Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (30/361)

Shaykh al-Islām was asked:

A man’s property was taken unjustly and without right, his honour was violated, or he suffered bodily harm. He did not seek retribution in this world, knowing that what is with Allah is better and more lasting. Would pardoning his oppressor cause him to forfeit his reward with Allah, or diminish it? Or would it do neither, leaving his reward intact, full and undiminished? Which is preferable: demanding redress from this oppressor and exacting retribution from him on the Day of Resurrection, with Allah punishing him, or pardoning him and accepting that Allah Most High will recompense him instead?

He replied:

Pardoning the oppressor, even in the slightest degree, neither forfeits nor diminishes the wronged person’s reward with Allah. Rather, pardoning the oppressor makes Allah Most High the one who recompenses him. If he does not pardon, his claim remains against the oppressor, and he may exact retribution commensurate with the wrong he suffered. But if he pardons and brings about reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. The reward he receives from Allah is better and more lasting.

Allah Most High says:

“The recompense for an evil deed is an evil deed like it. But whoever pardons and brings about reconciliation—his reward is with Allah. Indeed, He does not love wrongdoers.”

He thus states that the recompense for an evil deed is its equivalent, without transgression. This is just retribution for wrongs involving life and limb, property, honour, and the like.

Then He says:

وَسُئِلَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أُخِذَ مَالُهُ ظُلْمًا بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَانْتُهِكَ عِرْضُهُ أَوْ نِيلَ مِنْهُ فِي بَدَنِهِ فَلَمْ يَقْتَصَّ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى. فَهَلْ يَكُونُ عَفْوُهُ عَنْ ظَالِمِهِ مُسْقِطًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ؟ أَمْ نَقْصًا لَهُ؟ أَمْ لَا يَكُونُ؟ أَوْ يَكُونُ أَجْرُهُ بَاقِيًا كَامِلًا مُوَفَّرًا؟ وَأَيُّمَا أَوْلَى مُطَالَبَةُ هَذَا الظَّالِمِ وَالِانْتِقَامُ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ - وَتَعْذِيبُ اللَّهِ لَهُ. أَوْ الْعَفْوُ عَنْهُ وَقَبُولُ الْحَوَالَةِ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى؟ فَأَجَابَ: لَا يَكُونُ الْعَفْوُ عَنْ الظَّالِمِ وَلَا قَلِيلُهُ مُسْقِطًا لِأَجْرِ الْمَظْلُومِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَا مُنْقِصًا لَهُ؛ بَلْ الْعَفْوُ عَنْ الظَّالِمِ يُصَيِّرُ أَجْرَهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى؛ فَإِنَّهُ إذَا لَمْ يَعْفُ كَانَ حَقُّهُ عَلَى الظَّالِمِ فَلَهُ أَنْ يَقْتَصَّ مِنْهُ بِقَدْرِ مَظْلِمَتِهِ وَإِذَا عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ. وَأَجْرُهُ الَّذِي هُوَ عَلَى اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ} . فَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّ جَزَاءَ السَّيِّئَةِ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا بِلَا عُدْوَانٍ وَهَذَا هُوَ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الدِّمَاءِ وَالْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَعْرَاضِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: