Forgiveness in Islam

A Muslim can ask Allah directly for forgiveness through du‘a, personal prayer. No priest is needed as an intermediary. Where another person has been harmed, taking responsibility and making amends also matter.

Qur’an 42:30 teaches:

“Whatever misfortune befalls you is because of what your own hands have done, but He forgives much.”

The verse connects human actions with consequences, but its closing words emphasise Allah’s mercy. Wrongdoing is serious, yet Allah does not punish every fault. This encourages Muslims to reflect on their conduct and seek forgiveness rather than assume that their mistakes put them beyond mercy. It should not be used as a simple verdict that every suffering person must have deserved their suffering.

Forgiving other people

Qur’an 64:14 teaches:

“But if you pardon and overlook and forgive, then indeed Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”

This links human forgiveness with Allah’s forgiving nature. For Muslims, forgiving others is therefore more than a way to feel better: it is a response to their belief in Allah’s mercy and a way of living faithfully.

For example, after a hurtful argument, a Muslim might accept a sincere apology and choose not to retaliate. If both people work to repair their relationship, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. However, the two are not identical: letting go of revenge does not automatically rebuild trust or make a relationship safe.

Forgiveness can also coexist with justice. An offender may still face legal consequences, even when a victim forgives them. Mercy need not remove responsibility; it can encourage someone to acknowledge the harm and change their behaviour.

Azim Khamisa: belief expressed through action

In 1995, Azim Khamisa’s 20-year-old son, Tariq, was shot and killed while delivering pizzas in San Diego. His killer, Tony Hicks, was 14 and received a 25-year prison sentence.

Khamisa, a Sufi Muslim, turned to his faith and prayer during his grief. He came to believe that there were “victims at both ends of the gun”: Tariq had been killed, while Hicks had himself been affected by violence and damaging social influences. This did not deny Hicks’s responsibility, but it helped Khamisa see him as a person capable of change rather than only as an enemy.

Khamisa reached out to Hicks’s grandfather and guardian, Ples Felix, and told him that he felt no animosity towards his grandson. Together they worked through the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to prevent violence among children, including speaking in schools.

Five years after the killing, Khamisa met Hicks in prison. He found him remorseful and offered him a job at the foundation when he was released. Khamisa’s forgiveness therefore involved practical encouragement towards a different future, not merely words. His faith helped him turn grief into compassionate action.

Is forgiveness always the best response?

An argument in favour is that forgiveness can break a cycle of hatred and revenge. Khamisa’s partnership with Felix shows how it can create cooperation and a shared purpose. His willingness to support Hicks also illustrates how mercy may encourage an offender’s reform.

A concern is that forgiveness might seem to minimise the victim’s suffering or let an offender avoid responsibility. Serious harm can make forgiveness extremely difficult, and repairing trust requires more than an apology. Khamisa’s response should not be treated as proof that every grieving person will find forgiveness easy.

A justified conclusion is that forgiveness can be morally valuable without replacing justice. In Khamisa’s case, forgiveness developed while Hicks was serving a prison sentence. This shows how personal mercy and accountability can exist together, reflecting the Islamic importance of both compassion and responsibility.