36/23. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4025 — Forgiving People Who Harm You
Patience at the time of calamity
Hadith About Forgiveness: O Lord Forgive My People
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4025
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4025
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَهُوَ يَحْكِي نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ ضَرَبَهُ قَوْمُهُ وَهُوَ يَمْسَحُ الدَّمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ وَيَقُولُ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ .
`Abdullah Narrated from:
It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), telling us the story of one of the Prophets: ‘His people beat him, and he was wiping the blood from his face and saying: “O Lord forgive my people, for they do not know.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4025In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 100English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4025
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4025
This hadith about forgiveness gives a moving picture of prophetic patience. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم described one of the Prophets who was beaten by his people. While wiping blood from his face, he said, “O Lord forgive my people, for they do not know.” The text is short, but its message is clear. The Prophet in the story was harmed, yet his response was not revenge in that moment. He turned to Allah and asked forgiveness for the very people who hurt him. For anyone searching for a hadith about forgiving others, this narration shows mercy under pressure. It also teaches that ignorance can be a reason to ask Allah to forgive people, without denying the pain of what they did.
What we learn from this hadith
- Prophetic patience can appear even when a person is badly harmed.
- The Prophet in the story asked Allah to forgive his people.
- The words “for they do not know” show mercy toward people acting in ignorance.
- Responding to harm with dua is a noble prophetic example mentioned in the text.
