The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Said: Forgive the people of good qualities their slips, but not faults to which prescribed penalties apply.
Hadith Text and Reference
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "Forgive the people of good qualities their slips, but not faults to which prescribed penalties apply."
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 4375 | Book: Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud)
Meaning and Context
This noble hadith establishes a fundamental principle in Islamic jurisprudence regarding the treatment of minor errors versus major offenses. The Prophet (ﷺ) distinguishes between ordinary human mistakes ("slips") committed by people of generally good character, and serious crimes that carry prescribed divine punishments (hudud).
"People of good qualities" refers to those known for their piety, righteousness, and generally upright conduct. Their occasional minor lapses should be overlooked as manifestations of human imperfection.
Legal Distinction
The hadith draws a crucial legal distinction: discretionary forgiveness applies to minor personal faults, while prescribed penalties (hudud) for major crimes like theft, adultery, and drinking alcohol cannot be waived by individuals. These divine limits are fixed and must be implemented by the Islamic authority to maintain social order and divine justice.
This teaching balances mercy with justice - encouraging personal magnanimity while upholding societal boundaries set by Allah.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars explain that this principle applies particularly to interpersonal matters where individuals have the right to forgive. However, when crimes involve Allah's rights (huquq Allah) through violation of hudud, neither individuals nor rulers have authority to dismiss these penalties once proper legal conditions are met.
Imam Al-Nawawi comments that this hadith encourages Muslims to embody noble character by overlooking minor faults while maintaining respect for divine legislation.
Practical Application
Muslims should cultivate the habit of forgiving minor personal offenses while supporting the proper implementation of Islamic law for serious crimes. This approach fosters harmonious community relations without compromising religious principles.
The wisdom lies in recognizing that excessive severity in minor matters hardens hearts, while negligence in major matters corrupts society.