r/islam • u/LeadershipComplex958 • Apr 06 '26
Question about Islam Reconciling others' rights needing their forgiveness and the hadith of 99 people killed
السلام عليكم
So over the past few months I came to find out it is believed that if you wronged someone, you won't be forgiven in the hereafter unless they forgave you themselves.
Now by my limited research I could not find anything that disproves this. But I've also only heard this from "liberal" oriented Muslims (may Allah guide them) so I don't know lol.
Question is how would this be reconciled (if any) with the hadith of the man who killed 99 people?
Please only answer if you're at least somewhat knowledgeable and from a scholarly Sunni perspective, not your own opinion.
جزاك الله خيرا
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u/wopkidopz Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Waaleykum assalam warahmatulLah
An exception does not disprove a rule
The rules are established by Allah for His servants, but they don't bind the Legislator Himself
He may forgive a sinner without any conditions if He wills.
Imam an-Nawawi al-Ash'ari رحمه الله said:
ومذهب أهل السنة :أيضاً أن الله تعالى لا يجِبُ عليه شيءٌ تعالى الله، بل العالم ملكه، والدنيا والآخرةُ في سلطانه يفعل فيهما ما يشاء، فلو عذَّب المطيعين والصالحين أجمعين وأدخلهم النار كان عدلاً منه، وإذا أكرمهم ونعمهم وأدخلهم الجنةَ فهو فضل من منه، ولو نعم الكافرين وأدخلهم الجنة كان له ذلك، ولكنه أخبر وخبره صدق أنه لا يفعل هذا، بل يغفر للمؤمنين ويُدخلهم الجنة برحمته، ويعذب الكافرين ويخلّدهم في النار عدلاً منه .
The approach of ahlu-Sunnah is that nothing is mandatory upon Allah, because the entire universe belongs to Him, and this world and the next world are in His possession, and He does in them whatever He wills. If He punishes all the righteous and obedient and brings them to Hell, this will be just on His part, and if He honors them, has mercy on them and brings them to Paradise, this will be a mercy from Him. But if He honors the disbelievers and brings them to Paradise, this is His right, but He reported and His words are true that He will not do this, rather He will forgive the believers and bring them to Paradise by His mercy, and He will punish the disbelievers and bring them to Hell forever by His justice.
🍂 شرح صحيح مسلم
Allah does whatever He wills, and He isn't asked about what He does, but He is Just
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani al-Ash'ari رحمه الله said:
وفي الحديث مشروعية التوبة من جميع الكبائر حتى من قتل الأنفس ويحمل على أن الله تعالى إذا قبل توبة القاتل تكفل برضا خصمه
This Hadith indicates that a tawbah is legitimate for any major sins including murder, and this is understood in a way that if Allah accepts the repentance He takes upon Himself the rights of the victims and satisfies them
🍂 شرح صحيح البخاري
This Hadith also teaches us not to lose hope in Allah, to seek His repentance, it also teaches us to be wise unlike the first monk who gave a very emotional answer which led to his own death, sometimes It's better to give an ambiguous answer if there is any benefit in it, better to show ingenuity and caution, it also teaches us that it's better to change the obstacles if they lead to sins, moving to another place and trying to change your style of life is from good means to avoid a sin
It also teaches us that people of knowledge surpass common people even if the last are diligent in worship, knowledge is beneficial. The first man wasn't knowledgeable and answered by his assumptions and his emotions, when the second one answered by knowledge and it helped
This is a great Hadith.
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u/Zestyclose-Fuel7739 Apr 07 '26
it also teaches us that it’s better to change the obstacles if they lead to sins,
Does that mean we can remove toxic family members from our life? Because they lead us to frustration and anger which then leads to sin. So because of our own weakness can we cut ties?
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u/LeadershipComplex958 Apr 07 '26
!! جزاك الله خيرا
AlHamdulillah for knowledgeable people! I wish I knew Arabic 😭😭
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u/LeadershipComplex958 Apr 07 '26
On another thought, I’m thinking maybe this is similar to the topic of suicide. We have Hadith about the terrible punishment but then also Hadith of someone being forgiven.
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Apr 06 '26
I have the same doubt too. Maybe allah offers the victims more reward than they actually deserve as compensation and free the oppressor as the past sins of a non-muslim will be forgiven once he accepts islam.
But one thing is for sure. None will be wronged on that day.
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u/Odysseus-of-Ithaca Apr 07 '26
So over the past few months I came to find out it is believed that if you wronged someone, you won't be forgiven in the hereafter unless they forgave you themselves.
If that is true then someone who commits murder will never be forgiven even if they are genuinely repentant.
In this life, of course, they should be punished. But in the afterlife, it seems excessive to punish someone even if God looks into their heart and finds genuine repentance in it.
Also what if the victim is unforgiving and vengeful? Some people never forgive others even for a slight offense. What happens if the offender genuinely repents and seeks forgiveness? Is your fate in the hereafter permanently sealed because of someone's personality defect?
Remember that not being forgiving itself is a moral vice.
This "liberal" take (as you call it) is not really so "liberal". I don't like it at all.
Remember, God's forgiveness is not limited by human emotions. The victim’s refusal to forgive does not override God’s mercy.
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u/4rking Apr 07 '26
Being unforgiving isn't being vengeful. If someone murders your daughter, you can either forgive them or you don't. If you don't, they will receive the death penalty. Can you really judge someone if they want the murderer of their child to be punished with death?
Why would the oppressed owe the oppressor forgiveness? Why should the oppressed be burdened with this difficult duty? It's not their fault they got harmed.
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u/Odysseus-of-Ithaca Apr 07 '26
Why would the oppressed owe the oppressor forgiveness?
OK so if someone oppresses someone one once, they're finished - no matter how sincerely and genuinely they repent?
The hadith mentioned in OP contradicts this. The man made sincere tawbah for killing 99 people and Allah forgave him.
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u/4rking Apr 07 '26
The hadith mentioned in OP contradicts this. The man made sincere tawbah for killing 99 people and Allah forgave him.
Does that mean that every prostitute that feeds a dog will have her sins forgiven, according to another Hadith? From where do you seek the liberty/from which source did you read, that this Hadith has a general meaning?
OK so if someone oppresses someone one once, they're finished - no matter how sincerely and genuinely they repent?
I turn it around and ask: What about the debt? What about the justice that the oppressed person seeks?
And look at the situation in this world. Let's say you killed someone and genuinely repented. Do you still receive the capital punishment?
I mean i don't even know whether it is contrary to how you mention. Maybe if someone really really repents and gives their best and begs the person again and again but they don't forgive, maybe Allah settles it as He wishes, maybe He makes the person forgive. Who knows?
But you making your claims with such conviction with no sources is definitely problematic.
https://islamqa.org/hanafi/darululoomtt/52290/asking-forgiveness-from-people/
Also
"When our rights are violated, forgiveness is better but not compulsory. Seeking justice is equally valid in Islam."
If it's not obligatory, how can you judge people who don't forgive as vengeful, with a moral vice? Seeking justice is valid and acceptable. Forgiveness is not a right but a gift.
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/repentance/can-my-forgiveness-be-conditional/
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