Greetings and peace be with you Calmate;
format_quote Originally Posted by
Calmate
I know that forgiveness in Islam is a huge thing. We all must forgive each other. But to forgive another person can be really hard.
I believe it is even harder to hang onto the burden of anger, when you cannot get justice.
From personal experience, I have learned it is the same to forgive someone, whether they just stole £10 from you, or they are responsible for the death of a loved one. What is different is the grief, and I explain it like this…
If I lost £10 through my own fault, I would moan about it, but it would not cause me too much grief and I would get over it. If one of my children died from natural causes like a heart attack, I would have to learn to carry that grief with me until I died.
If I found out that someone had stolen my £10, or was responsible for the death of my child, then forgiveness; grief and the need for justice, get all mixed in together.
I have found that the person who is able to forgive, probably benefits far more than the person who has been forgiven.
I believe it is better to forgive and let go of any burdens, even if the person does not say sorry.
Just because you forgive someone, that is not the same as giving them permission to do the same again. It does not make you a doormat, being able to forgive brings you a profound sense of peace, because you do not have to carry the burden of anger.
If you look at the 99 names of Allah, the forgiver is mentioned three times.
Just my 2c, feel free to disagree.
In the spirit of praying to a just and merciful God
Eric