Chapter 38

PARDON AND CONDONATION

TheIslamiceducationhasbeenconcernedwiththenoblecharacterist-
icsofpardoningtheaggressiveandcondoningthewrongdoers.Godhas
urged on pardoning and condonation in many Quranic texts. He says:
Andifyoupardonandforbearandforgive,thensurelyAllahofFor-
giving, Merciful
God has also ordered of treating the wrongdoers benevolently and
pushingtheevilawaybymeansofaltruism.Godsays:Andnotalikeare
thegoodandtheevil.Repelevilwithwhatisbest,whenlo!Hebetween
whom and you wasenmity would be as if he were a warm friend.
Booksofhadithcontainagreatdealofnarrativesencouragingonad-
heringtothistitledtendency.TheProphet(s)said,“MayIinformyouof
thebesttraitsofthisworldandtheHereafter?Itiscondoningthosewho
wrongyou, andassociating withthose whobreach relationswith you,
andusing benevolence to thosewho maltreatyou, and grantingthose
whodepriveyou.”.“Cling onpardon.It elevatesthedignity. Condone
and God will dignify you.”.
Imamal-Baqir(a)said,“TherearethreemattersbywhichGoddigni-
fiesincreasingly.Theyarecondoningthewrongdoers,givingthosewho
deprive, and constructing good relations with those who breach.”.
Imam as-Sadiq (a) said,“There are threemattersthat are withinthe
virtuesof the worldandthe Hereafter.Theyare condoning thosewho
wrongyou,andrelatingthosewhobreachyou,andusingcomposureto
those who ignore you.”.
The Prophet (s) represented this quality most honorably when he
pardonedandcondonedthosewho maltreated him.He alsopardoned
theQuraishipolytheistswhomistreated,injured,expatriated,andinstig-
atedallpowersofpolytheismagainsthim.WhenheconqueredMecca,
hegatheredthem andasked,“What doyouthinkI amgoing to doto
you?”“Weexpectthegood,sinceyouarethemagnanimousandtheson