How can I show that forgiving others is part of following the Prophet ﷺ? 

Parenting Perspective 

It is a common hurdle in child development that young people often equate the act of forgiveness with personal weakness or a tacit admission that an injury was deserved. To effectively counter this misconception, parents must illustrate that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ exemplified the highest form of strength by consistently forgiving those who actively caused him harm, particularly at moments when he possessed the undisputed power to seek retribution. 

The Strength in Prophetic Pardon 

Share powerful historical illustrations of his pardon to make this concept tangible. Reference the difficult journey to Taif, where, despite being physically attacked and rejected, the Prophet ﷺ responded by supplicating to Allah Almighty for his aggressors rather than retaliating. Equally compelling is the narrative surrounding the conquest of Makkah, when he offered a general pardon to the Quraysh tribe, many of whom had been his harshest persecutors. These examples prove that forgiveness was an active choice rooted in immense inner fortitude. 

We must translate this grand concept into the child’s immediate world using relatable, everyday scenarios. This means encouraging them to practise forgiveness when: 

• A classmate is unkind or repeats a playground insult. 

• A sibling takes an item without asking or breaks a shared toy. 

• They need to let go of a perceived slight that is only troubling their own heart. 

Reinforce the essential truth that forgiveness is fundamentally an act that liberates the heart of the forgiver from bitterness. Remind them that every gesture of mercy is a direct reflection of prophetic strength, representing spiritual victory, not an act of surrender or weakness. 

Modelling Forgiveness Aloud 

The most effective way to embed this behaviour is through parental modelling. When conflicts inevitably arise within the home environment, make a conscious effort to model the act of forgiveness aloud. You might state clearly, ‘I choose to forgive you for that error because that is the behaviour the Prophet ﷺ commanded and loved.’ By practising this consciously and repeatedly, forgiveness gradually moves from being a difficult obligation to becoming a natural instinct intrinsically tied to the child’s developing love for the Prophet ﷺ, rather than a mere mechanical requirement. 

Spiritual Insight 

In the Islamic worldview, the capacity to forgive is spiritually elevating, lifting the believer to a station where their reward is directly linked to the reward of Allah Almighty. This spiritual elevation is attained through mirroring the compassionate qualities inherent in the Divine Names and Attributes. 

The Quranic principle governing retribution makes a clear distinction between balanced repayment for an offence and the far superior reward granted for choosing pardon and seeking reconciliation. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Ash Shura (42), Verse 40: 

‘And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah…’ 

This verse establishes a powerful spiritual incentive: while justice can be served with a like action, the one who chooses to pardon (Afa) and actively works towards reconciliation (Aslaha) is elevated to a state where their reward is secured directly with Allah Almighty. This teaches that forgiveness is not merely about ignoring a wrong, but about actively seeking a greater good that earns Divine favour. 

To connect forgiveness to true courage, we must reference the prophetic teaching that courage is not external dominance, but internal mastery—the self-control required to refrain from exacting full deserved retaliation. 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6114, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:  

‘The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in a state of anger.’ 

This hadith powerfully reinforces the parenting message: the courage required to forgive is the very same internal strength that allows one to control rage. By explicitly linking the act of granting pardon to this prophetic courage, parents guide children to understand that mercy is the Sunnah’s mightiest expression, providing them with a framework for moral maturity based on Islamic values rather than worldly metrics of aggression or retaliation.