As for Allah’s prescribed punishments, however:

“When Usāmah ibn Zayd—his beloved, the son of his beloved, who was dearer to him than Anas and held in greater esteem—interceded with him on behalf of a noblewoman who had stolen, asking him to spare her hand from amputation, he became angry and said, ‘Usāmah, are you interceding concerning one of Allah’s prescribed punishments? What destroyed those before you was that, when a noble person among them stole, they let him go, but when a lowly person stole, they carried out the prescribed punishment on him. By Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, if Fātimah, Muhammad’s daughter, stole, I would cut off her hand.’”

Thus, he became angry with Usāmah when he interceded concerning a punishment prescribed by Allah, yet pardoned Anas in matters concerning his own rights. Likewise:

“When Usāmah told him that he had killed a man after the man had said, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ he said, ‘Did you kill him after he had said, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah”?’ He kept repeating this until I said, ‘If only he would stop!’”

There are very many hadiths and reports concerning the merit of pardoning a wrongdoer and the greater reward this brings. This is knowledge firmly rooted in human nature.

Allah Most High said to His Prophet:

“Accept what is freely given, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.”

He thus commanded him to accept what came readily from people’s character, meaning such conduct as could be accepted. Ibn al-Zubayr said:

“Allah commanded His Prophet to accept what came readily from people’s character.”

This is like His saying:

“They ask you what they should spend. Say, ‘Whatever is surplus’”—

that is, of their wealth. This is part of accepting what is freely given; he is also to enjoin what is right and turn away from the ignorant. This verse encompasses all noble qualities of character. For, in a person’s dealings with others, they may act toward him otherwise than