Pardoning some one who has wronged us due to his ignorance or bad-manners is among the traits of the Prophets and God's men; it is a fact which is beloved to God. Professor Hossein Ansarian in “ Land of lovers “ touches this divine manner too.
The sacred verses of the Holy Quran ask people to take pardoning seriously. The narrations handed down to us on pardoning are significant for us to observe seriously. In one of his sermons, the Prophet(s) told people:
ألا اُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ خَلائِقِ الدُّنْيا وَالآخِرَةِ؟ الْعَفْوُ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَكَ، وَتَصِلُ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ، وَالإحْسانُ إلى مَنْ أساء إلَيْكَ وَإعْطاءُ مَنْ حَرَمَكَ. [1]
Should I not tell you the best approach for you which is good for your Hereafter? Pardoning one who has wronged you, relating to one who has cut with you, doing good to one who has wronged you and giving out to the one who has spared you. Imam Sadiq(s) has reported from the Prophet(s):
عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْعَفُوِ، فَإنَّ الْعَفْوَ لا يَزِيدُ الْعَبْدَ إلاّ عِزّاً، فِتَعافُوا يُعِزُّكُمُ اللهُ. [2]
You should always get involved in pardoning since such an act would add up to your dignity. Pardon one another till God gives you honor. It is narrated from Imam Baqir(s):
النَّدامَةُ عَلَى الْعَفْوِ أفْضَلُ وَأيْسَرُ مِنَ الْنَّدامَةِ عَلَى الْعُقُوبَةِ. [3]
Repentance over one's pardoning is superior to repentance over having punished any one.
قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ3:قالَ مُوسى: يا رَبِّ، أيُّ عِبادِكَ أعَزُّ عَلََيْكَ؟ قالَ: الَّذي إذا قَدَرَ عَفا. [4]
The Prophet(s) said: Moses asked God: which servant is the dearest to you? The answer was: the one who pardons while he is in power. We will read in a significant narration:
إنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ لَمّا فَتَحَ مَكَّةَ طافَ بِالْبَيْتِ وَسَعى وَصَلّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أتَى الْكَعْبَةَ فَأخَذَ بِعِضادَتَي الْبابِ فَقالَ: ما تَقُولُونَ وَما تَظُنُّونَ؟ قالُوا نَقولُ: أخٌ وَابْنُ عَمٍّ حَليمٌ - قالُوا ذلِكَ ثَلاثاً – فَقالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ3: أقولُ كَما قالَ أخي يُوسُفُ: “لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ” [5]قالَ: فَخَرَجُوا كَأنَّما نُشِرُوا مِنَ الْقُبُورِ فَدَخَلُوا فِي الإسْلامِ. [6]
Upon capturing Mecca, the Prophet(s) circumambulated the Sacred House and ran between Safa and Marvah. Then he performed two raka'at of prayers. Seizing the framework of the door of the Sacred House, the Prophet(s) told people: what would you call me and what is your assumption? They replied: we say you are our brother and cousine and that you are tolerant and blissful. They repeated this sentence three times. The Prophet(s) then replied: I will now say what my brother Yusuf said in the past “there shall be no reproof against you this day; Allah may forgive you, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful. The narrator remarks: Upon hearing this they left the mosque, in the same way that the dead would leave their graves, and submitted to Islam. You might have encountered in the history books that a man wrote an insulting letter to Khajehe Nasir Al-Din Tusi while he was in power. However, the honorable Khajeh pardoned him. You might as well have seen in the interpretations on Nahjolbalaqa that one day a man while walking in the market insulted Malik Ashtat Nakh'aee, who had been appointed by Imam Ali(s) as the commander of the Islamic army. The man did not know Malik Ashtar. When he was reproached by people for the wicked act he had performed and was told who he had insulted, he followed Malik to apologize for what he had done. He found Malik at the Mosque. Looking at him, Malik told him: I came here and performed two raka'ats of Prayer for you during which I asked God to forgive you.
Refrence: the land of lovers by Professor Hossein Ansarian
source : land of lovers
