"Tell those who believe to forgive those who hope not for the days of God, that He may requite a people for that which they used to earn."
Quran 45:14
And he's a passage from another surah that we haven't visited yet, in this case al-Jathiyah, the 45th surah, here rendered "Upon Their Knees." The message is as simple as it is central to Islam, but also worthy of remembering: forgive others, even those who don't believe what you believe. As Nasr reminds us, "The command to forgive and be gentle with disbelievers and hypocrites can be understood as following from the allusion to the signs in your creation (v. 4), since if one reflects upon the signs of God, one will recognize the honor due to all human beings. As al-Razi observes, discussions of the nature of the created order in the Quran are often followed by discussions of virtuous conduct. In this sense, the admonition to forgive those who hope not for the days of God can be understood to mean that when one acts in accord with the nature of things, one will forgive others, remembering that one's own faith and understanding are blessings from God . . ." (p. 1219) Again, the popular perception among non-Muslims is that Islam is an intolerant faith hostile to other religions, when exactly the opposite is true; sadly, sometimes we need to be reminded of this even more than non-Muslims.
Quran 45:14
And he's a passage from another surah that we haven't visited yet, in this case al-Jathiyah, the 45th surah, here rendered "Upon Their Knees." The message is as simple as it is central to Islam, but also worthy of remembering: forgive others, even those who don't believe what you believe. As Nasr reminds us, "The command to forgive and be gentle with disbelievers and hypocrites can be understood as following from the allusion to the signs in your creation (v. 4), since if one reflects upon the signs of God, one will recognize the honor due to all human beings. As al-Razi observes, discussions of the nature of the created order in the Quran are often followed by discussions of virtuous conduct. In this sense, the admonition to forgive those who hope not for the days of God can be understood to mean that when one acts in accord with the nature of things, one will forgive others, remembering that one's own faith and understanding are blessings from God . . ." (p. 1219) Again, the popular perception among non-Muslims is that Islam is an intolerant faith hostile to other religions, when exactly the opposite is true; sadly, sometimes we need to be reminded of this even more than non-Muslims.
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