Forgiveness (Maghfirah & ‘Afw)

General Definition:

Maghfirah (المغفرة) means covering and pardoning sin, while ‘afw (العفو) implies erasing and overlooking faults. In classical theology, forgiveness is both a divine attribute and a moral virtue — Allah forgives out of mercy, and believers are commanded to mirror that mercy toward others. Forgiveness purifies the heart, restores harmony, and is a sign of spiritual maturity rooted in humility and compassion.

Qur’anic References:

• Command to Forgive and Overlook
  • Al-A‘raf 7:199 – “Hold to forgiveness, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.”
  • Al-Hijr 15:85 – Forgive with gracious forgiveness, for your Lord is the Creator, the Knowing.
  • Ash-Shura 42:43 – Whoever is patient and forgives — indeed, that is among the matters requiring strong resolve.
• Forgiveness as a Mark of Faith
  • Al-Imran 3:134 – The righteous restrain anger, forgive people, and Allah loves the doers of good.
  • An-Nur 24:22 – Let them pardon and overlook; do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
  • At-Taghabun 64:14 – Pardon and overlook; Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
• Divine Forgiveness and Mercy
  • Az-Zumar 39:53 – “O My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy; indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”
  • Al-Shura 42:25 – Allah accepts repentance from His servants and forgives misdeeds; He knows what they do.
  • An-Nisa 4:110 – Whoever does wrong or wrongs himself but seeks forgiveness will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.

Notes:

• Al-A‘raf (7) and Al-Hijr (15) emphasize forgiveness as character refinement — responding to ignorance with patience and grace.
• Al-Imran (3) and An-Nur (24) link forgiveness to piety and divine reward, urging believers to emulate Allah’s mercy.
• Az-Zumar (39) and Al-Shura (42) remind that forgiveness begins with Allah, inspiring believers to extend that mercy to others.
• Classical scholars distinguish:
  1. Maghfirah — concealing sin without exposing it.
  2. ‘Afw — erasing the sin entirely as though it never existed.
  3. Safh — turning away from offense with a clear heart.
• True forgiveness (‘afw lillah) reflects spiritual strength, not weakness, and draws one closer to Allah’s own attribute of Al-Ghafur, Al-‘Afuww.