THE DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yaum Al-Sabt, 8th day of Rabee-uthaani 1440, (Saturday, 15th December, 2018). STUDYING AND IMPLEMENTING THE CHARACTERS OF PROPHET MOHAMMED SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM, YOUR HEART WILL FIND PEACE. BismilLaahir Rahmaanir Raheem. How would you retaliate meeting the man who murdered your relative, The person killed and cut out your uncle organs and gave it to someone to eat, can you forgive him?. Imagine being abused and taunted, and when given the chance to retaliate, instead you forgive. This was the Messenger of ALLAH Ta’aala (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), a man described as “an excellent exemplar for those who hope in ALLAH and the Last Day” [Quran, Chapter 33, Surat al-Ahzab, 33:21]. Many of us cannot forgive our parents or friends or spouses when they say hurtful things in anger. We hold grudges for years, unable to forget the things people have done to us. On the one hand, we feel justified in feeling this way. After all, we are the ones wronged isn't it?. On the other, bottling things up inside is unhealthy at the very least, on both a spiritual and psychological level. It is natural to be upset at someone when they’ve hurt you. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) told us that a Muslim is not allowed to break off ties with another Muslim for more than 3 days, recognizing that we need time to cool off. Yet what is unhealthy, and often destructive, is the inability to forgive and move on. Do we then expect Allah to forgive us for our sins and grant us Jannat? So what does forgiving actually mean In Islam? It means not carrying a grudge in your heart against that person. Forgiving means that if you were given the chance to retaliate, you would choose not to by seeking ALLAH'S rewards. Forgiving means not wishing evil, even if secretly, upon the person. It means you can continue to be civil towards them, and that you can even bring yourself to pray for their well-being and guidance seeking the Angels to pray for you as the prophet assured us if we do to others. However, forgiveness does not mean that you cannot learn from the trial. It doesn’t mean that the person did not do wrong, nor does it justify what they did. If you trusted someone and they betrayed your trust, forgiveness does not mean that you have to trust them again if they haven’t given you reason to. You are able to treat them well, without resentment in your heart, but if you learned something about their character, you should keep that in mind when dealing with them. So how can we benefit from forgiving others? How can this help us to be productive Muslims? Watch out for tomorrow's reminder in Shaa ALLAH. May ALLAH (Al-Haadi, The Guide) keep guiding us all and protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.