many battles against him, was forgiven, as was anyone who stayed in his house. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also pardoned the leaders of Ta if, who had engaged ruffians to pelt him with stones when he visited that town to invite them to Islam. Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites of Madinah, worked all his life against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam and left no stone unturned in trying to defeat his mission. He withdrew his 300 supporters in the Battle of Uhud, which almost broke the backbone of the Muslims. He engaged in intrigues and acts of hostility against the Prophet of Islam and the Muslims. An Abyssinian slave who had killed Prophet Muhammad s (peace be upon him) beloved uncle Hamzah in the Battle of Uhud was also forgiven when he embraced Islam after the Conquest of Makkah. The wife of Abu Sufyan, who had cut open Hamzah s chest and torn his liver and heart into pieces in the Battle of Uhud, quietly came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and accepted Islam. He recognized her but did not say anything. She was so impressed by his magnanimity and stature that she said, O Allah s Messenger, no tent was more deserted in my eyes than yours; but today no tent is dearer in my eyes than yours. Habar Ibn Al-Aswad was another vicious enemy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and of Islam. He had inflicted a grievous injury on Zaynab, daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him). She was pregnant when she emigrated from Makkah to Madinah. The polytheists of Makkah obstructed her and Habar Ibn Al-Aswad intentionally threw her down from the camel. She was badly hurt and miscarried as a result. Habar committed many other crimes as well. He wanted to run away to Persia but then he came to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who forgave him.