the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, against a servant of his, a woman, an animal, or anything whatsoever, except when fighting in Allah’s cause. Nor did he ever avenge himself for any wrong done to him, unless Allah’s sacred limits were violated. When those limits were violated, nothing could withstand his anger until he had exacted retribution for Allah’s sake.”

The character of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the Quran—the most perfect character. Among his qualities was that he never avenged himself; yet when Allah’s sacred limits were violated, nothing could withstand his anger until he had exacted retribution for Allah’s sake. Thus, he would forgo his own rights while upholding his Lord’s rights in full.

People fall into four categories in this regard:

Some stand up both for themselves and for their Lord. Such a person has both religious commitment and a temper. Others stand up neither for themselves nor for their Lord. Such a person is ignorant and weak in religious commitment. Others avenge themselves but not their Lord’s rights; these are the worst category. The person of complete virtue, however, stands up for Allah’s rights while forgoing his own.

As Anas ibn Mālik said:

“I served the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for ten years, and he never once said ‘Ugh!’ to me. He never asked me about anything I had done, ‘Why did you do it?’ Nor did he ask me about anything I had not done, ‘Why did you not do it?’ If someone in his household reproached me for something, he would say, ‘Leave him be. Had something been decreed, it would have happened.’”

This concerns his forgiveness in matters relating to his own rights.