Forgiveness and mercy of imam Hussainpeace be upon him

Forgiveness is pardoning sins and faults, while generosity is the giving away of wealth. Pardoning both was very easy for the Imam (peace be upon him). For some, pardoning wealth is easy while forgiving faults is difficult, but a great person is one for whom pardoning both is effortless.

It is narrated in “Kashf al-Ghummah” that the Imam’s servant committed an offense deserving of punishment.

The Imam (peace be upon him) ordered that he be beaten.

The servant said, “O my master! ‘And those who restrain their anger.'” (Surah Al-Imran, verse 134).

The Imam (peace be upon him) said, “Leave him.”

The servant then said, “O my master! ‘And those who pardon people.'”

The Imam (peace be upon him) said, “I have forgiven you.”

The servant added, “O my master! ‘And Allah loves the doers of good.'”

The Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “I have set you free, and whatever I used to give you, I will double it.”

This story illustrates the boundless patience, forgiveness, and generosity of the Imam (peace be upon him).

Indeed, great men take pleasure in forgiving, and often they wish to forgive, subtly hinting for someone to intercede on behalf of the wrongdoer.

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him and his family) forgiveness of the Quraysh after the conquest of Mecca, and Imam Hussein’s (peace be upon him) forgiveness of Hur ibn Yazid al-Riyahi on the day of Ashura, are among the greatest examples of forgiveness.

In fact, it can be said that this forgiveness is far more significant than that of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was victorious, and the Quraysh were defeated and powerless despite all the harm and enmity they had caused, while Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) forgave Hur at a time when he was suffering from the consequences of Hur’s actions. Had Hur not stopped him when the Imam (peace be upon him) wanted to turn back, the events of Karbala might not have unfolded as they did.

So, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) forgave Hur when he was already besieged by enemies due to Hur’s actions.

Hur ibn Yazid al-Riyahi came to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura and said, “O son of the Prophet! May I be sacrificed for you! I am the one who prevented you from returning and brought you to this place… I now regret my actions and have come to sacrifice my life for you. Do you think I can repent?”

The Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes! Allah will forgive you.”

Hur introduced himself correctly and did not deceive the Imam (peace be upon him), and the Imam accepted his repentance without hesitation.

I am truly astonished at the greatness of Imam Hussein’s (peace be upon him) forgiveness at that moment, without hesitation or reproach. For all the calamities faced by the Imam (peace be upon him) and his family were a direct result of this man’s actions. Just as the patience of the Imam (peace be upon him) is unimaginable, so too is his forgiveness vast. The Imam (peace be upon him) immediately accepted his repentance without reproach and honored him, saying, “You are free, as your mother named you.” Then he asked him to dismount.

It is as if the Imam (peace be upon him) wanted to host him at that moment, but Hur declined and asked for permission to face the enemy. The Imam (peace be upon him) granted him permission.

I am amazed at those who focus on the severity of Hur’s sin and cannot forgive him, yet they do not reflect on the vastness and greatness of the forgiveness of the son of the “Mercy to the worlds,” where the Imam himself forgave, was pleased with, and praised Hur. What do others say?

In the book “Manaqib,” it is narrated that Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, a Quran reciter, taught one of the Imam’s sons the Surah Al-Fatiha. When the child recited the Surah to his father, the Imam (peace be upon him) ordered a thousand dinars to be given to the teacher and his mouth to be filled with pearls and jewels.

When asked why he gave so much, the Imam (peace be upon him) said, “It is nothing compared to what he has done.” And these two verses are attributed to the Imam (peace be upon him):

“When fortune smiles upon you, be generous to people before it escapes,
For neither generosity diminishes it when it approaches, nor does miserliness retain it when it withdraws.”

It is also narrated in the book “Manaqib” that on the day of Ashura, they saw marks on the back of the Imam (peace be upon him). When they asked Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) about it, he replied, “These are the marks of the sacks that he would carry on his back to the homes of orphans, the poor, and widows.”

Helping the needy in secret is a sign of great men who do not seek the praise of people but only consider the pleasure of God, aiding the destitute with their own hands and without fanfare for His sake.

God says in the Quran:

“We feed you only for Allah’s pleasure— We desire no reward or thanks from you.” (Surah Al-Insan, verse 9)