Would you forgive a murderer?

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Depends on how sincere his repentance to Allah is. Sometimes you can just tell whether people regret something they've done or not.
 
If it's somebody who's murdered a woman or a child, I would not forgive them but I wouldn't cheer at their executions either. I'll leave the judging to God.
 
Interesting question. Depends on a lot of factors though. Did he murder because of reckless driving. Did he murder while in his pre islam time (soldiers). Its also hard to answer unless ur put into that situation ,for example i wouldn't know how to react to some one who murdered a family member for instance. I can say i forgive him now, but is my character strong enough that when i face the murderer, can i remain absolutely calm? Allahu a3lam.
 
It depends on the situation. I'd rather let God judge them. If he has killed an innocent man then i will never forgive him.
 
definitely depends on the context it would be hard to forgive someone who killed someone close to you
 
i have to agree it depends on wots happened..cos if it was someone who i cared bout like my child or partner i dunno if i could..some people dont care wot they have done, some r just evil they take pleasure in killing....
 
During the siege of ata'if an arrow injured the son of Abu Bakr, who's name was Abdullah, and that injury was the cause of his death, but it caused his death a long time after that, he died after the prophet (saw) passed away, Abu bakr kept the arrow that killed his son. When Abu Bakr was calipha, he received a delegation from ata'if, this was a long time after the incident happened.

When he met the delegation he pulled out the arrow that was the cause of his son's death and asked the delegation "does anyone of you know the source of this arrow?" one of the men stepped forward and said "I am the one who prepared this arrow, I am the one who sharpened it, I am the one who attached the feathers to it, and I am the one who shot it"

Abu bakr then replied, "this is the arrow that killed my son Abdullah, so praise be to Allah who honoured him through you, and did not dishonour you, and made you a Muslim, and that is better for the both of you"

I thought that story was relevant to the thread somehow, it can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75wSMiJklGs
 
Wow. A difficult question, and an impossible one too! Unless you go through it you can never say. The murdering of a nameless individual on the news is very different to the murdering of a close relative, for example. It would depend also the level of the persons sincerity having repented to Allah.
 
My younger sister was murdered. Premeditated by one of her in-laws. Will I forgive him? Yes, after he's been dipped in hell at least once. Insha Allah.
 
^SubanAllah. imsad

Would I forgive them? I would probably feel like killing them, to be honest. Especially if they killed someone close to me. :hmm: but they should be worrying whether Allah swt should forgive them.
 
Salaam,

Murder is when you intentionally kill someone. I would never forgive a murderer. I would desire revenge but it's not permissible...
 
Greetings and peace be with you,

If I murdered someone, God could restore the victim to a greater good life after death. My act of murder would not have an everlasting affect.

I would hate to live with the knowledge; that one of my children or grandchildren had been murdered, but if I could understand that I could see them again it would help me forgive.

To forgive someone does not rest on the fact that they are repentant. Forgiveness is more for my benefit, I cannot change the past, but if I carried the anger inside me that demanded justice or revenge it would eat away inside and destroy me.

And we had that wonderful story of how Abu Bakr forgave the person who killed his son.

In the spirit of striving to forgive

Eric
 
Eric H said:
To forgive someone does not rest on the fact that they are repentant. Forgiveness is more for my benefit, I cannot change the past, but if I carried the anger inside me that demanded justice or revenge it would eat away inside and destroy me.
Eric
Click to expand...
I agree with this statement completely; however, retaliation is a natural human predisposition that should not be forbidden. Jewish law calls for, "Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Deuteronomt 19:21 while Christianity unconditionally calls for 'turning the other cheek'. Islam strikes the middle ground in allowing retaliation, but shows that forgiveness is better.

Quran 42:40-41 The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah. for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame.

Quran 5:45 We ordained therein for them: "Life for life, eye for eye, nose or nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if any one remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (No better than) wrong-doers.

For myself, I would have a major struggle in forgiving anyone who intentionally and unjustifiably killed someone, particularly someone close to me.
 
Well I cannot comment on Allah's judgement but what if a person kills a man while robbing him and later on he repents to Allah? Will he be forgiven, and what about the victim and his family? will the victim ever have revenge or justice?

I heard that during the era of jahiliyah, Umar rz buried one of his daughters alive and later when he accepted Islam he realized the sin and asked for forgiveness from Allah...(i think you guys have understood what i am trying to say here)...
Is it blasphemous to have such a though about one of the greatest caliphs of islam?
 
I have. It took some time and it wasn't easy. A young boy in a gang shot a friend of mine in the back of the head so he could take the car she was in.

The friend later died at the hospital. The police searched and searched but they weren't able to find him. After a while the case went cold. Then about 2 and a half years later, he confessed and turned himself in to the police.

To me the fact that he turned himself in showed that it really must have been eating him up inside after what he had done. He was 17 when he did it. He could have easily just fled the country by then and no one would have heard from him again but he didn't do that. I figure if he was able stand up and show courage for it then the least I could do is forgive him for taking my friends life. But it wasn't easy. Lots of questions and a lot of anger had to go away first and that took a lot of time...
 
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