Abu Dawud

Benefits and Issues:
Forgiveness and pardoning is an act of the highest resolve, that a person forgives another from the heart and forgets the matter. For a person of weak faith and deeds, this is very rare to occur; therefore, Allah gave His Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) a special command regarding this.

Hadith Commentary:
The intention of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is that in the verse, “pardon” (ʿafw) means to forgive shortcomings and to overlook mistakes, and this verse pertains to good character.
It is narrated from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq rahimahullah that there is no verse in the Noble Qur’an as comprehensive in morals as this verse. However, some have interpreted this verse such that “khudh al-ʿafw” means: take from them whatever wealth remains after their necessary expenses, and this command was before the obligation of zakat.
Tabari and Ibn Marduyah have narrated from Jabir radi Allahu anhu, and Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim have also extracted the same.
When this verse was revealed, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked Jibril alayhis salam about its meaning. He replied, “I will go and ask the Lord.” Then he returned and said, “Your Lord commands you that whoever severs ties with you, you should maintain relations with him; whoever deprives you, you should give to him; and whoever wrongs you, you should forgive him.”
(Wahidi)

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Regarding the word (ʿafw) in this verse, there are two opinions, the details of which are as follows:
➊
The position of Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) is that by this is meant the wealth of people which is surplus to their needs; Allah, the Exalted, commanded His Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to take it, and this command was before the rulings of zakat were revealed.
➋
The position of Ibn Zubayr (radi Allahu anhu) is that by this is meant to pardon—that instead of probing into people’s morals and deeds, one should pardon them, as is evident from the aforementioned ahadith.
Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (rahimahullah) preferred the second meaning, because “akhlaq” (morals) is the plural of “khuluq,” and by this is meant that disposition by which actions are easily produced.
Jaʿfar al-Sadiq (rahimahullah) said that in the Qur’an, there is no verse more comprehensive regarding the description of people’s noble character than this one.
2.
The principles of character are three:
Intellectual, appetitive (shahwi), and irascible (ghadabi).
And the perfection of every character trait is the moderate mean; the mean of the intellectual trait is wisdom (hikmah).
From this arises enjoining good (amr bil-maʿruf).
The mean of the appetitive trait is chastity (ʿiffah).
From this is derived pardoning (ʿafw), and the mean of the irascible trait is courage (shajaʿah).
From this arises turning away from the ignorant.
(ʿUmdat al-Qari: 12/625)
3.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has written that when this verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked Jibril (alayhis salam) about it, so he replied that he did not know, but he could ask Allah, the Exalted, and inform him of its meaning. Then he informed that in this verse, Allah, the Exalted, has commanded you that whoever wrongs you, you pardon him; and whoever withholds from you, you grant him; and whoever severs ties with you, you maintain ties with him.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/388)
In summary, this verse is a comprehensive guide containing noble morals, through which Allah, the Exalted, trained the Leader of the Prophets (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and granted him the title of “exalted character” among all the first and the last. Thus, the statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“Indeed, you are upon an exalted standard of character.”
(al-Qalam: 68/4)