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Tariq Mahmood, Toronto, Canada
Take a moment to recall the greatest story you’ve ever read. Perhaps it’s a Shakespearean classic that recounts the lives of ancient aristocrats, or a millennial hallmark such as Harry Potter. For example, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice revolves around an unforgiven grudge between a lender and merchant, whilst in The Deathly Hallows (the last book of the Harry Potter series), Harry tries to persuade Voldemort to become remorseful and abandon his ways, even as Voldemort tries to kill him. These stories resonate with man because these emotions exist within all – resentment and forgiveness often fight similar wars within our hearts.
These narratives are deeply rooted in our shared experiences; we are all victims of some sort of injustice, no matter the time or place. A person lives his or her entire life forgiving others or being forgiven, seeking retribution or offering recompense. This cycle starts in infancy, as parents forgive every transgression out of love for their child. Soon the child is replaced by an adult; one who is now responsible for their actions, and to a larger extent, their reactions. It is in this context that forgiveness (or the lack thereof) becomes vital to the lives of each and every human being.
What is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness takes on many different shapes depending on each individual and what they believe.
Although every religion approaches forgiveness uniquely, they all share a foundational principle: forgiveness is rooted in emulating divine qualities. Believers are encouraged to forgive because they themselves hope for God’s forgiveness.
In Hinduism, the Mahabharata states, ‘Righteousness is the one highest good, forgiveness is the one supreme peace.’[1] As karma is a central ideology within Hinduism, all Hindus must focus on doing good so that their reincarnation is ultimately secure.
Sikhism’s holiest text, known as the Adi Granth, also emphasises this divine connection: ‘Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself.’[2] In Sikhism, the Forgiving is one of the names of God, and should therefore be embodied by all those who claim to follow Him.
In Christianity, the New Testament recounts ‘The parable of the unforgiving servant’. As the story goes, a servant owed the king 10,000 gold coins. The king ordered that the man’s family be sold into slavery to pay the debt, but the servant dropped to his knees in front of the king and begged him for more time to pay the debt. The king pitied him, so he forgave his debt and let him go.
When the servant left, he found a man who owed him 100 gold coins. He grabbed the man by the neck and demanded payment. The man begged him for more time, but the servant refused and had the man thrown in jail. The other servants witnessed this and informed the king of what had transpired. The king angrily called the servant, rebuked him, and had him thrown into prison to be tortured until he could pay his debt.
Then Jesus (as) remarks, ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’ [3]
This parable embodies the Christian belief of forgiveness, the idea that all deserve forgiveness because all expect forgiveness. One marvels at how every single religion shares such a fundamental belief. According to Islam, all such religions were brought through the prophets of God, who taught the message of forgiveness from the Source of forgiveness Himself: God.
As Muslims believe that Islam is the latest in an evolution of prophetic messages and the apex religion, the Holy Qur’an eloquently highlights forgiveness,
‘And [those] who eschew the more grievous sins and indecencies, and, when they are wroth, they forgive.’ [4]
‘Take to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant.’[5]
According to Islam, the most perfect form of forgiveness is exemplified in God Almighty alone. It is from His noble attributes that all can judge between good and evil. Thus, God Almighty Himself is the foundation of forgiveness, and His forgiveness alone allows one to enter paradise. Regarding this attribute, the Founder (as) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community explains,
‘As stumbling and sinning are characteristics manifested by defective souls, correspondingly there are the eternal and everlasting attributes of God which are forgiveness and mercy. He is inherently Forgiving and Merciful. His forgiveness is not casual and coincidental, but is His eternal attribute which He loves and which He desires to exercise upon deserving people. Whenever a person turns to God with remorse and repentance at the time of stumbling and sinning, he becomes deserving, in the sight of God, that He should turn to him with mercy and forgiveness.’[6]
The Promised Messiah (as) further explains that the weakness of humanity is intentional by design; humankind was not created to be perfect; rather, it was created to be forgiven:
‘It is not a part of the divine laws of nature that those who are prone to stumble should not stumble, or that the nature of those who are in thrall to their beastly or aggressive traits should change. Rather, His law – which, since eternity, has been in operation – is that imperfect people who commit sin due to their personal deficiencies, should find forgiveness through repentance and istighfar [asking God to cover sins].’ [7]
Thus, as opposed to other religions and belief systems which may believe in karma or others carrying the burden of sin, Muslims must seek God’s forgiveness directly, and must strive to never commit the sin again, as the Promised Messiah (as) states,
Both these states are called istighfar, because ‘Ghafr’, from which the word istighfar is derived, means to cover up and suppress. Hence istighfar means [to pray] that God continues to overlook the sins of one who immerses himself in His love and does not allow the roots of human weakness to be exposed.’[8]
In the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) the incident of Ta’if stands tall amongst the many examples of exercising forgiveness.
When the Holy Prophet (sa) travelled to the city of Ta’if to deliver the message of Islam, he was met with cruel acts of hostility. He was chased out of the city, as elders cursed him and children hurled stones at him. His shoes soaked with blood and injuries all over his body, he exited the city alongside his companion Hazrat Zaid (ra). Here, Muslims believe he was met by an angel who offered to crush the entire city between the two mountains on either side of it.
The Prophet Muhammad (sa) rejected the offer, stating, ‘I hope that of these very tormentors would be born those who would worship the One True God.’[9]
This forgiveness of the Holy Prophet (sa) is, in fact, a reflection of God Almighty’s attribute of ‘Ghafur’ (the Forgiver) and demonstrates how a strong connection with Him leads one to manifest His attributes in this life.
Muslims remember this incident with great emotion and often share it in gatherings as an example of true forgiveness. The ability to forgive one’s friends is virtuous, but to forgive one’s enemies is even greater.
Blind Forgiveness
Islam firmly emphasises, however, that forgiveness cannot be handed out in every case. In some cases, forgiveness works to the detriment of a person, and if society were to continue on forgiving them, then they would become more daring.
Regarding this fine line, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states,
‘The Qur’an does not teach non-resistance to evil on all occasions, or that mischief makers and wrongdoers should never be punished. What it teaches is that one must consider whether the occasion demands forgiveness or punishment and to adopt the course which would be in the best interest of both the offender and the community at large.
At times, an offender might repent if he is forgiven, but at times, he may become even more daring. Therefore, God Almighty says: Do not cultivate the habit of forgiving blindly; consider carefully wherein lies the real good – in forgiveness or in punishment – and do what is appropriate considering the time and the circumstances.’[10]
Forgiveness is a gift, but when overused, it can harm both the individual and society by enabling repeated wrongdoing and hindering personal growth.
Still, the Holy Qur’an teaches that once a person has learned their lesson, no stigma should be attached to them. Instead, forgiveness should be exercised, just as Allah the Almighty shows forgiveness to humankind. The Holy Qur’an beautifully states this sentiment,
‘And let not those who possess wealth and plenty among you swear not to give aught to the kindred and to the needy and to those who have left their homes in the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and pass over the offence. Do you not desire that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’[11]
Here, the Holy Qur’an underscores the link between forgiving others and earning God’s forgiveness.
True Forgiveness Requires Patience
Humanity is often blinded by a sense of justice, and forgets an altogether more powerful force: kindness.
Kindness combined with forgiveness shines with far more brilliance, but many today forget to be kind. For instance, perhaps when we walk down the street and a person bumps into us, we refuse to let it go, or a delivery driver becomes late, and we decide that we must address this injustice.
During the Holy Prophet’s (sa) life, a Bedouin onced walked up to the him and violently tugged at his cloak, so much so that a mark was left on the shoulder of the Prophet Muhammad (sa). The man then declared, ‘O Muhammad! Order them to give me something from Allah’s wealth which you have!’
While this man asked for a favour, he harmed the very person who would bestow it. Such a pompous request would be met with condemnation and rebuke by most. The narration tells a different tale, ‘The Holy Prophet (sa) turned and he smiled, then he ordered that the man be given charity.’ [12] Forgiveness is not wholly dependant upon an apology; rather, true sincerity and forbearance requires that one actively seek out forgiveness by themselves, and rather than making forgiveness an action, they make it a lifestyle.
Forgiveness Demands Forgiveness
Islam teaches that the question of perfecting forgiveness lies in expectation: If one seeks to be forgiven by God, they must forgive others. Godly people must display forgiveness because they understand that in order to adopt the colours of God Almighty, they must forgive just as God forgives.
During Ramadan, the month of fasting and spiritual reflection, each ten-day segment, or Asharah, emphasises an attribute of God. One of these ten days focuses on forgiveness.
Thus, how hypocritical would humanity be, if we ask for forgiveness – nay, expect forgiveness – from God, but cannot muster the patience and strength to forgive others who have wronged us?
Do not define forgiveness by the malice of your heart. There are many in the world today who refuse to forgive because of their convoluted understanding of forgiveness. They will say that they cannot forgive someone because that person refuses to talk to them first. Others will say that the person hasn’t shown enough remorse. Still, there are some who will refuse to admit that they are partially to blame and instead cover their own mistakes while highlighting the mistakes of others.
Islam, and all major religions, shift the focus of forgiveness from man to God; never mind that the person hasn’t sought your forgiveness, do you require forgiveness from God? If so, then just as God forgives without receiving anything in return, become a mirror and reflect that very same quality within yourself.
This Ramadan is a call to action: can we as humans find the patience to forgive others? Can we seek the courage to ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged? If not, we doom ourselves to the misery that plagues those who (as the saying goes) judge themselves by their own intentions, but judge others by their actions.
To what hell do we condemn ourselves on this very planet when we do not forgive others, and to what hell do we condemn ourselves in the hereafter, if God decides not to forgive us?
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About the Author: Tariq Mahmood is an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada and serves on the editorial board of The Review of Religions.
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ENDNOTES
1. Mahabharata, Book 5, Udyoga Parva, Section XXXIII.
2. Adi Granth, Shalok, Kabir, p. 1372.
3. The Bible, Matthew 18:21-35.
4. The Holy Qur’an, 42:38.
5. The Holy Qur’an, 7:200.
6. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part III (Qadian, India: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2014), 87-88.
7. Ibid.
8. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Four Questions by Mr Sirajuddin, a Christian, and their Answers (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2009), 23.
9. Riyad al-Salihin, Hadith 642.
10. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), The Essence of Islam – Volume III (Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2005), 22.
11. The Holy Qur’an, 24:23.
12. Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6088.
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