What is the difference between forgiveness and pardon?
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The questioner : What is the difference between forgiveness and pardon?
The Shaykh : We did not finish it, Yahya? You want to learn our knowledge now, on the condition that if its explanation comes, may Allah will it, we said, stand between, because you understood. Forgiveness is not holding someone accountable, and pardon is turning away from the sin such that it is not mentioned. Because you may forgive a person but sometimes remember his sin. The original meaning of pardon is turning the page of the upper part, and this necessitates that the person turns his back and leaves the matter as if it never happened. Is the difference clear? So this is a progression from the lower to the higher. Forgiveness may exist, but the sin is sometimes remembered. He forgives him and says, "I have forgiven you and will not demand my right from you," but afterwards he says, "This is my penalty; I forgave you for such and such." Did he pardon or not? He did not pardon. But if forgiveness is accompanied by pardon, it is not mentioned at all; I mean that the sin is not mentioned. No, because we do not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned them again after he carried out what he carried out among them. No, because you snatched this. We have not heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "We have forgiven you once and you broke it," for example, or "We have made it easy for you to remain in the city."
The Shaykh : No, it is not directed to a specific person. The action is not directed to a specific person.
The Shaykh : We did not finish it, Yahya? You want to learn our knowledge now, on the condition that if its explanation comes, may Allah will it, we said, stand between, because you understood. Forgiveness is not holding someone accountable, and pardon is turning away from the sin such that it is not mentioned. Because you may forgive a person but sometimes remember his sin. The original meaning of pardon is turning the page of the upper part, and this necessitates that the person turns his back and leaves the matter as if it never happened. Is the difference clear? So this is a progression from the lower to the higher. Forgiveness may exist, but the sin is sometimes remembered. He forgives him and says, "I have forgiven you and will not demand my right from you," but afterwards he says, "This is my penalty; I forgave you for such and such." Did he pardon or not? He did not pardon. But if forgiveness is accompanied by pardon, it is not mentioned at all; I mean that the sin is not mentioned. No, because we do not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned them again after he carried out what he carried out among them. No, because you snatched this. We have not heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "We have forgiven you once and you broke it," for example, or "We have made it easy for you to remain in the city."
The Shaykh : No, it is not directed to a specific person. The action is not directed to a specific person.