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15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26
Although we all understand the importance of maintaining social ties with family, friends, and peers, it can become increasingly difficult to upkeep those relationships when we feel we’ve been wronged by others. As a result, those relations become susceptible to being severed and bitterness starts to consume us.
Do you desire Allah’s forgiveness?
Considering this stark reality, Islam guides us to embody the notion of overlooking people’s mistakes – particularly those whom we care for.
The Prophet (ﷺ) would regularly remind his companions to pardon the blunders of one another in preservation of the unity and bond that they shared.
He (ﷺ) said,
ارْحَمُوا تُرْحَمُوا وَاغْفِرُوا يَغْفِرْ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ
“Be merciful to others, and you will receive mercy. Forgive others, and Allah will forgive you.” [1]
In order for us to successfully protect our relationships, we must learn to forgive those around us. In this report, the Prophet (ﷺ) teaches us that forgiving others and showing them mercy will be a direct cause for us to properly acquire Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
Ibn Abbas (radiy Allāhu ‘anhu), a prominent companion, said,
أَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِالصَّبْرِ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ وَالْحِلْمِ وَالْعَفْوِ عِنْدَ الْإِسَاءَةِ
“Allah has commanded patience at a time of anger, and forbearance and forgiveness at a time of being wronged.” [2]
Action plan
As we go beyond the halfway point of Ramadan, we will slowly be taking steps to attend the mosque more frequently. This means that we will inevitably meet people from different walks of life, and things they unintentionally do or say could offend us.
At that time, we should instantly take the following steps into consideration to be able to respond in the most ideal manner:
- Overlook the fault in hope of Allah forgiving our shortcomings;
- Remember that it could have been an unintentional mistake;
- Consider the damning outcome of holding a grudge and aim to preserve relations, not sever them.
Coming up
As we work on developing the courage to be able to overlook the faults of others, let’s have a little thought about the topic of the upcoming article: kindness to animals.
In Part 18 of this series, we will shed some light on the Islamic importance of such an action. Ask yourself the question: do I show generosity towards animals? Or perhaps you have a pet or a particular affection for some animals – we will explore the significance of such selfless conduct in tomorrow’s piece.
Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] Musnad Ahmad: 6,541
[2] Tafsīr al-Tabārī: 41:34
