Forgiveness

 

 

Text Under Scrutiny

 

وَ جَزٰٓؤُا سَیِّئَۃٍ  سَیِّئَۃٌ  مِّثۡلُہَا  فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَ اَصۡلَحَ  فَاَجۡرُہٗ  عَلَی اللّٰہِ  اِنَّہٗ  لَا یُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ  وَ لَمَنِ انۡتَصَرَ  بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِہٖ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ  مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ.اِنَّمَا السَّبِیۡلُ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ النَّاسَ وَ یَبۡغُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ  اُولٰٓئِکَ  لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ  اَلِیۡمٌ .وَ لَمَنۡ صَبَرَ  وَ غَفَرَ اِنَّ  ذٰلِکَ لَمِنۡ عَزۡمِ  الۡاُمُوۡرِ. (42: 40-43)

 

 

A. Individual Activity Segment

 

Step 1: Fill out the first lines of the following tables by placing the translation of the Arabic word below it and then make the scrambled sentence into a meaningful one in the last lines of each of the tables.

 

 

I

 

وَ:  and

جَزٰٓؤُا:  revenge

سَیِّئَۃٍ: of an evil

سَیِّئَۃٌ: an evil

مِّثۡلُہَا: equal to it

 

وَ	جَزٰٓؤُا	سَیِّئَۃٍ	سَیِّئَۃٌ	مِّثۡلُہَا

 

 

II

 

فَ: but

مَنۡ:  he who

عَفَا:  forgave

وَ:  and

اَصۡلَحَ:    reconciled

فَاَجۡرُہٗ:   his reward

عَلَی:  responsibility of

اللّٰہِ: God

 

فَ	مَنْ	عَفَا	وَ	اَصۡلَحَ	فَاَجۡرُہٗ	عَلَی	اللّٰہِ

 

 

III

 

اِنَّ: indeed

ہٗ: He

لَا:  not

یُحِبُّ:  like

الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ: the wrongdoers

 

اِنَّ	ہٗ	لَا	یُحِبُّ	الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ

 

 

IV

 

وَ: and

لَ: indeed

مَنِ:  those who

انۡتَصَرَ:   took revenge

بَعۡدَ:  after

ظُلۡمِہٖ:  they were oppressed

فَ: then

اُولٰٓئِکَ:  they

مَا:  not

عَلَیۡ: on

ہِمۡ:   them

مِّنۡ:  any

سَبِیۡلٍ: blame

 

وَ

لَ

مَنِ

انۡتَصَرَ

بَعۡدَ

ظُلۡمِہ

فَ

اُولٰٓئِکَ

مَا

عَلَیۡ

ہِمۡ

مِّنۡ

سَبِیۡلٍ

 

 

V

 

اِنَّمَا:  only

السَّبِیۡلُ:  blame

عَلَی:  upon

الَّذِیۡنَ:  those who

یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ:  oppress

النَّاسَ:  people

وَ:  and

یَبۡغُوۡنَ:  are rebellious

فِی:  in

الۡاَرۡضِ:  the land

بِغَیۡرِ:  without

الۡحَقِّ: justification

 

اِنَّمَا	السَّبِیۡلُ	عَلَی	الَّذِیۡنَ	یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ	النَّاسَ	وَ	یَبۡغُوۡنَ	فِی	الۡاَرۡضِ	بِغَیۡرِ	الۡحَقِّ

 

 

VI

 

اُولٰٓئِکَ:   these people those

لَ: for

ہُمۡ:  whom

عَذَابٌ:   punishment

اَلِیۡمٌ: woeful

 

اُولٰٓئِکَ	لَ	ہُمۡ	عَذَابٌ	اَلِیۡمٌ

 

 

VII

 

وَ:  and

لَ: indeed

مَنۡ:  he who

صَبَرَ:   showed patience

وَ غَفَرَ:  and forgave

اِنَّ:   indeed

ذٰلِکَ:  this

لَ: surely

مِنۡ:  from among

عَزۡمِ:   fortitude

الۡاُمُوۡرِ: matters

 

وَ	لَ	مَنْ	صَبَرَ	وَغَفَرَ	اِنَّ	ذٰلِکَ	لَ	مِنْ	عَزْمِ	الْأُمُورِ

 

 

Step II: Write out your complete translation here: (note: before you do this exercise, please hide with a sheet of paper if the standard translation written in the next step is visible to you)

 

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Step III: Compare your Translation with the Following:

 

And the revenge of an evil is an evil equal to it. But he who forgave and reconciled his reward is the responsibility of God. Indeed, He does not like the wrongdoers. And indeed those who took revenge after they were oppressed, then there is no blame on them. The blame is only on them who oppress people and are rebellious in the land without justification. It is for these people for whom there is a woeful punishment. And indeed he who showed patience and forgave, then this is from among the matters of fortitude. (42: 40-43)

 

Step IV: Random Checking of Translation by the Instructor

 

 

Step V: Writing out the Arabic Text

 

وَ جَزٰٓؤُا سَیِّئَۃٍ  سَیِّئَۃٌ  مِّثۡلُہَا  فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَ اَصۡلَحَ  فَاَجۡرُہٗ  عَلَی اللّٰہِ  اِنَّہٗ  لَا یُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ  وَ لَمَنِ انۡتَصَرَ  بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِہٖ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ  مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ.اِنَّمَا السَّبِیۡلُ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ النَّاسَ وَ یَبۡغُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ اُولٰٓئِکَ  لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ  اَلِیۡمٌ .وَ لَمَنۡ صَبَرَ  وَ غَفَرَ اِنَّ  ذٰلِکَ لَمِنۡ عَزۡمِ  الۡاُمُوۡرِ. (42:40-43)

 

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Step VI: Reading aloud the Arabic Text by a Participant

 

وَ جَزٰٓؤُا سَیِّئَۃٍ  سَیِّئَۃٌ  مِّثۡلُہَا فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَ اَصۡلَحَ  فَاَجۡرُہٗ  عَلَی اللّٰہِ  اِنَّہٗ  لَا یُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ  وَ لَمَنِ انۡتَصَرَ  بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِہٖ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ  مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ.اِنَّمَا السَّبِیۡلُ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ النَّاسَ وَ یَبۡغُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ بِغَیۡرِ الۡحَقِّ   اُولٰٓئِکَ  لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ  اَلِیۡمٌ .وَ لَمَنۡ صَبَرَ  وَ غَفَرَ اِنَّ  ذٰلِکَ لَمِنۡ عَزۡمِ  الۡاُمُوۡرِ. (42:40-43)

 

Step VII: Volunteers’ Direct Translation of the Verses

 

 

 

B. Group Study Segment

 

Step I:Comprehension Questions

 

1. Enumerate instances in which we do not normally forgive people even though we should forgive them at such instances:

 

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2. Suggest practical ways to make us more forgiving

 

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3. How can we forgive people and at the same time correct their mistakes?

 

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4. When can we be unforgiving?

 

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5. Can you share with us any forgiving incident?

 

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C. Evaluation Segment

 

How Forgiving are you?

 

1. I try to be a forgiving person:

i. all the time.

ii. most of the time.

iii. seldom.

iv. almost never.

 

2. If someone insults me, I tend to hold a grudge against that person:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few cases

iv. almost never.

 

3. I have genuinely forgiven people who have behaved badly with me in the past:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few cases.

iv. almost never.

 

4. If a person commits a mistake because of forgetfulness, I scold him:

i. always.

ii. most of the time.

iii. some times.

iv. never.

 

5. Forgiveness is a sign of weakness:

i. only when done at the wrong time.

ii. at all times.

iii. never.

 

6. Forgiving someone with whom I am angry is virtually impossible for me:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few cases.

iv. almost never.

 

7. I find it difficult to forgive people even after they apologize and make amends:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few cases.

iv. almost never.

 

8. If someone behaves badly with me, sooner or later I take revenge from that person:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few case.

iv. almost never.

 

9. If someone hurts me a little, I hurt that a person even more in return:

i. in all cases.

ii. in most cases.

iii. in a few cases.

iv. almost never.

 

10. Who is the hardest for you to forgive?

i. Your enemies.

ii. Your spouse.

iii. Your mother in law.

iv. Your servants.

v. None.

 

 

 

D. Follow Up Segment

 

I Listen to the Recital of these Verses

http://thequranrecitation.com/ash-shuraa.html?language=arabic

 

 

 

II Memorize these Verses

 

III. Improve yourself through Self-Evaluation

Write a “Forgiveness-Revenge” diary for two weeks. Each day write down any act of forgiveness or revenge you committed. At the end of two weeks, share this with your closest friend or with your instructor or just destroy it.

Make a commitment to yourself that in future you will be as forgiving as possible.

 

IV Reconsider the Quiz

Go back and study the quiz you have attempted. In particular, study the answers in which you have scored less. Re-evaluate your choices and make a commitment to improve in this area.

 

V Become a Volunteer for the Forgiveness Awareness Campaign in the Following Ways

 

(1) Search the Internet for:

i. Videos about Forgiveness

ii. Songs about Forgiveness

iii. Essays and Stories about Forgiveness

iv. Poems about Forgiveness

v. Powerpoint Presentations about Forgiveness

 

(2) Conduct this Forgiveness Awareness Workshop among your friends

 

(3) Design Activity-Based Workshops for Kids about Forgiveness

 

(4) Create a Website about Forgiveness

 

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