Author: Dr. Muhammad Ziya-ur-Rahman A'zami (رحمه الله)
Chapter: The Recommendation of Abundant Forgiveness Toward Servants
«باب: استحباب كثرة العفو عن الخادم»
❖ «عن عبد الله بن عمرو، يقول: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله، كم نعفو عن الخادم؟ فصمت، ثم أعاد عليه الكلام، فصمت، فلما كان في الثالثة، قال: اعفوا عنه في كل يوم سبعين مرة.»
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Reported by Abū Dāwūd 5164; al-Tirmidhī 1949 (second narration); al-Bukhārī in al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 3/7]
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how many times should we forgive our servant?”
The Prophet ﷺ remained silent.
The man repeated the question. The Prophet ﷺ again remained silent.
When he asked the third time, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Forgive him seventy times a day.”
✔ Islam promotes exceptional patience and tolerance toward those under one’s authority.
✔ Forgiving a servant repeatedly is not a weakness but a mark of noble character.
✔ The number ‘seventy’ symbolizes an abundance of forgiveness — not a literal limit.
✔ Such guidance fosters an environment of compassion, not cruelty.
Chapter: The Recommendation of Abundant Forgiveness Toward Servants
«باب: استحباب كثرة العفو عن الخادم»
✦ The Prophet’s ﷺ Instruction on Forgiving Servants
❖ «عن عبد الله بن عمرو، يقول: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله، كم نعفو عن الخادم؟ فصمت، ثم أعاد عليه الكلام، فصمت، فلما كان في الثالثة، قال: اعفوا عنه في كل يوم سبعين مرة.»
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Reported by Abū Dāwūd 5164; al-Tirmidhī 1949 (second narration); al-Bukhārī in al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 3/7]
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how many times should we forgive our servant?”
The Prophet ﷺ remained silent.
The man repeated the question. The Prophet ﷺ again remained silent.
When he asked the third time, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Forgive him seventy times a day.”
✦ Key Moral Teachings
✔ Islam promotes exceptional patience and tolerance toward those under one’s authority.
✔ Forgiving a servant repeatedly is not a weakness but a mark of noble character.
✔ The number ‘seventy’ symbolizes an abundance of forgiveness — not a literal limit.
✔ Such guidance fosters an environment of compassion, not cruelty.
