POINT 16:

أنَّ من اعتادَ الانتقام ولم يَصبِرْ لابُدَّ أن يقعَ في الظلم، فإنّ الغضبَ يَخرُجُ بصاحبه إلى حدٍّ لا يَعقِلُ ما يقول ويفعل؛ فبينما هو مظلومٌ يَنتظِرُ النَّصْرَ وَالعِز إذِ انقلبَ ظالمًا يَنتظِرُ المقتَ والعقوبةَ. Anyone who is accustomed to taking revenge and is not patient will inevitably fall into injustice; because anger causes a person to reach a point where he becomes senseless as to what he says and does; so his case will change from that of a victim who awaits victory and glory (from Allah) to that of an aggressor who awaits hatred and punishment (from Allah). POINT 17: أنَّ هذه المَظْلَمةَ التي ظُلِمَها هي سبب إمّا لتكفيرِ سيئتِه، أو رَفْعِ درجتِه، فإذا انتقمَ ولم يَصبِرْ لم تكنْ مُكفِّرةً لسيئتِه ولا رافعةً لدرجتِه. This oppression that he was subjected to is either a means of atoning for his sins, or raising his rank, but if he takes revenge and does not remain patient, it will not be a means of atonement for his sins nor his rank being raised. POINT 18: أنَّ عفوَه وصبرَه من أكبر الجُنْدِ له على خَصْمِه؛ فإنَّ من صَبَر وعفا كان صبرُه وعفوه مُوجِبًا لذُلِّ عدوِّه وخوفِه وخَشيتِه منه ومن الناس؛ فإنَّ الناس لا يسكتون عن خصمِه وإن سَكتَ هو، فإذا انتقمَ زالَ ذلك كلُّه. His pardoning and patience is one of his greatest soldiers against his opponent; for indeed, those who remain patient and pardon, their patience and pardoning results in humiliation for their enemy, who will become scared and fearful of him and the people; because the people will not keep quiet about him even if he (the one who pardoned him) is quiet. But if he takes revenge, all of that is removed. POINT 19: أنَّه إذا عفا عن خَصْمِه استشعرتْ نفسُ خَصْمِه أنَّه فوقَه، وأنَّه قد رَبِحَ عليه، فلا يزال يرى نفسَه دونَه، وكفى بهذا فضلاً وشرفًا للعفو. If he pardons his opponent, his opponent will feel that he (the one who pardoned him) is superior to him and that he has an advantage over him, so he will continue to see himself inferior to him; and this is enough of a testament to the virtue and excellence of pardoning. POINT 20: أنَّه إذا عفا وصَفَحَ كانت هذه حسنةً؛ فتُوَلِّدُ له حسنةً أخرى، وتلك الأخرى تُولِّدُ له أخرى، وهَلُمَّ جَرًّا، فلا تزال حسناتُه في مزيد، وربَّما كان هذا سببًا لنجاتِه وسعادتِه الأبديَّة. If he pardons and forgives, this is a good deed which generates another good deed for him, and this other good deed generates another, and so on, and his good deeds will continue to grow; which may be a means for his salvation and eternal happiness. 📚 [Jāmi’ Al-Masā’il, the first collection, p. 165] __ Translated by Saami Al-Ghani & Muhammad Ahmad