Learn from Abu Bakr radi-Allahu anhu how to Forgive

After Ayesha (ra) was slandered in the most horrible way, Abu Bakr (ra) was naturally very upset. The man that had began the rumour was none other but a cousin, who Abu Bakr had been supporting financially.

Like any of us would react, Abu Bakr (ra) withheld the Sadaqah he had been giving to the slanderer when he learnt about the rumours. But soon after, the following verse was revealed:

“Let not those among you who are endured with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want and those who migrated in the path of Allah. Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? Indeed Allah is oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.” (Quran:22)

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُولُو الْفَضْلِ مِنْكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَنْ يُؤْتُوا أُولِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

This is part of the patience, generosity and kindness of Allah towards His creation, despite the fact that they wrong themselves. After Allah revealed the innocence of the Mother of the believers, ‘Aishah, the believers were happy and content with the outcome of the incident.

Those believers who had talked about the matter repented, and the prescribed punishment had been carried out upon those on whom it was carried out. Then, Allah softened the heart of As-Siddiq towards his relative Mistah bin Uthathah.

When Allah revealed, “Do you not love that Allah should forgive you.”–which shows that the reward fits the action, and that if you forgive others, you will be forgiven,–then As-Siddiq (Abu Bakr) said, “Of course, by Allah, we love–o our Lord–that You should forgive us.” Then he resumed his spending on Mistah and said, “By Allah I will never stop spending on him.”

We need to look deep into our hearts and confirm that we can do the same when someone breaks our heart or trust? It’s lovely to read stories of these great men, but very difficult to implement an ounce of what they did.

We can only make dua Allah allows us such firmness in faith that as soon as we come across one of his commands, we look not to our arrogance but wish to only earn His (swt) pleasure.

We are not perfect, no one is – but we try by the Mercy of Allah, we continue to try, stumbling across the journey. InshaAllah, we are as reactive as Abu Bakr (ra) to Allah’s words.