Many
of you (Muslims) do not speak to one another, your brothers and
sisters. How many daughters-in-law do not speak to their
mothers-in-law anymore? Worse, even between parents and their
children, there is no longer the flow of communication. This list
unfortunately remains very long.
It
goes without saying that a true believer seeks the forgiveness of
Allah, but one of the actions we forsake, whether through ignorance
or ego, is to forgive the one who has wronged us. It is good to know
that Allah forgives whom He wills: “He
forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is
Forgiving and Merciful.”
(Al-Imran 3: 130).
A
question we can ask ourselves - Why
do I have to forgive?
If Allah forgives us, despite all our shortcomings, all our faults
and bad deeds, how is it so difficult for me to forgive my mother, my
father, my own brother or my own sister, my children, in-laws etc.?
It
is the quality of the prophets of Allah to forgive. But we are not
prophets, you would say to me. But the prophets are the best
creatures of Allah that we must take as models. When studying their
lives, it will be noticed that they have won people’s hearts by
forgiving them. This is the quality of a good servant of Allah. In
the Holy Quran, Allah (swt) tells us that among the Muttaqun
who will enter paradise, are those who have forgiven their brothers.
If we really want to be considered as such, then we must develop in
ourselves the will to forgive our brothers and sisters; Allah says
concerning the Muttaqi:
“(Those)
who restrain their anger and forgive others [...]”.
(Al-Imran 3: 135).
What
makes one a Muttaqi
is his capacity to control his anger and despite his strength and
courage, he forgives those who have wronged him. We are not
dishonoured by forgiving. He who forgives his brother, not only does
he lose nothing, but is honoured by Allah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
said: “Allah
will raise (the status/ degree of) the one who forgives for the sake
of Allah.”
(Muslim).