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What to Do If Someone Doesn’t Forgive You in Islam

01 January, 2024
Q As-salamu`alykum. I did something wrong to somebody and asked him to forgive me, but he said he will not forgive me. Does this mean I will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment?

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa RahmatullahiwaBarakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

As long as you have done your best to compensate your friend and he refused to forgive you, leave the matter to Allah Almighty and He will grant you a way out of that.

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In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

If you have wronged anyone, you ought to compensate him or ask him to forgive you.

If you did your best to do these two things, and yet the person is not willing to forgive you, then you should leave the matter to Allah Almighty. Allah orders us to forgive others if we want Allah to forgive us. This is the lesson we are taught in Surah An-Nur.

When the Prophet’s beloved wife `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was slandered by the hypocrites, Mistah, a Companion who was a good Muslim and a relative of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), also participated in spreading the rumor. Mistah was one of those who received financial assistance from Abu Bakr. And, therefore, after learning about his role in the scandal, he vowed to cut off the help to Mistah.

However, Allah Almighty revealed: “Hence, [even if they have been wronged by slander,] let not those of you who have been graced with God’s favour and ease of life ever become remiss in helping the erring ones among] their near of kin, and the needy, and those who have forsaken the domain of evil for the sake of God, but let them pardon and forbear. [For,] do you not desire that God should forgive you your sins, seeing that God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace?” (An-Nur 24:22)

In conclusion, you should do your best to compensate the brother and resolve never to repeat the same mistake. If you do so, you can expect the forgiveness of Allah. Allah does not place on anyone a burden he or she cannot bear.

For more, see these posts:

3 Best Times For Asking God’s Forgiveness

The Power of Forgiveness: An Islamic Perspective

How Can I Seek Forgiveness from Allah?

Allah Almighty knows best.