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133- AND HASTEN TO FORGIVENESS FROM YOUR LORD AND A PARADISE, ITS WIDTH IS THE HEAVENS AND EARTH, PREPARED FOR THE PIOUS.

134- THOSE WHO SPEND (IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH) IN PROSPERITY AND IN ADVERSITY, THOSE WHO RESTRAIN THEIR ANGER, AND THOSE WHO PARDON PEOPLE, AND ALLAH LOVES THOSE WHO DO GOOD AND ARE CHARITABLE.

135- THOSE WHOM IF THEY DO WHAT IS SHAMEFUL OR WRONGED THEIR OWN SOULS, THEY REMEMBER ALLAH, AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FOR THEIR SINS, FOR WHO FORGIVES SINS BUT ALLAH, AND THEY DO NOT INSIST AND PERSIST IN DOING WHAT THEY DID, WHILE THEY KNOW.

136- FOR THOSE, THE REWARD IS FORGIVENESS FROM THEIR LORD AND GARDENS WITH RIVERS FLOWING UNDERNEATH, WHERE THEY WILL ABIDE FOREVER.  EXCELLENT IS THE REWARD OF THOSE WHO DO GOOD DEEDS.

Allah the Highest is commanding us to hasten and rush to Allah’s forgiveness and for the Paradise.  This expression gives us the feeling of competition and racing.  Allah the Highest is commanding us to race and compete in doing what is good and righteous.  This race and competition is unlike competitions on earth where there may be one, two or three winners.  In this competition, every competitor will have a great prize.   Therefore  there are no bad feelings or envy between the competitors.  It is a righteous competition, to do good deeds, which pleases and is rewarded by Allah the Highest.

Allah the Highest encourages us to do what is good and compete and race for it in other Ayahs of the Quran.  Allah the Highest said: “AND FOR EVERY NATION THERE IS A DIRECTION HE (ALLAH) DIRECTS THEM TO, SO RACE AND COMPETE FOR THE GOOD DEEDS” (S: 2 A: 148)

Allah the Highest also said: “AND IF ALLAH WILLED, HE WOULD HAVE MADE YOU ONE NATION, BUT TO TEST YOU IN WHAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU, THEREFORE RACE AND COMPETE FOR THE GOOD DEEDS, TO ALLAH YOU WILL ALL RETURN”.  (S: 5 A: 48)

Allah the Highest also said: “THOSE WHO GIVE THEIR CHARITY WITH FEAR IN THEIR HEARTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE RETURNING TO THEIR LORD * THOSE RACE TO WHAT IS GOOD AND THEY ARE FOREMOST TO IT”.  (S: 23 A: 61)

The foremost in this race for doing what is good and righteous will have the greatest reward of all; they will be drawn nearer to Allah the Highest in the Paradise.  Allah the Highest said: “THE FOREMOST, THE FOREMOST * THESE ARE THE ONES DRAWN NEAR TO ALLAH * IN THE GARDENS OF DELIGHT”.  (S: 56 A: 10-12)

This Paradise is as wide as the Heavens and Earth which Allah the Highest created for the righteous and pious slaves.  The size and delights of the Paradise match Allah’s Power and Generosity.  Allah the Highest said: “I prepared for my righteous slaves, what no eyes have ever seen, no ears have ever heard of, and no human heart has ever imagined”. 

Allah the Highest tells us about some of the Characteristics of those who deserve such reward:

1-    “THOSE WHO SPEND (IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH) IN PROSPERITY AND IN ADVERSITY”.

The Muslim should be charitable in all circumstances and according to his means.  If he has little, he may spend little, and if he has much he should spend much, for Allah accepts all.

2-    “THOSE WHO RESTRAIN THEIR ANGER”.  Anger can cause a person to commit all kinds of sins and wrong deeds.  It is therefore one of the marks of the righteous and pious is restraining their anger.

A man asked Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, saying: “Teach me something, but not too much, so that I can comprehend and remember”.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “Do not get angry”.  The man repeated the question several times and Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, repeated the answer: “Do not get angry”.  (B: Adab; 76 & T: Ber; 73 & Mal: Hosn El-Kholoq, 11 & A: 2; 175,362)

It is the expression of anger, by word or deed; that is to be physically or verbally aggressive.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “Teach, give people good news, and if one of you becomes angry, let him not speak”.  (A: 1; 239)

Allah the Highest is pleased with, and honours those who restrain their anger, although they could retaliate and punish those who angered them. 
Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “He who restrains his anger while he can retaliate, Allah will call him before all people (on the Day of Resurrection) and let him choose whom of the Hoor he would like”.  (T: Ber; 74 & D: Adab; 3 & Ma: Zohd; 18 & A: 3; 438,440) The Hoor are the beautiful women in Paradise.

Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, teaches us that it no sign of strength to be angry and aggressive, but rather it is a mark or one’s strength to restrain his anger, he said: “The strong person is not the one who can throw a man down, but the strong is the one who can restrain himself when angry”.  (B: Adab; 76 & M: Ber; 197,108 & Mal: Hosn Al-Koloq; 12 & A: 2; 236,507)

Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, also told us how to restrain our anger:

-         Esteaza.  Ask Allah for his protection from Satan.

-         Wadoo.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “But anger comes from Satan, Satan is created from fire, therefore when one becomes angry let him do Wadoo”.  (A:4;226)

-         Sitting down if one is standing up, and lying down if one is sitting.  It is to assume a less aggressive posture when feeling angry.  Also when one assumes a less aggressive position, the other person is likely to feel less threatened and consequently less aggressive.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “If one of you becomes angry while standing, let him site down, and if his anger does not go, let him lie down”.  (A:5;152)

3-    “THOSE WHO PARDON PEOPLE”.  Another characteristic of righteous and pious, is that they pardon those who do them wrong.  One has to restrain his anger before pardoning.  Allah the Highest said describing the good believers: “AND WHO AVOID THE GREAT SINS AND SHAMEFUL DEEDS, AND WHEN THEY BECOME ANGRY, THEY PARDON”. (S:42 A:37)

The recompense for those who pardon others is from Allah the Highest which is greater than any one can imagine.  Allah the Highest: “THE RECOMPENSE FOR AN ILL DEED, IS OF THE SAME KIND, BUT HE WHO PARDONS AND SEEKS RECONCILIATION, HIS REWARD IS DUE FROM ALLAH, FOR ALLAH DOES NOT LIKE THE UNJUST”.  (S: 42 A: 40)

Indeed, Allah the Highest honours and raises the status of those who pardon and forgive others.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Charity never decreases wealth, and Allah will increase a slave in honour, because of him forgiving others, and any one who humbles himself for the sake of Allah; Allah will raise his status”.  (M: Ber; 69 & Mal: Sadaqah; 12 & T: Ber; 82 & A: 1; 193)

In Islamic Law, in case of killing or murder, pardoning is an option.  Should the next of kin of the deceased pardon the killer; the killer, the killer then carries the sins of the deceased and next of kin on the Day of Judgment. A man who murdered another was brought to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him dragged with a robe around his neck. The next of kin of the deceased was called and Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him asked him: “Would you pardon?”  The man said: “No”.  He said: “Would you take ransom (compensation)?”  The man said: “No”.  He said: “would you kill?’  The man said: “Yes” He said: “Take him”.  Then Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said to the next of kin: “If you pardon him; he will carry your sins and your companion’s (the victim)”.  (N: Qesamah; 6, 7 & D: Dyat; 3 & Da: Dyat; 8)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him also said: “Whoever likes great building to be built for him and for his status to be raised (in the Hereafter); let him pardon whoever has been unjust to him, give who deprived him and contact who severed relationship with him”.  (Al-Hakim who reported the Hadith as Sahih)

“AND ALLAH LOVES THOSE WHO DO GOOD AND ARE CHARITABLE”. 

The person, who does good deeds and is charitable, in the widest sense of the word, is promised Allah’s Love.  Allah the Highest will be charitable to him as he was charitable to others, however, Allah’s bounty and generosity is much greater.  Allah the Highest said: “IS THERE ANY REWARD FOR GOODNESS AND CHARITY, OTHER THAN GOODNESS AND CHARITY”.  (S: 55 A: 60)

We have an excellent example in Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him who pardoned all the people of Makah who persecuted and hurt him. 

About 3 weeks after taking Makah, many tribes gathered force to attack the Muslims.  The two armies met in an area called Honin, and the Muslims won the battle and took six thousands prisoners.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him let them all free without paying ransom.

Abu Bakr, Allah’s messenger’s closest companions gave us a good example too.  When some people in Medina accused his daughter Aysha who also was Allah’s messenger’s wife, of adultery, and some spread the rumour.  One of them was a poor Muslim from the migrants and a blood relation to Abu Bakr, who’s Abu Bakr used to give monthly allowance as charity.  Abu Bakr swore to stop his charity to him.  Allah the Highest sent this Ayah: “AND LET NOT THE HONOURABLE AND RICH AMONG YOU SWEAR NOT TO GIVE THEIR CLOSE KIN, THE POOR AND THE MIGRANTS IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH, AND LET THEM PARDON AND FORGIVE, DO YOU NOT LIKE ALLAH TO FORGIVE YOU, FOR ALLAH IS MOST FORGIVING, AND MOST MERCIFUL”.  (S: 24 A: 22)

When Abu Bakr heard this Ayah he said: “By Allah, I like Allah to forgive me”, and he restored his monthly allowance to the man.  Allah the Highest forgives those who forgive others.

A Muslim man invited some of his friends for a meal.  While his girl slave was bringing a large dish of food, she fell spelling the food over them.  He was very angry and got up to punish her, but she said to him: “THOSE WHO RESTRAIN THEIR ANGER”, he said: “I restrained my anger”.  Then she said: “AND THOSE WHO PARDON PEOPLE”.  He said: “And I pardon you”.  She said: “AND ALLAH LOVES THOSE WHO DO GOOD AND ARE CHARITABLE”.  He said: “Go you are free”.

B: Bukhari    M: Muslim     Mal: Malek    A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi