Come! Let us forgive them

What a sacrifice for the teachings of this natural religion! Today, the realities that human psychology and medicine are trying to understand through research and experiments, the Holy Quran had directed humans towards them centuries ago in the form of forgiveness, tolerance, and purity of heart.

For a human, it is not easy to forget someone's excess, bitter behavior, or injustice. When the heart is wounded, the desire for revenge is a human condition; but if this same anger, malice, and thought of revenge continues to be nurtured inside a person, it can itself become a burden on that person's peace. Modern psychological research also finds the behavior of forgiveness to be linked with less mental stress and better psychological health.

In a vast research review, when the results of 103 different studies and a total of more than 26 thousand individuals were analyzed, a reliable link between forgiveness and better health came to light, especially with regard to psychological health; while a positive link was also found with cardiac indicators like heart rate and blood pressure.

In another systematic review and meta-analysis, it emerged that regular psychological interventions of forgiveness can prove useful in reducing depression, anger, hostility, and mental stress and in increasing positive emotions. Similarly, in a study spanning five weeks, more forgiveness was found to be linked with less perceived stress, and less stress was found to be linked with better mental health.

Even in an experimental study, when participants were made to remember the injustice done to them and kept in a state of retaining resentment and malice in the heart, relatively higher physical stress responses were seen in them, including heart rate and blood pressure; while in the state of forgiveness, these responses were relatively lower.

So to forgive is not just to free the other person from your revenge, sometimes it is also to free your own heart from the continuous imprisonment of anger and malice.

And then, what a sacrifice for this teaching of the Holy Quran that it does not just teach a person the power to take revenge, but takes him to the height of forgiveness and tolerance despite having the power. Allah says:

"And let them pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?"

(Surah An-Nur: 22)

What a beautiful training! The Quran does not tell a person that you were not hurt at all, nor does it say that you should not consider oppression as oppression; rather, it invites him to rise above his emotions and adopt forgiveness. That is, the feeling of the wound can remain, the consciousness of right can also remain, but it is not necessary to make the heart a permanent abode of hatred.

At another place Allah says:

"So whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah."

(Surah Ash-Shura: 40)

A person may perhaps give momentary satisfaction to his anger by taking revenge, but by forgiving, he can take his character to a lofty station. That is why forgiveness is not another name for weakness; on some occasions, it is the name of an extraordinary power to control one's self, anger, and desire for revenge.

Science tells us that prolonged anger and mental stress are linked to our psychological and physical condition, and in research, forgiveness has been linked with relatively better mental and some physical outcomes.

And the Quran takes us much further than this and tells us that the one who forgives is not just trying to give peace to his own heart, but also becomes a candidate for his Lord's forgiveness and reward.

Perhaps that is why the most beautiful answer to some wounds is not revenge but forgiveness.

Because in revenge, a person tries to defeat the other, and in forgiveness, a person defeats his own anger, malice, and self.

And if you want to see a living embodiment of this Quranic teaching of forgiveness and tolerance, then look at the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.

This was the same Mecca where once his call was mocked, he was denied, obstacles were placed in his path, he and his companions were subjected to various kinds of torments, until finally he had to leave his beloved city and migrate. Years passed, circumstances changed, and then came the day when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered Mecca as a conqueror. Today, in front of him were those people, many of whom had left no stone unturned in opposing him and the Muslims.

This could have been an occasion for revenge, but the Mercy to the Worlds (peace be upon him) made it not a day of revenge, but a day of forgiveness and mercy.

It is mentioned in the traditions of his life that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked the people of Mecca:

"O assembly of Quraysh, what do you think I am going to do with you?"

They said:

"We hope for goodness; you are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother."

Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pointed to the words of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him) which he had said while forgiving his brothers:

"There is no blame upon you today."

(Surah Yusuf: 92)

And then he said:

"Go, you are free."

Here forgiveness is seen in its most magnificent form. It was not being forgiven by one who was helpless to take revenge; it was being forgiven by one who had already achieved victory. In front was the same city from where he once had to migrate, and today, despite having gained dominance over the same city, the announcement of forgiveness, not revenge, was rising from the tongue of Prophethood.

This is the real greatness of forgiveness, that when a person is weak, he may be forced to remain silent, but even after getting power, if he chooses tolerance instead of revenge, it becomes the height of morality.

Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) had said to his brothers:

"There is no blame upon you today; may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful."

(Surah Yusuf: 92)

And years later, on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, the world saw a great practical example of this same message of forgiveness in the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

What a strange grandeur Islam has!

It teaches the one who has the power to take revenge to forgive;

It shows the height of tolerance to the one whose heart has wounds;

And it reminds the one in front of whom his opponents stand helpless, that real victory is not about conquering a city, sometimes conquering your own anger and desire for revenge is an even greater victory than that.