Allah Loves Those Who Forgive

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Forgiveness is not merely a virtue but a cherished practice upon which healing, peace, and communal harmony are built.

When you forgive, it resembles the footprints that the sand erases.

Once you’ve forgiven, it’s akin to erasing the transgressions, much like a clean slate, where the past hurts, and offenses have no room to maneuver in the present.

When we choose to forgive our siblings, parents, spouses, or friends, we consciously decide not to bring up those past hurts.

As Muslims, we are called to embody the meaning of forgiveness—to erase or to cover.

This embodies the essence of true forgiveness, where we refrain from reliving past transgressions and instead focus on the mutual respect and affection that we share.

Let’s illustrate this with another dynamic that can unfortunately be found within families: the tension between the love for family and the love for Allah.

This tension can sometimes make family members seem like adversaries who challenge our faith.

However, in scenarios like this, Allah teaches us to forgive these behaviors while ensuring we continue to uphold religious obligations.

By being capable of overlooking past indiscretions, we empower ourselves and our families to reconcile and reform for a better future.

This level of forgiveness is not just about turning the page. It’s about a complete transformation of understanding.

We can learn to silence the echoes of past grudges within ourselves and shield them from others who might voice them. This aligns with the Sunnah's ethos - to suppress the unruly parts of our anger and refrain from reacting to instigators.

Suppressing anger in this context isn’t about ignoring your feelings or emotions.

Instead, it’s about managing them in a way that maintains dignity, respect, and harmony. There’s a myth that we can’t control our emotions when angry. Per the Quran's teachings, each individual is capable of managing their emotions. By doing so, we can protect ourselves and not resort to actions or words that might cause harm.

The Prophet (saw) himself provides a remarkable example of this quality. Even after the Battle of Uhud, when he was filled with anger and grief, he chose to suppress these feelings for the sake of maintaining unity and strength among the Sahaba.

Forgiving is not about letting people off the hook for their actions but about maintaining our moral compass and preserving the peace within ourselves and our communities.

In mastering the art of forgiving, we pave our path toward spiritual and emotional freedom.