Forgiveness and tolerance

‫بۡس ِم ٱِهَّلل ٱلَّر ۡح َٰم ِن ٱلَّر ِح يِم‬

‫ۡل‬
‫َو ٱ َع ۡص ِر‬
By time,
‫ِإَّن ٱِإۡل نَٰس َن َلِفي ُخۡس ٍر‬
Indeed, mankind is in loss,
‫ۡل‬
‫ِإاَّل ٱَّلِذ يَن َء اَم ُنوْا َو َع ِم ُلوْا ٱلَّص ٰـ ِلَٰح ِت َو َتَو اَص ۡو ْا ِبٱ َح ِّق َو َتَو اَص ۡو ْا ِبٱلَّص ۡب ِر‬
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised
each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

Allah the Most Great declares in His holy book that

forgiveness and tolerance are more virtuous than
grudge and revenge:
"But indeed if any show patience and forgive that would truly be an exercise of courageous
will and resolution in the conduct of affairs." (Shûrâ: 43)

"The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): But if a person
forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: He does not love the
wrong-doers." (Shûrâ: 40)

Allah the Most High forgives the sins of His servants and does not torment them. The servants
should also forgive harm done to them even if they have the opportunity to take vengeance. It is
harder to be patient and forgive than to bluster about and punish the guilty. Allah the Most
Supreme commands us to forgive.

In the verses, He instructs:

"Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; but turn away
from the ignorant." (A'raf: 199)
"So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness." (Hijr: 85)

"Those who spend (freely) whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and
pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good." (Âl' Imrân: 134)

"The remission is the nearest to righteousness." (Baqara: 237)

"If you forgive evil, surely Allah is Forgiving, Powerful." (Nisâ: 149)

"Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that

Allah should forgive you? For Allah is Forgiving,
Most-Merciful." (Nûr: 22)
"But if you forgive and overlook, and cover up (their faults); verily Allah is Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (Taghâbun: 14)

Tolerance and Forgiveness in the Life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)

The best example of this moral virtue is the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, -peace be upon
him.

He always forgave injuries and harm done to him; he never sought revenge against his own
person.

In one instance In order to spread Islam, he went to a town. The people of that town not only
repudiated him but also stoned him.He was severly injured. Yet he did not curse them; he prayed
to Allah the Most High for their guidance.

During a battle, the unbelievers wounded his face breaking a tooth. He did not curse them but
prayed the following: "How would these people who want to slay their prophet reach
salvation. My Lord, give to my people guidance because they do not know."

In Mecca, for 13 years, disbelievers continuously tormented him and the Muslims. They mocked,
insulted and threatened him. They threw disgusting things at him. They called him "magician,
soothsayer, mad..." They cast thorns on the pathways he used. They threw a lasso around his
neck and tried to drag him along the ground. For a long time, they besieged his companions. At
last, they forced him and the Muslims to leave their native land.
Later, when Mecca was conquered, he had the opportunity to take revenge for the cruelties done
earlier. All his enemies were waiting to be killed by the Muslims. Moreover, they were aware
that they had deserved such a fate.

Muhammad -peace be upon him- asked them: "What do you expect for me to do with
you?" They responded: "We expect goodness from you. You are a generous man and the son of
a generous man..."

Muhammad -peace be upon him- said: "I say to you the words that Joseph -peace be upon
him- had said to his brothers. You are free, you can go. You will not be held responsible
today."

Muhammad -peace be upon him- orders:

"I'm the enemy of the man who vexes a non-Muslim who is under the protection of Islamic
state."

"The true Muslim is a man that other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hands."

The last Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) is

the perfect embodiment of great human qualities. As
mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, the life of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) is a perfect example for us.
Among other a great many qualities, ‘Tolerance and Forgiveness’ are those upon which Islam
has largely insisted. These human attributes are at first hard to inculcate, but once inculcated;
they would make society peaceful and the world an ideal place to live in. It would be very apt to
mention that only courageous and strong people own these qualities.

Throughout his life, the Prophet PBUH has depicted these qualities through his actions and
speech. It was on the observance of such qualities that a large number of non-believers embraced
Islam.

Examples of Tolerance and Forgiveness in the Life of

the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) started preaching Islam, a large number of
 disbelievers became his enemies. Therefore, the Prophet
(PBUH) had to face many hardships. It was because of his
great patience and tolerance that the Holy Prophet
(PBUH) not only endured their harsh treatment but also
prayed for their guidance in return.
In his early years of preaching, when the Prophet (PBUH) invited the people of Taif to Islam, he
(PBUH) was subjected to stone-pelting and an unbearable response by the people of Taif. The
angel Jibrael (A.S) appeared on the spot and demanded to order the destruction of those people
and he would turn the mountains over them. To his infinite patience, tolerance, and forgiveness,
in lieu of revenge, he chose to pray from Allah for their guidance.

Moreover, the non-believers of Makkah used to throw trash and garbage on the doorsteps of the
Prophet (PBUH), he (PBUH) stood for all that treatment meted out to Him with great patience
and tolerance and stayed consistent in preaching Islam.

As narrated by Ibn Sa’d in his work on history, al-Tabaqat that Through ‘Aisha (may Allah be
pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was reported to have said,

“I was [living, in Mecca] between the two worst neighbors [one could have]: between Abu

Lahab [his uncle and sworn enemy] and ‘Uqbah ibn Abi M’uayt [who once threw a sheep’s

insides on his blessed head, peace be upon him, while he was praying]. Indeed, they would

come with bloodied intestines and throw it on my doorstep…”

It is also reported about the wife of Abu Lahab, namely ‘Umm Jamil’ who would place thorny
branches overnight in the path where the Prophet PBUH would walk. Still, many such incidents
have gone unreported.

Once, there was some matter of payment, and a person asked the Prophet (PBUH) to wait for
him at the place while he would just go and return from home. That person, later on, forgot and
didn’t return, while the Prophet (PBUH) kept waiting for him there for almost three days. When
he remembered the commitment, the person came back and found the Prophet (PBUH) there
waiting for him. This one incident fully elucidates the level of patience and tolerance that our
Prophet (PBUH) has practiced in his life.
When Makkah was conquered, non-believers feared that as Muslims were in a dominant position
of authority, they would take revenge on them. But, on that day, the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
declared amnesty for everyone. He ordered his army to fight only those who would rise in their
opposition. He had forgiven all the bloodshed of the past.

Concluding Thoughts
To conclude, whatever Allah has commanded in the Quran for our guidance, the Holy Prophet
has practiced that throughout his life to make his Ummah understand the Quranic injunctions.
Allah Himself is the most merciful and commanded us to practice tolerance and forgiveness in
our daily affairs.

Alas! We have completely ignored the golden codes of life given by Islam. Thus, the whole
Muslim Ummah is cleaved today, giving way to hatred and prejudice for other sects.

At present, it is due to a lack of tolerance for each other’s diverging beliefs that the whole
Muslim world is divided and scattered. That is the reason why in spite of being the followers of
true religion, Muslims are lagging far behind the rest of the world, i.e. non-believers, in many
fields.

Today, Muslims are being labeled as terrorists for fighting against each other. Moreover, they are
being persecuted in many regions of the world. But, the required collective response from the
Muslim world which is the need of the hour, is altogether missing.

The incidents of the Shia-Sunni rift and violence speak volumes of intolerance among Muslims.
While our Prophet (PBUH) has even remained tolerant and forgiving to non-believers, today
Muslims can’t even tolerate the diverging opinions and beliefs of their fellow Muslims.

Furthermore, where Quran clearly teaches tolerance towards non-Muslims as in the following
ayat, the incidents of persecution of minorities and forced conversions are common.

“For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”

Quran 109:6
It is a dire need of the hour that instead of spreading hatred against other sects, religious scholars
must promote tolerance and forgiveness, which is the real message of Islam. The life of the
Prophet (PBUH) which is the perfect embodiment of love and tolerance must be taught to the
young generation. Instead of being vindictive, we must practice forgiveness, for the sake of
Allah whose bounties are infinite.
Once the Prophet (PBUH) was asked, “What is Eemaan (belief/faith)?” He (SAW) replied:

“Eemaan (faith) is patience and tolerance.”