سورة آل عمران

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): No servant swallows down his anger without Allah the Mighty and Majestic increasing his honour in this world and the Hereafter, and indeed Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: وَ الْکاظِمِینَ الْغَیْظَ وَ الْعافِینَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And those who restrain their anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good], and Allah rewards him in place of swallowing his anger with this (that is, He loves him).

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): From Muhammad ibn Ja'far and others, they said: One of the relatives of Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) came to him. In such a way that he could hear, he began abusing that noble one, and he said nothing to him. As soon as he left, the Imam (peace be upon him) said to those present: "Did you hear what he said? I would like us to go together so that you may see how I answer him." They said: "We are ready; we would have liked you to answer him." The Imam (peace be upon him) put on his sandals and set off, reciting under his breath this verse: وَ الْکاظِمِینَ الْغَیْظَ وَ الْعافِینَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And those who restrain their anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good]. I understood that he would say nothing to him. He reached the door of that man's house, called him and said: Tell him, "Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) has business with you." That man came out, ready to confront any unpleasantness; he was certain that the master had come to punish him for the ugly deed he had committed. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Brother, you came before me just now and said such and such. If you spoke truthfully, I ask Allah's forgiveness for it, and if you spoke falsely, may Allah forgive you."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Muhammad said: I heard Abd al-Razzaq say: A maidservant of Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) was pouring water onto the master's hand while he was performing ablution. The ewer fell from her hand and struck the Imam's face, wounding it. He raised his head towards her. The maidservant said: وَالْکاظِمِینَ الْغَیْظَ [And those who restrain their anger]. He said: "I have swallowed my anger." She said again: وَ الْعافِینَ عَنِ النَّاسِ [And those who pardon men]. He said: "Allah has pardoned you." She said: وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And Allah loves the doers of good]. He said: "Go, you are free."

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him): Peace, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings, and His salutations, and His greetings be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful, master of the successors, first of the worshippers, and most ascetic of the ascetics! You gave your food — despite your love and need for it — for the sake of Allah to the poor, the orphan and the captive, and you sought from them no reward and no thanks; and you are the one who swallows anger and pardons people, وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [and Allah loves the doers of good].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Jahm narrates from Imam Rida (peace be upon him) that he said: I said, "What is the limit of humility such that when a servant carries it out he is [considered] humble?" He said: "Humility has degrees. Some of them are that a person knows his own worth and, with a sound heart, places himself in his rightful station, and does not wish to approach anyone except in the way he would want them to approach him [that is, he deals with people as he would have them deal with him]. If he sees an evil, he covers it with good — he is one who restrains anger and pardons people, وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [and Allah loves the doers of good]."

Imam Husayn (peace be upon him): The most forgiving of people is the one who forgives while having the power [to punish].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever restrains his anger while he is able to act upon it and take revenge, Allah on the Day of Resurrection will fill him completely with contentment. And the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Strength is not in throwing [another] to the ground; rather, the strong one is he who controls himself at the time of anger." Then Allah the Glorified mentioned الْعَافِینَ عَنِ النَّاسِ [those who pardon people]. And it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Those who pardon are few in my ummah, except for one whom Allah has preserved — whereas they were many in the past nations." In this narration there is proof that pardoning and forgiving errors is desired and recommended, even if it is not obligatory. And the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "No man has ever pardoned an act of injustice except that Allah, through it, increased his honour." Then Allah the Glorified stated that He loves the doers of good.

Imam Husayn (peace be upon him): Whoever does good to someone, Allah does good to him, وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [and Allah loves the doers of good].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): وَ إِنَّ اللهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And indeed Allah is with the doers of good]; I am that muhsin (doer of good).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): My mother was among those who had faith, taqwa (Allah-consciousness) and did good, and وَ اللهُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [and Allah loves the doers of good].