Is My Motivation to Do Good Deeds to Surpass Someone Who Wronged Me Appropriate?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
A Muslim man hurt my honor in an unforgivable way, and I cannot forgive him. If I increase my good deeds with the intention of surpassing him in the Hereafter, is this motivation accepted?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
If you truly wish to surpass this person in the Hereafter, you should forgive him. Higher ranks in Paradise are especially granted to those who pardon others.
Allah (Most High) says, “And hasten toward forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden the width of which is that of the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who have taqwa – those who spend in times of ease and difficulty, those who swallow their anger and pardon people, and Allah loves the good doing people.” [Quran, 3:133-4]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “No servant has ever gulped anything more rewarding, than the gulp of anger which he swallows, seeking the countenance of Allah.” [Ibn Maja]
He also said, “Three things, I swear upon: No wealth diminishes due to charity, Allah does not increase a person for forgiving except in honor, and whoever is humble for the sake of Allah, Allah will elevate them” [Ahmad]
Allah (Most High) says, “…rather let them pardon and forgive. Would you not love that Allah forgives you, and Allah is the Most Forgiving, Merciful.” [Quran, 24:22]
Forgiveness: A Great Means to Paradise
It has been narrated by Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) that while the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was sitting, we saw him smile till his side teeth became apparent. ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allah?”
He said, “Two men from my nation are kneeling before the Lord of All Honor. One of them says, “O my Lord, take my rights from my brother.” Allah (Most High) said, “Give your brother his right!”
So he will reply, “O my Lord, there remains nothing of my good deeds.” So he (the first one) said, “Then he should take from me, my sins!” Then the eyes of the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) began to flow with tears. Then He said, “That is surely a tremendous day, where a person will need someone to carry their sins.”
So Allah (Most High) said to the one requesting, “Raise your eyes and look at the Gardens.” So he raised his eyes. Then he said, “O my Lord, I see cities of silver and palaces of gold, embroidered with pearls. For which prophet is this, for which siddiq (elite worshipper), for which martyr?” He said: “It’s for the one who pays the price.”
So he said, “O my Lord, Who can pay the price?” He said, “You.” He said, “How is that?” He said, “By you forgiving your brother.” He said, “O my Lord, I have pardoned him!” He said, “Take your brother by the hand, and enter him into Janna.” Then the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Fear Allah and rectify between yourselves, for verily Allah will rectify between the believers, on the Day of Judgment.”” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
