Islam & Forgiveness (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
Muslim Teachings About Forgiveness
Islam teaches that God is merciful and forgiving
One name given to Allah is Al-Ghafoor, the All-forgiving
Each surah in the Qur’an starts with a verse that says
‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy’
Muslims repeat this phrase often:
in prayer, when reciting the Qur’an
before eating or undertaking a task
This reminds them of God’s mercy throughout the day
Because He is merciful, Allah can overlook people’s faults and forgive them if He chooses
Muslims believe that on the Day of Judgement, God will reward or punish everyone for their actions
They can ask for God’s mercy at this time and if they are truly sorry and repent, Allah can forgive them at this time
‘When He gathers you for the Day of Gathering … He will cancel the sins of those who believed in him and acted righteously.’ (Qur’an 64:9)
Therefore, Muslims must be prepared to show the same mercy towards others, as the Qur'an teaches
‘Believers, even among your spouses and your children you have some enemies - beware of them - but if you overlook their offences, forgive them, pardon them, then God is all-forgiving, all merciful.’ (Qur’an 64:14)
The teaching and example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Muslims can look to the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)to help them learn how to forgive:
Muhammad (pbuh) was exiled from his home city of Makkah for many years and his followers were oppressed for believing in Islam
Upon his return to Makkah, some of those who had persecuted Muslims were worried that the prophet would take revenge
Instead, Muhammad (pbuh) said, ‘No retribution shall be exacted from you this day’
Muslims have to try to follow both Muhammad’s (pbuh) example and the Prophet's teaching in hadiths such as this example
‘Be forgiving and control yourself in the face of provocation; give justice to the person who was unfair and unjust to you; give to the one who did not help you when you were in need, and keep fellowship with the one who did not care about you.’ (Hadith)
Islam and Restorative Justice
Islam supports the use of restorative justice
Restorative justice is a way for criminals to make amends for their offences
It consists of three steps:
Repentance from the offender
Forgiveness from the victim or the victim’s family
Reconciliation between the two parties
Restorative justice has been in practice since the early days of Islam
It was laid out in the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Madinah Charter
The benefits of restorative justice
Restorative justice is important because:
it puts offenders in direct contact with those they have wronged
This helps them to understand the harm they have done and make amends
the offender and victims communicating directly can lead to reconciliation and restored relationships between the parties, as the Qur’an encourages
it has a high success rate, with around eighty percent of offenders saying that restorative justice has helped them to realise the effects of their deeds and so turn away from crime
it helps those who have committed crimes face up to them and repent properly, which will help them to please Allah on the Day of Judgment
The Forgiveness of Offenders in the Community
Why forgiveness in the community is needed
There is a need for forgiveness of offenders in modern society because:
The prison system is expensive - prisons cost the UK taxpayer around £11 billion each year
If rehabilitation was more successful, this money could be used better in other areas of society
The current system is unsuccessful - up to 60 percent of offenders reoffend within a year of their release from prison
If rehabilitation was more successful, there would be fewer reoffenders and more people successfully reintegrated into society
Fewer offenders and reoffenders would mean society would have less crime and would be safer for everyone
The law and the prison system would be seen as effective and this would be a deterrent to others offending in future
Therefore, the justice system needs to include the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders for the good of everyone
How forgiveness in the community is shown
The UK government tries to rehabilitate offenders through the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act of 1974 (amended in 2012)
Several business ventures aim to rehabilitate offenders into the community by offering them employment and training.
For example, The Joint in Brixton is a restaurant that offers jobs for those who train as chefs at chef Gordon Ramsay’s Bad Boys’ Bakery at Brixton prison
Charities such as NACRO provide information and advice to help ex-offenders and their families when they complete their sentences
Worked Example
Explain two reasons why Muslims support restorative justice
(4 marks)
One reason why Muslims support restorative justice is that the Qur’an encourages peace and reconciliation, and they consider restorative justice to be the most effective way to bring this about (2 marks)
Another reason they would support it is because restorative justice has been practised since the early days of Islam. It was encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and was laid out in the Prophet’s Madinah Charter (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You may have explored some case studies on the topic of forgiveness and reconciliation during your course. When answering questions on Islam and forgiveness, these case studies can be used to help you explain the Islamic principles of mercy and restorative justice.
One famous example is the reconciliation between Ted Hakey, an American who fired shots into a mosque in Connecticut in 2015 because of his anti-Muslim views. The mosque leaders later met with Hakey and started a process of reconciliation, which resulted in Hakey apologising to them for his actions.
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