Episode 9 - Let Them Pardon and Overlook

Introduction: Obeying Allah is Like Pressing a Button

Revitalize your heart with the Quran so that your soul may find tranquility in faith. Recite it at all times and seek His bounty and the clouds of forgiveness with it.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah. Brothers and sisters, sometimes when we talk about obeying Allah the Almighty, someone might say, "Take it easy, nothing comes all at once, it's like pressing a button." In reality, faith makes a person obey Allah the Almighty as if it were pressing a button.

Examples of Immediate Response

In the previous two episodes, we saw examples of this:

• Umar was in a state of anger and was about to strike his slave, but he heard: "And ignore the ignorant," so he stopped and forgave.
• The companions were drinking alcohol, then they heard: "Will you not then abstain?" so they poured it out immediately.

Today, we have another example with a situation more difficult than anger and more difficult than intoxication. A man stabs the daughter of a companion, and yet when the command of Allah to forgive and pardon came, the companion responded as if it were pressing a button. It is faith that works miracles.

The Story of Abu Bakr and Mistah

Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, had a poor relative named Mistah. Abu Bakr would support him, spending from his wealth and showing him mercy. When the hypocrites slandered our mother Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, and accused her of immorality, what was expected of Mistah? To defend the daughter of his relative who had been kind to him out of righteousness and loyalty.

But Mistah was among those who participated in the slander, so what was Abu Bakr's reaction? He said, "By Allah, I will never spend anything on Mistah ever again after what he said about Aisha." Of course, this was a completely expected reaction.

The Divine Command to Forgive and Pardon

But Allah the Almighty wants for His servants a higher character, so He revealed: "Nor should they [the blessed and the wealthy among you] reproach their slaves for their obedience [to Allah], and let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah may forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

Abu Bakr's Response

What was Abu Bakr's reaction, may Allah be pleased with him? He said, "Yes, by Allah, I do wish that Allah may forgive me." So he resumed spending on Mistah and said, "By Allah, I will never withdraw it from him ever." And this narration was reported by Bukhari. It was like pressing a button, a 180-degree turn from: "By Allah, I will never spend anything on Mistah ever again" to: "By Allah, I will never withdraw it from him ever."

Lessons Learned

Ibn Kathir commented on this situation: "This is why Al-Siddiq was Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him and his daughter."

Did the respect of Abu Bakr decrease among Muslims after he responded to Allah's command to forgive? No, by Allah, rather, hundreds of millions of people will be pleased with him and love him until the Day of Judgment.

Therefore, my brother, when someone tells you: Forgive your brother who wronged you, forgive your friend who abandoned you, do not say: "No, he wronged me in a way that I cannot forget." It will not be greater than the wrong Mistah did to Abu Bakr, and yet: "And let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah may forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.