The Prophet's Forgiveness

He forgave men like Habb"r ibn al-Aswad who terrorized Zainab, his [step] daughter, causing her to miscarry, and consequently died after falling ill. The Messenger of Allah permitted anyone to kill him. When the man knew that the Prophet was used to forgiving criminals, he went to him seeking his forgiveness, apologizing for his ill deeds. He said, "We, O Prophet of Allah, used to associate partners with Allah, but Allah Almighty guided us through you, saving us from perdition; so, do forgive my ignorance and forgive what you are told about me, for I do admit the evil of my actions and confess my sins." The Messenger of Allah said to him, "I have forgiven you, and Allah has fared very well with you since He guided you to Islam, and Islam cancels whatever precedes it."

The Prophet also forgave Wa9shi, killer of H{amzah [the Prophet's beloved uncle and partisan]. It is narrated that Wa9sh: embraced Islam then went to the Messenger of Allah after feeling secure from his wrath. The Prophet said to him, "O Wa9shi!" He said, "Yes!" The Prophet said, "Tell me, how did you kill my uncle?" Wa9sh: told him how, and he wept, then he forgave him.

He also forgave Hind despite her numerous crimes. 158 The Prophet also forgave men like Abdull"h ibn al-Zub!ari who used to lampoon the Messenger of Allah, speaking ill of him and of the Muslims. When Mecca fell in the hands of the Muslims, he fled away, and when he came to know that Muhammad was a merciful and humane Messenger of Allah, he returned to him and apologized. The Messenger of Allah accepted his apology, so the man accepted Islam and composed the following poetic verses:

I apologize to you for what I did When in misguidance I aimlessly was lost, So forgive me, may both my parents be For your sake offered as a sacrifice. Forgive my slippage for you give mercy And upon you did mercy descend, And I have already testified that your creed Is truly the right creed and that you are Among God's servants great indeed.

Amongst the many assassination attempts on the Prophet's life, one was that by a Jewish woman. However, the Prophet forgave the Jewess who served him poisoned sheep's meat. The Prophet sought her, and she admitted it. Imam B"qir said, "The Messenger of Allah summoned the Jewess who served him poisoned sheep's meat and said to her, 'What prompted you to do what you did?' She said, 'I said to myself that if he truly is a Prophet, it would not harm him, but if he seeks authority, I would relieve people of him.' The Messenger of Allah, then, forgave her and let her go.

Notes:

158. Amongst her many crimes, Hind commissioned Wahshi to kill Hamzah. Out of her hatred, she then cut open Hamzah's abdomen and ate his liver.

Adopted from the book : "The Prophet Muhammad; a Mercy to the World" by : "Ayatullah Muhammad Sadiq al-Shirazi"