حياة السلف بين القول والعمل

Forbearance, forgiveness, pardon, condemnation of anger and its cure: It was said to Ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him: Summarize for us good character in one word. He said: Abandoning anger. [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam/191].

Forbearance, forgiveness, pardon, and the condemnation and cure of anger: Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If a man comes to you complaining about another man, say: My brother, forgive him, for forgiveness is closer to piety. If he says: My heart cannot bear to forgive, but I will seek retribution as God, the Exalted and Glorified, has commanded me, say: If you are able to seek retribution in kind, otherwise return to the door of forgiveness, for it is a wider door. For whoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is with God. The one who forgives sleeps peacefully in his bed at night, while the one who seeks retribution keeps turning matters over in his mind. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/28].

Patience, forgiveness, pardon, and the condemnation and cure of anger: Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: "Your good deeds from your enemy are greater than those from your friend." It was said: "How is that, Abu 'Ali?" He said: "When you are mentioned in the presence of your friend, he says: 'May God grant him well-being.' But when you are mentioned in the presence of your enemy, he backbites about you day and night. The poor man only gives you his good deeds. So do not be content when he is mentioned in your presence to say: 'O God, destroy him!' Rather, supplicate to God: 'O God, set him right. O God, bring him back.' And God will give you the reward for what you supplicated for. For whoever says to a man: 'O God, destroy him!' has given Satan his request, because Satan only seeks the destruction of people." [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/16]

Forbearance, forgiveness, pardon, condemnation of anger and its cure: On the authority of Ahmad ibn Sinan, he said: It reached me that Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, absolved al-Mu'tasim on the day of the conquest of Babak, or on the conquest of Ammuriya, and he said: He is absolved from striking me. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/612].

Forbearance, forgiveness, pardon, condemning anger and its cure: On the authority of Al-Asma’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: It reached me that a man said to another: By God, if you say one thing, you will hear ten. The other said to him: But if you say ten, you will not hear one. [Uyun al-Akhbar / 328].