Forgiveness

===Abrahamic===
==== Judaism ====
{{See also|Repentance in Judaism}}
<!-- This section is linked from [[Judaism]] -->

In [[Judaism]], if a person causes harm, but then sincerely and honestly apologizes to the wronged individual and tries to rectify the wrong, the wronged individual is encouraged, but not required, to grant forgiveness:

{{quote|It is forbidden to be obdurate and not allow yourself to be appeased. On the contrary, one should be easily pacified and find it difficult to become angry. When asked by an offender for forgiveness, one should forgive with a sincere mind and a willing spirit&nbsp;... forgiveness is natural to the seed of Israel.|[[Mishneh Torah]], ''[[Teshuvah]]'' 2:10}}

In Judaism, one must go "to those he has harmed" in order to be entitled to forgiveness.<ref name="Yom Kippur">{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = https://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm | title = Yom Kippur | website=Judaism 101|access-date = 2006-04-26 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160823211009/http://www.jfst.se/wp-content/uploads/Luach-2015-2016.pdf | archive-date = 2016-08-23 }}</ref> One who sincerely apologizes three times for a wrong committed against another has fulfilled their obligation to seek forgiveness.<ref>[[Shulchan Aruch]] OC 606:1</ref> This means that in Judaism a person cannot obtain forgiveness from [[God in Judaism|God]] for wrongs they have done to other people. This also means that, unless the victim forgave the perpetrator before he died, [[Thou shalt not kill#Jewish doctrine|murder]] is unforgivable in Judaism, and they will answer to God for it, though the victims' family and friends can forgive the murderer for the grief they caused them. The ''[[Jewish prayer|Tefila]] Zaka'' [[Jewish meditation|meditation]], which is recited just before [[Yom Kippur]], closes with the following:

{{quote|I know that there is no one so righteous that they have not wronged another, financially or physically, through deed or speech. This pains my heart within me, because wrongs between humans and their fellow are not atoned by Yom Kippur, until the wronged one is appeased. Because of this, my heart breaks within me, and my bones tremble; for even the day of death does not atone for such sins. Therefore I prostrate and beg before You, to have mercy on me, and grant me grace, compassion, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all people. For behold, I forgive with a final and resolved forgiveness anyone who has wronged me, whether in person or property, even if they slandered me, or spread falsehoods against me. So I release anyone who has injured me either in person or in property, or has committed any manner of sin that one may commit against another [except for legally enforceable business obligations, and except for someone who has deliberately harmed me with the thought ‘I can harm him because he will forgive me']. Except for these two, I fully and finally forgive everyone; may no one be punished because of me. And just as I forgive everyone, so may You grant me grace in the eyes of others, that they too forgive me absolutely.}}

Thus the "reward" for forgiving others is not God's forgiveness for wrongs done to others, but rather help in obtaining forgiveness from the other person.

Sir [[Jonathan Sacks]], chief rabbi of the [[List of Chief Rabbis of the United Hebrew Congregations|United Hebrew Congregations]] of the Commonwealth, summarized: "it is not that God forgives, while human beings do not. To the contrary, we believe that just as only God can forgive sins against God, so only human beings can forgive sins against human beings."<ref>{{cite web|first=Jonathan|last=Sacks|date=2006-01-07 |url=http://www.chiefrabbi.org/thoughts/vayigash5766.pdf |title=The force of forgiveness|website=Covenant and Conversation |access-date=2009-02-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319205218/http://www.chiefrabbi.org/thoughts/vayigash5766.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-19 }}</ref>

Jews observe a Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, on the day before God makes decisions regarding what will happen during the coming year.<ref name = "Yom Kippur" /> [[Ten Days of Repentance|Just prior]] to Yom Kippur, Jews ask forgiveness of those they have wronged during the prior year (if they have not already done so).<ref name = "Yom Kippur" /> During Yom Kippur itself, Jews [[Ta'anit|fast]] and pray for God's forgiveness for the [[Jewish views on sin|transgressions]] they have made against God in the prior year.<ref name = "Yom Kippur" /> Sincere [[Repentance in Judaism|repentance]] is required, and once again, God can only forgive one for the sins one has committed against God; this is why it is necessary for Jews also to seek the forgiveness of those people who they have wronged.<ref name = "Yom Kippur" />

==== Christianity ====
[[File:Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn - Return of the Prodigal Son - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Rembrandt]] – "The Return of the [[Prodigal Son]]]]

{{quote|Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.|Jesus, {{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:7}}}}

Forgiveness is central to Christian ethics. The prayer Jesus taught his followers to recite begs God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:12}}</ref> When Peter asked Jesus how often to forgive someone, Jesus said "not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:22}}</ref> Jesus warned that God's forgiveness for your sins depends on your forgiveness towards others.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:15}}</ref> In one of the gospels, Jesus during his crucifixion asks God to forgive those who crucified him.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|23:34}}</ref>

[[Hannah Arendt]] stated that Jesus was "the discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the realm of human affairs."<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Hannah Arendt|first=Hannah|last=Arendt|chapter=Irreversibility and the Power to Forgive|title=The Human Condition|year=1958}}</ref>

=====God's forgiveness=====
Unlike in Judaism, in Christianity God can forgive sins committed by people against people, since he can forgive every sin except for the [[eternal sin]], and forgiveness from one's victim is not necessary for salvation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm#1864|url-status=dead|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church 1864|website=www.vatican.va|accessdate=Mar 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401083618/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm|archive-date=2003-04-01}}</ref> The [[Parable of the Prodigal Son]]<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = https://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html | title = The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Christianity and Buddhism | access-date = 2009-02-03 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090201020909/http://comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html | archive-date = 2009-02-01 }}</ref> is perhaps the best known parable about forgiveness and refers to God's forgiveness for those who repent. Jesus asked for God's forgiveness of those who [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified him]]. "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'" – {{Bibleverse|Luke|23:34|nrsvue}}

=====Forgiving others=====
Forgiving offenses is among the spiritual [[works of mercy]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a7.htm#2447|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422085518/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a7.htm#2447|archive-date=2021-04-22|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447|website=www.vatican.va|accessdate=Mar 5, 2023}}</ref> and forgiving others begets being forgiven by God.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6}}</ref> Considering [[Mark 11]]:25, and [[Matthew 6:14–15]], that follows the [[Lord's Prayer]], "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Mark|11:25}}, {{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:14–15}}</ref> forgiveness is not an option to a Christian; rather one must forgive to be a Christian. Forgiveness in Christianity is a manifestation of submission to Christ and fellow believers.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://missiodeijournal.com/issues/md-9-2/authors/md-9-2-moore|first=Charles E.|last= Moore|title=Radical, Communal, Bearing Witness: The Church as God's Mission in Bruderhof Perspective and Practice|journal=Missio dei|volume=9|number=2|year=2018|access-date=2018-12-06}}</ref>

In the [[New Testament]], [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] speaks of the importance of forgiving or showing [[Mercy#Christianity|mercy]] toward others. This is based on the belief that God forgives sins through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in his death ([[1 John 2]]:2<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 John|2:2}}</ref>) and that, therefore, Christians should forgive others ([[Ephesians 4]]:32<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ephesians|4:32}}</ref>). Jesus used the [[Parable of the unforgiving servant|parable of the unmerciful servant]] ([[Matthew 18]]:21–35<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:21–35}}</ref>) to show that His followers (represented in the parable by the servant) should forgive because God (represented by the king) forgives much more.

In the [[Sermon on the Mount]], Jesus repeatedly spoke of forgiveness: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:7|nrsvue}}</ref> "So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:23–24|nsrvue}}</ref> "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Mark|11:25|nrsvue}}</ref> "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|6:36|nrsvue}}</ref> "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|6:37|nrsvue}}</ref>

Elsewhere, it is said "Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.'"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:21–22|nrsvue}}</ref>

Pope [[Benedict XVI]], on a visit to [[Christianity in Lebanon|Lebanon]] in 2012, insisted that peace must be based on mutual forgiveness: "Only forgiveness, given and received, can lay lasting foundations for reconciliation and universal peace".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2012/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120915_autorita.html|title=Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI|location=May 25th Hall of the Baabda Presidential Palace|date=15 September 2012|author=Benedict XVI |publisher=[[Holy See]] |access-date=2015-12-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024090318/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2012/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120915_autorita_en.html |archive-date=24 October 2014 }}</ref>

[[Pope Francis]] during a [[Audience (meeting)|General Audience]] explained{{elucidate|date=July 2023}} forgiving others as God forgives oneself.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Watkins|first=Devin|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-04/pope-francis-audience-our-father-forgiven-as-forgive.html|title=Pope at Audience: 'We are forgiven as we forgive others' |website=Vatican News|date=April 24, 2019}}</ref>

==== Islam ====
{{See also|Al-Ghafūr}}
{{Allah}}
[[Islam]] teaches that [[God in Islam|Allah]] is {{transliteration|ar|[[Al-Ghaffur]]}} "The Oft-Forgiving", and is the original source of all forgiveness ({{transliteration|ar|ghufran}} {{lang|ar|[[Wiktionary:غفران|غفران]]}}). Seeking forgiveness from [[Allah]] with [[Repentance in Islam|repentance]] is a [[Virtue#Islam|virtue]].<ref name="nnjre">{{multiref2
|1={{cite journal|last1=Abu-Nimer|last2=Nasser|year=2013|title=Forgiveness in The Arab and Islamic Contexts|journal=Journal of Religious Ethics|volume=41|number=3|pages=474–494|doi=10.1111/jore.12025 }}
|2={{qref|5|95|b=y}}
}}</ref><ref name="olq" />

{{Blockquote| (...) Allah has forgiven what has been done. But those who persist will be punished by Allah. And Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.|{{qref|5|95|c=y}}}}

Islam [[Mustahabb|recommends]] forgiveness, because Allah values forgiveness. There are numerous verses in [[Quran]] and the [[Hadith]]s recommending forgiveness. Islam also allows [[Qisas|revenge]] to the extent of the harm done, but forgiveness is encouraged, with a promise of [[Thawab|reward]] from Allah.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{cite book|author=Mohammad Hassan Khalil|year=2012|title=Islam and the Fate of Others: The Salvation Question|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=65–94|isbn=978-0199796663}}
|2={{qref|42|40|b=y}}
}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|The reward of an evil deed is its equivalent. But whoever pardons and seeks reconciliation, then their reward is with Allah. He certainly does not like the wrongdoers.|{{qref|42|40|c=y}}}}

{{transliteration|ar|Afw}} ([[Wiktionary:عفو|عفو]] is another term for forgiveness in Islam; it occurs 35 times in Quran, and in some [[Schools of Islamic theology|Islamic theological studies]], it is used interchangeably with {{transliteration|ar|ghufran}}.<ref name="nnjre" /><ref name="olq">{{cite book|first=Oliver|last=Leaman|year=2005|title=The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0415326391|pages=213–216}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Shah|first=S.S.|year=1996|title=Mercy Killing in Islam: Moral and Legal Issues|journal=Arab Law Quarterly|volume=11|number=2|pages=105–115|doi=10.2307/3381592 |jstor=3381592 }}</ref> {{transliteration|ar|Afw}} means to pardon, to excuse for a fault or an offense. According to Muhammad Amanullah,<ref name="maislam">{{cite book|last=Amanullah|first=M.|year=2004|chapter=Just Retribution (Qisas) Versus Forgiveness (‘Afw)|title=Islam: Past, Present and Future|pages=871–883}} International Seminar on Islamic Thoughts Proceedings, December 2004, Department of Theology and Philosophy, Faculty of Islamic Studies Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia</ref> forgiveness ({{transliteration|ar|'Afw}}) in Islam is derived from three wisdoms. The first and most important wisdom of forgiveness is that it is [[Mercy#Islam|merciful]] when the victim or [[Wali|guardian]] of the victim accepts money instead of revenge.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{cite journal|last=Gottesman|first=E.|year=1991|title=Reemergence of Qisas and Diyat in Pakistan|journal=Columbia Human Rights Law Review|volume=23|pages=433–439}}
|2={{cite journal|last1=Tsang|first1=J.A.|last2=McCullough|first2=M.E.|last3=Hoyt|first3=W.T.|year=2005|title=Psychometric and Rationalization Accounts of the Religion-Forgiveness Discrepancy|journal=Journal of Social Issues|volume=61|number=4|pages=785–805|doi=10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00432.x|doi-access=free}}
}}</ref> The second wisdom of forgiveness is that it increases the honor and prestige of the one who forgives.<ref name="maislam" /> Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, humiliation or dishonor.<ref name="olq" /> Rather, forgiveness is honorable, it raises the merit of the forgiver in the eyes of Allah, and it enables a forgiver to enter [[Jannah|paradise]].<ref name="maislam" /> The third wisdom of forgiveness is that, according to scholars such as al-Tabari and al-Qurtubi, forgiveness expiates ({{transliteration|ar|[[Fidyah and Kaffara|kaffarah]]}}) the forgiver from the sins they may have committed at other occasions in life.<ref name="olq" /><ref>{{cite journal|first=Khalil|last=Athamina|year=1992|title=Al-Qisas: its emergence, religious origin and its socio-political impact on early Muslim society|journal=Studia Islamica|number=76|pages=53–74|doi=10.2307/1595660|jstor=1595660 }}</ref> Forgiveness is a form of charity ({{transliteration|ar|[[Sadaqah|sadaqat]]}}). Forgiveness comes from {{transliteration|ar|[[taqwa]]}} (piety), a quality of [[Fear of God|God-fearing]] people.<ref name="maislam" />

==== Bahá'í Faith ====
In the [[Bahá'í literature|Bahá'í Writings]], this explanation is given of how to be forgiving toward others:
{{quote|Love the creatures for the sake of God and not for themselves. You will never become angry or impatient if you love them for the sake of God. Humanity is not perfect. There are imperfections in every human being, and you will always become unhappy if you look toward the people themselves. But if you look toward God, you will love them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of perfection and complete mercy. Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness.|[[`Abdu'l-Bahá]], ''The Promulgation of Universal Peace'', p. 92}}