Interacting with others in life is necessary, as a person is surrounded by neighbors, relatives and colleagues in institutions of study and workplaces. Due to this dealing with different types of people, it is natural to be made susceptible to harm from some of them. Suppose that every such act one is subjected to, is met by an evil one in its like, in return; regardless of whether this harm is slight or great, or intentional or not, the communities would turn into a jungle. People will abandon good traits and live without regulations or rules. To prevent the Muslim community from this detestable scenario, Allah The Almighty commanded His believing slaves to resist evil with something good, when He Says (what means): {And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.} [Quran 41:34]

When one treats an abuser in a wholesome manner, he or she would suppress his or her anger, thereby becoming one of those whom the Prophet, , referred to when he said: “He who stifles his rage while he is able to give vent to it, Allah will summon him in front of all people on the Day of Resurrection and let him choose from the Hoor (maidens of Paradise) as he pleases.”

We have observed the best of all creatures, Muhammad, , not only tolerating the maltreatment of the violent, but also overlooking that and pardoning them. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, described him, saying: “He does not counter evil with evil, rather he absolves and forgives.” This was also the example of the righteous people, may Allah be pleased with them, who followed the methodology of the Prophet, . One of them was insulted by someone once, so he said to him: “If you are mistaken, I ask Allah to pardon you; and if you are correct, I ask Him to forgive me.”

Although we are all required to adopt this trait, a person in a position of power is worthier of doing so more than others. That is why among the final instructions of the Prophet, , before his death, was: “Whoever is given authority over something in the Ummah of Muhammad and has the power to harm or bring benefit to anyone, then he should reward those who do good and pardon those who commit evil.” In his, , life, a man once came to him complaining about his servant, saying: “I have a servant who is a wrongdoer and an oppressor. Should I beat him?”The Prophet, , said: “Forgive him as much as seventy times per day.”

Also, a person whose relatives treat him unjustly is particularly in need of this quality. He or she should not meet their ill behavior with evil in return; rather, he or she has to pardon, forgive and increase in compassion. It was narrated that a man came to the Prophet, , and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have some relatives with whom I maintain ties of kinship and they sever them; I pardon them and they oppress me; I treat them kindly and they harm me. Should I then treat them in the same way?”The Messenger of Allah, , replied: “No, then you would all be sinners; rather, you should be better and maintain the ties of kinship and as long as you are in that state, you will have a protector and supporter appointed from Allah with you.'”