This chapter is about al-'afw, pardon, and turning away gracefully from the people who behave ignorantly toward us. The Arabic title pairs forgiveness with al-i'rad 'an al-jahilin, looking past those who act foolishly rather than meeting them blow for blow. The model throughout is the Prophet himself, peace be upon him, who absorbed real injury and chose mercy.
Notice how each hadith narrows the lesson. The Prophet forgives a whole town that rejected him, refuses personal revenge, smiles at a man who hurt him, prays for those who drew his blood, and finally names the deeper strength behind it all. Read together, they teach that pardon is not weakness but a power most people never reach.
Hadith 642
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت للنبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: هل أتى عليك يوم كان أشد من يوم أحد؟ قال: “لقد لقيت من قومك، وكان أشد ما لقيته منهم يوم العقبة، إذ عرضت نفسي على ابن عبد ياليل بن عبد كلال فلم يجبنى إلى ما أردت، فانطلقت وأنا مهموم على وجهى، فلم أستفق إلا وأنا بقرن الثعالب، فرفعت رأسى، فإذا أنا بسحابة قد أظلتنى، فنظرت فإذا فيها جبريل عليه السلام، فنادانى فقال: إن الله تعالى قد سمع قول قومك لك، وما ردوا عليك، وقد بعث إليك ملك الجبال لتأمره بما شئت فيهم فنادانى ملك الجبال، فسلم على ثم قال: يا محمد إن الله قد سمع قول قومك لك، وأنا ملك الجبال، وقد بعثنى ربى إليك لتأمرنى بأمرك،فما شئت: إن شئت أطبقت عليهم الأخشبين” فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: "بل أرجو أن يخرج من أصلابهم من يعبد الله وحده لا يشرك به شيئاً" . ((متفق عليه))
I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) "Have you ever experienced a day harder than the day of the battle of Uhud?" He replied, "Indeed, I experienced them (dangers) at the hands of your people (i.e., the disbelievers from amongst the Quraish tribe). The hardest treatment I met from them was on the Day of 'Aqabah when I went to Ibn 'Abd Yalil bin 'Abd Kulal (who was one of the chiefs of Ta'if) with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he made no response (to my call). So I departed with deep distress. I did not recover until I arrived at Qarn ath-Tha'alib. There, I raised my head and saw a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I saw in it Jibril (Gabriel) (ﷺ) who called me and said: 'Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, heard what your people said to you and the response they made to you. And He has sent you the angel in charge of the mountains to order him to do to them what you wish.' Then the angel of the mountains called me, greeted me and said: 'O Muhammad, Allah listened to what your people had said to you. I am the angel of the mountains, and my Rubb has sent me to you so that you may give me your orders. (I will carry out your orders). If you wish I will bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Makkah to crush them in between."' But Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people as will worship Allah the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him (in worship)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Recalling the worst rejection he ever faced, the Prophet was offered the destruction of those who hurt him but chose instead to hope their descendants would worship Allah. He answered cruelty with mercy and patience.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 642 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 642
Hadith 643
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعنها قالت: ما ضرب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئاً قط بيده، ولا امرأة ولا خادماً، إلا أن يجاهد في سبيل الله، وما نيل منه شئ قط فينتقم من صاحبه، إلا أن ينتهك شئ من محارم الله تعالى، فينتقم لله تعالى. ((رواه مسلم)).
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never hit anything with his hand neither a servant nor a woman but of course, he did fight in the Cause of Allah. He never took revenge upon anyone for the wrong done to him, but of course, he exacted retribution for the sake of Allah in case the Injunctions of Allah about unlawful acts were violated. [Muslim].
In plain words
The Prophet never struck a servant or a woman, and never avenged a personal wrong, acting only when Allah's sacred limits were broken. Personal injury did not move him to retaliation.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 643 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 643
Hadith 644
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: كنت أمشى مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وعليه برد نجرانى غليظ الحاشية، فأدركه أعرابى، فجبذه بردائه جبذة شديدة، فنظرت إلى صفحة عاتق النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقد أثرت بها حاشية البرد من شدة فضحك، ثم قال: يا محمد مر لى من مال الله الذى عندك، فالتفت إليه فضحك ثم أمر له بعطاء. ((متفق عليه))
I was walking with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was wearing a Najrani cloak with a very thick border when a bedouin happened to meet him. He took hold of the side of his cloak and drew it violently. I noticed that the violence of jerk had bruised the neck of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The bedouin said: "O Muhammad! Give me out of Allah's wealth that you possess." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned to him and smiled and directed that he should be given something. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
When a bedouin yanked his cloak hard enough to mark his neck and rudely demanded money, the Prophet simply smiled and ordered that the man be given something. He met rudeness with calm generosity.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 644 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 644
Hadith 645
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: كأنى أنظر إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يحكى نبياً من الأنبياء، صلوات الله وسلامه عليهم، ضربه قومه فأدموه وهو يمسح الدم عن وجهه، ويقول: “اللهم اغفر لقومى فإنهم لا يعملون” ((متفق عليه)).
I can see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) look like one of the Prophets of Allah whose people beat and made him bleed while he was wiping the blood from his face and supplicating: "O Allah, forgive my people because they know not." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
The Prophet pictured an earlier prophet who, while being beaten and bleeding, prayed for his attackers to be forgiven because they did not know better. True mercy prays even for those who harm us.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 645 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 645
Hadith 646
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ليس الشديد بالصرعة، إنما الشديد الذى يملك نفسه عند الغضب” ((متفق عليه))
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The strong man is not the one who wrestles, but the strong man is in fact the one who controls himself in a fit of rage." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Real strength is not winning a wrestling match but holding yourself together when anger flares. Self-control in the heat of the moment is the greater power.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 646 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 646