Backbiting a person in a gathering because he wronged me, then going to him to seek forgiveness for the prohibition of backbiting and talebearing, but he said, “Go away, Allah does not forgive you”
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The questioner : I backbited a person in one of the gatherings because he wronged me. So I went to him to seek his forgiveness for this backbiting, and I know the prohibition of backbiting and talebearing. I presented my excuse to him and said to him: “I apologize to you. I backbited you, and I hope you will forgive me.” But he said: “Go away, Allah does not forgive you.” What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding my action? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : I say: It is obligatory for a person, when he repents from an injustice committed against his brother, to restore that injustice to him in this world before it is taken from his good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. If it is money, let him pay it to him. If it is honor, let him seek his forgiveness. And if he offers everything he can to seek his forgiveness, but the one who has the right refuses, then with sincere and earnest repentance, Allah the Mighty and Majestic will bear what he owed to his brother. What I advise my Muslim brothers is that when one of them comes to them apologizing for an aggression he committed against them, they should accept his apology so that Allah may accept their apologies from them on the Day of Resurrection. For whoever is in the need of his brother, Allah will be in his need. And Allah is in the aid of the servant as long as the servant is in the aid of his brother.
How can a person bear that his brother comes to him apologizing, repentant, asking him to forgive him, and then he says, “May Allah not forgive you”? This is something that should not exist in a Muslim society.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : He wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. Here there are two matters. The first matter is advising this one who backbited another to strive with utmost effort to have him forgive him in this world. If he offers everything he can and this does not happen, then we hope that Allah the Mighty and Majestic will bear it for him.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And as for...
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the one to whom his brother came to apologize to him, we urge him to accept his apology.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : For that removes enmity and hatred, purifies hearts, and brings them closer to one another. And if he pardons the servants of Allah, Allah will pardon him. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. Yusray Hamid from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Tanta, says.
The Shaykh : I say: It is obligatory for a person, when he repents from an injustice committed against his brother, to restore that injustice to him in this world before it is taken from his good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. If it is money, let him pay it to him. If it is honor, let him seek his forgiveness. And if he offers everything he can to seek his forgiveness, but the one who has the right refuses, then with sincere and earnest repentance, Allah the Mighty and Majestic will bear what he owed to his brother. What I advise my Muslim brothers is that when one of them comes to them apologizing for an aggression he committed against them, they should accept his apology so that Allah may accept their apologies from them on the Day of Resurrection. For whoever is in the need of his brother, Allah will be in his need. And Allah is in the aid of the servant as long as the servant is in the aid of his brother.
How can a person bear that his brother comes to him apologizing, repentant, asking him to forgive him, and then he says, “May Allah not forgive you”? This is something that should not exist in a Muslim society.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : He wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. Here there are two matters. The first matter is advising this one who backbited another to strive with utmost effort to have him forgive him in this world. If he offers everything he can and this does not happen, then we hope that Allah the Mighty and Majestic will bear it for him.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And as for...
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the one to whom his brother came to apologize to him, we urge him to accept his apology.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : For that removes enmity and hatred, purifies hearts, and brings them closer to one another. And if he pardons the servants of Allah, Allah will pardon him. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. Yusray Hamid from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Tanta, says.