The Quran
“Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing.” [Qur’an; 2:263]
“Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good;” [Quran; 3:134]
“And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” [Qur’an; 4:110]
“Hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.” [Qur’an; 7:199]
“And indeed, the Hour is coming; so forgive with gracious forgiveness.” [Qur’an; 15:85]
“…and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?” [Qur’an; 24:22]
“And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)” [Qur’an; 33:35]
“And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah . Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.” [Qur’an; 42:40]
“And whoever is patient and forgives – indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination.” [Qur’an; 42:43]
Hadith
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” [Muslim]
Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, ‘If somebody commits a sin and then says, ‘O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!’ and his Lord says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).’ Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes.'” [Bukhari]
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it. [Hadith Qudsi]
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that some dispute which involved retaliation was brought to him but he commanded regarding it for remission. [Abu Dawud]
It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: “A man brought the killer of his relative to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Pardon him,’ but the refused. He said: ‘Take the blood money,’ but he refused. He said: ‘Go and kill him, but then you will be like him.’ Someone caught up with him and reminded him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said: ‘Go and kill him, but then you will be like him.’ So he let him go. [Ibn Majah]
“Love your beloved moderately, perhaps he becomes hated to you someday. And hate whom you hate moderately, perhaps he becomes your beloved someday.” [Tirmidhi]
“The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you.” [Abu Dawud]
Umi Al-Muradi reported: The verse was revealed, “Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.” (7:199) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the Angel Gabriel, “What does this mean?” Gabriel said, “I do not know until I ask the All-Knowing.” Gabriel returned and he said, “O Muhammad! Verily, Allah the Blessed and Almighty commands you to forgive those who wrong you, to give to those who deprive you, and to maintain relations with those who renounce you.” [Source: Tafsīr Abdul Razzāq 7:199. Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Iraqi / Alt Narration]
Narrated Abu Huraira that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “There was a merchant who used to lend the people, and whenever his debtor was in straitened circumstances, he would say to his employees, ‘Forgive him so that Allah may forgive us.’ So, Allah forgave him.” [Bukhari]
“It is not lawful for the Muslim to shun his brother for more than three (days); they come fare to fare and this one turns away, and that one turns away. The best of them is the one who initiates the salam.” [Tirmidhi]
“A believer will be brought close to his Lord on the Day of Resurrection and enveloping him in His Mercy, He (Glorified and Exalted be He) will make him confess his sins by saying, ‘Do you remember (doing) this sin and this sin?’ He will reply, ‘My Rabb, I remember.’ Then He (Glorified and Exalted be He) will say, ‘I covered it up for you in the life of world, and I forgive it for you today.’ Then the record of his good deeds will be handed to him”. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Further Resources