Forgiving and Forgetting the most beautiful thing in the world. These two things have kept people together. The more we forgive people the longer they stay with us and the more we forget the more we can work on making bonds stronger than before. Forgiving and Forgetting has to come from both sides. If one does and another one doesn’t it won’t work and the efforts one sided efforts will finally fail to get any results. The simple meaning of Forgiving, that we all know is “Letting go someone who have wronged you and not holding it to heart” And the simple meaning of Forgetting is “Not remember what happened between the two people and being as before” . But if we go with the google meaning of Forgiving it’s ” Ready and willing to Forgive ” And meaning of Forgetting as per google is ” Deliberately cease to think of”. In these days Forgiving and Forgetting has become a stuff that’s being seen as something out of box. But unfortunately that isn’t and it shouldn’t. Forgiving and Forgetting has been coming from a long time as a thing that has been keeping people bound together. Friendships and all other relationships have a base called forgiving and forgetting. If we don’t do it and keep grudes we will never be able to take our friendships or relationships forward. The key to strong and long lasting bounds is nothing but forgiving and forgetting otherwise they will end sooner than we ever had thought of. If we look back at the life of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW) we will find many events where he forgave people in the rarest of rare cases . The most well versed of forgiving is after Conqueror Of Makha (Fath E Makha). While the people were waiting to be revenged prophet announced “People on the left , people on the right, people on the back and people in front front of me have been forgiven ” And when people saw this behaviour of Mohmmad (SAW) they were amazed to see how can someone forgive people who always wronged him and were always waiting to get a chance to kill him. It was legal right of Prophet to revenge them but he has the title of Rahmat Tulil Alameen and after the conqueror of Makha is was well evident to everyone that he has rightly got the tile of Rahmat Tulil Alameen. If we go back to the history of Forgiveness of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) we will find many events but a well known incident where prophet forgive a person who kept sword on the throat of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) while he was sleeping. And then asked him who will save you from me the prophet said Allah and the sword fell from his hands and then prophet Muhammad (SAW) picked up the sword and pointed it towards this man and asked him “Now who will save you ” he replied you will and prophet smiled at him and asked him “will you recite kalima” he replied no prophet said go i forgave you . Look at the hight of forgiving a man who wanted to kill Prophet was forgiven by him and even though the man didn’t agree to recite kalima. Narrated by Prophet Muhammad (SAW)” Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind”Bukhari73736 . And look at us we are full of revenge and hatred against one another. Unfortunately then we cry why Allah isn’t showing his mercy on us . The condition for that is that we be merciful to people so that Allah is merciful to us . Allah says in Surah Al- Imran (3:134) “Who Spend [In the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people and Allah loves the doers of good” . From Seerat E Nabi To Quran To Haadies we have lots and lots of examples, orders and events that tell us how important is it to forgive and the rewards related to it . When our prophet forgave the people who hurdled stones at him which made our prophet bleed. When people like such can be forgiven why can’t we forgive people who have been our friends at a point but are out of touch or have become strangers just because they have wronged us . In today’s time if we wrong someone it has become really difficult for us to apologise as we have that ego factor in us these days. But remember prophet said “If you think asking for applogy lowers your respect come and take it from me” . And remember what Quran says about not repenting. Allah says in Quran (85:10) “Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then not repented will have the punishment of the burning Fire” . Remember the hell fire is waiting for the one who doesn’t repent . While as similar happens when someone wrongs us and the hate stops us from forgiving him or her . Allah says in Quran Quran 5:8 says, “Do not let the hatred of people prevent you from being just. Be just.” Elsewhere in the holy Quran it is mentioned “Allah loves those who act justly.” ~ Quran 49:9. The people these days often have this misconception in their minds about being forgiven by Allah after committing sins and always give up on Allah’s mercy.
God accepts the repentances of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will God turn in mercy: For God is full of knowledge and wisdom.
Allah has a beautiful answer in Quran to the misconception “And don’t lose hope in the mercy of Allah, Indeed none lose hope in the mercy of Allah except the most ungrateful people ” Quran Chapter 12 Verse 87 .And there are multiple veres in the Quran about the forgiveness of Allah And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss.— Quran, Sura 24 (Al-Noor), ayah 31. O ye who believe! Turn to God with sincere repentance, in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow — Quran, Sura 66 (Al-Tahrim), ayah 08[10]. Surely God loves those who turn much (to Him), and He loves those who purify themselves.— Quran, Sura 02 (Al-Baqara), ayah 222. God accepts the repentances of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will God turn in mercy: For God is full of knowledge and wisdom. Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, “Now have I repented indeed;” nor of those who die rejecting Faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.— Quran, Sura 04 (An-Nisa), ayah 17–18. Remember it’s we who are delaying the mercy of Allah while as he’s ready to shower his mercy it’s just we have to ask for it .
( The author is a freelancer. Views are his own)
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