Explanation of the author's statement and his saying: (If you show good or conceal it or pardon an evil, then indeed Allah is Pardoning, Able)
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The Shaykh : And his saying is connected to what preceded it from his statement, and included in this sentence is what He described Himself with in Surat al-Ikhlas to its end. And his saying [An-Nisa 4:149] means if you do good and show it, meaning make it apparent, means from the people, then Allah the Exalted knows it and nothing is hidden from Him. And in the second verse, [Al-Ahzab 33:54] if you show anything, and this is more general, encompassing good and evil and what is neither good nor evil. And his saying: [An-Nisa 4:149] Pardon is the overlooking of the punishment. So if a person wrongs you and you pardon him, then Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows that. And it has been mentioned to us previously that pardon is a condition for praising its doer that it be accompanied by reform, due to His saying, the Exalted: [Ash-Shuraa 42:40] And it has been mentioned to us previously, based on this rule, that pardon may be a cause for the increase of tyranny and aggression, and it may be a cause for ceasing from it, and it may be that the aggressor neither increases nor decreases. So if it is a cause for the increase of tyranny, then pardon is here blameworthy; pardon is blameworthy, and it may even be prohibited, such as if we pardon this criminal and then he goes and commits another crime, or a greater one. Here, the one who pardons is not praised. And pardon may be a cause for his ceasing from aggression, such that he feels ashamed and says, "This one who pardoned me, I cannot aggress upon the servants of Allah," and he feels ashamed to be among the aggressors while this man is among the pardoners. Here we say that pardon is praiseworthy, praiseworthy and required, and it may be obligatory.
Thirdly: If pardon does not affect an increase or a decrease, then it is better; it is better due to His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:237] Here he says: [An-Nisa 4:149] meaning if you pardon an evil, Allah pardons you. And this ruling is derived from the answer, [An-Nisa 4:149] meaning He pardons you. And Allah the Exalted combined here between pardon and the Able, because the perfection of pardon is that it be from ability. As for pardon that is from weakness, its doer is not praised because he is weak in taking revenge. And as for pardon that is not with ability, it may be praised, but it is not complete pardon. Rather, complete pardon is what is from ability; what is from ability. For this reason, Allah the Exalted combined these two names, and . Now, in it is the affirmation of the attribute of pardon for Allah, which is the overlooking of the sins of His servants. And ability, it was previously mentioned that it is an attribute by which the doer is able to act without weakness. Now, these two names include two attributes, which are pardon and ability. Do they have a ruling?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. The ruling regarding pardon is that Allah pardons, and the Able is that Allah is able to do everything. So in them is the affirmation of two of the names of Allah and two of His attributes. The two names are Pardoning and the Able, and the two attributes are pardon and ability. And his saying:[Al-Munafiqun 63:8]
The student: And let them pardon
If [instead] you show [some] good or conceal it or pardon an offense - indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent.
إن تبدوا خيرا أو تخفوه أو تعفو عن سوء فإن الله كان عفوا قديراor conceal it
أو تخفوهWhether you reveal a thing or conceal it, indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.
إن تبدوا شيئاً أو تخفوه فإن الله كان بكل شيء عليماًor pardon an offense
أو تعفوا عن سوءbut whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah
فمن عفا وأصلح فأجره على اللهThirdly: If pardon does not affect an increase or a decrease, then it is better; it is better due to His saying, the Exalted:
And to forego it is nearer to righteousness
وأن تعفوا أقربُ للتقوىor pardon an offense - indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent.
أو تعفوا عن سوء فإن الله كان عفوا قديراindeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent.
فإن الله كان عفوا قديراPardoning
العفوthe Able
القديرPardoning
العفوThe student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. The ruling regarding pardon is that Allah pardons, and the Able is that Allah is able to do everything. So in them is the affirmation of two of the names of Allah and two of His attributes. The two names are Pardoning and the Able, and the two attributes are pardon and ability. And his saying:
And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger
ولله العزة ولرسولهThe student: And let them pardon
