An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 39

Mistakes, forgetfulness and compulsion are pardoned

العفو عن الخطأ والنسيان والإكراه

Allah has pardoned this Ummah what it does by mistake, out of forgetfulness or under compulsion.

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم قَالَ: "إنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِي عَنْ أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأَ وَالنِّسْيَانَ وَمَا اسْتُكْرِهُوا عَلَيْهِ" . حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ [رقم:2045]، وَالْبَيْهَقِيّ ["السنن]

On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Verily Allah has pardoned [or been lenient with] for me my ummah: their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they have been forced to do under duress. A hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Majah, and al-Bayhaqee and others

Reported by: Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi

Lessons

Allah has lifted blame from this nation for mistakes, forgetfulness and what it is forced into (2:286, 33:5, 16:106). Forgetting removes the sin but not the duty: a forgotten prayer is prayed when remembered. Coercion excuses, except where scholars exclude it, such as killing an innocent person. A mistake that touches others' rights still carries its due, as with accidental killing (4:92). An-Nawawi graded it hasan.

In practice: do not blame yourself for honest mistakes, make up what you forgot, and set right any harm you caused others.

Evidence

Hasan

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 39

Grades
Grader	Verdict
an-Nawawi	حديث حسن (Hasan)

Full narration

Scholarly opinionExplaining an-Nawawi's Forty: hadith 39 (islamweb)islamweb.net

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The hadith

Lessons

Evidence