Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 75
Forgiveness of the Ignorant
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don’t punish them).” (7:199)
“So overlook (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)), their faults with gracious forgiveness.” (15:85)
“Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?” (24:22)
“And who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers)” (3:134)
“And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things recommended by Allah.” (42:43)
643. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) “Have you ever experienced a day harder than the day of the battle of Uhud?” He replied, “Indeed, I experienced them (dangers) at the hands of your people (i.e., the disbelievers from amongst the Quraish tribe). The hardest treatment I met from them was on the Day of `Aqabah when I went to Ibn `Abd Yalil bin `Abd Kulal (who was one of the chiefs of Ta’if) with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he made no response (to my call). So I departed with deep distress. I did not recover until I arrived at Qarn ath-Tha`alib. There, I raised my head and saw a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I saw in it Jibril (Gabriel) (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) who called me and said: `Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, heard what your people said to you and the response they made to you. And He has sent you the angel in charge of the mountains to order him to do to them what you wish.’ Then the angel of the mountains called me, greeted me and said: `O Muhammad, Allah listened to what your people had said to you. I am the angel of the mountains, and my Rubb has sent me to you so that you may give me your orders. (I will carry out your orders). If you wish I will bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Makkah to crush them in between.”’ But Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people as will worship Allah the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him (in worship).”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
644. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) never hit anything with his hand neither a servant nor a woman but of course, he did fight in the Cause of Allah. He never took revenge upon anyone for the wrong done to him, but of course, he exacted retribution for the sake of Allah in case the Injunctions of Allah about unlawful acts were violated.
[Muslim].
645. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was walking with Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) who was wearing a Najrani cloak with a very thick border when a bedouin happened to meet him. He took hold of the side of his cloak and drew it violently. I noticed that the violence of jerk had bruised the neck of Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). The bedouin said: “O Muhammad! Give me out of Allah’s wealth that you possess.” Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) turned to him and smiled and directed that he should be given something.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
646. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I can see the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) look like one of the Prophets of Allah whose people beat and made him bleed while he was wiping the blood from his face and supplicating: “O Allah, forgive my people because they know not.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
647. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The strong man is not the one who wrestles, but the strong man is in fact the one who controls himself in a fit of rage.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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