Bismillah.
Have you registered for our course on: 14 Lessons from the Timeless Movement of Imam al-Husayn (a). See below for more info.
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ
فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ
It is by Allah’s mercy that you [O Muhammad] are gentle to them; had you been harsh and hardhearted, they would have surely scattered from around you. So, excuse them and plead for forgiveness for them.
(Sūrat Āli Imrān, No. 3, Āyat 159)
This verse was revealed after the battle of ‘Uhud, when many Muslims had fled the battlefield. Overcome with grief and dismay at the number of deaths and injuries they suffered, they openly blamed Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam for the loss of their loved ones. However, after reflecting on their actions, they humbly returned and sought forgiveness from the Prophet (s).
The Prophet did not respond to the Muslims’ plea by mirroring their actions; instead, he accepted their apology with an open heart. This response was a result of the immense grace of Allah ‘azza wajall, who instilled in the Prophet (s) a deep sense of mercy and forbearance. At that moment, the Muslims needed a spiritual father who calmed their fears, boosted their morale and gave them a sense of direction. This incident stands as one of the clearest manifestations of the Prophet’s compassion. Allah says: And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers (Q 26:215).
In the verse under discussion, the word linta comes from the root word layn, which means softness, contrasting with harshness and rigidity. In the Quran, ‘layn’ is used in various contexts. Sometimes, it denotes a material or physical softness. One example of this is the verse that mentions the blessings Allah bestowed upon Prophet Dāwūd ‘alayhis-salām, among them being that He made iron soft and pliable – وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ
And we softened iron for him (Q 34:10).
Softness can also have a spiritual or figurative meaning. This is the softness of the heart which is manifested through gentleness in speech and actions. It was this spiritual softness that the Prophet was commanded to treat his people with. (Al-Mustafawī, Al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qur’ān al-Karīm,10:281). The result of the Holy Prophet’s leniency and gentleness towards the Muslims was that people were naturally drawn to his message. In the words of Imam Ali (a): He was the most lenient of people in disposition, and the kindest of them in social companionship. (Majlisī, Bihār al-Anwār, 16:231)
In the verse under discussion, the Prophet (s) is also warned against being fazzan (harsh in speech) or ghalīz al-qalb (hard hearted). These two qualities reflect different forms of severity: one in language, the other in behavior. A leader who is harsh, rigid, and devoid of a forgiving spirit is bound to fail in his mission. People will naturally distance themselves from such a leader and withhold their support.
In our daily lives, each person is a leader in their own capacity. Leadership does not only apply to heading a community, organization, or institution—it begins at home. Every individual holds responsibility within their family, especially in raising and guiding their children. It is essential that we embody the quality of leniency in our character so that we can nurture future helpers of Imam Al-Mahdi ‘ajjalallāhu farajahu. Imam Ali ‘alayhis-salām shares the secret of a successful leader in saying No. 176 of Nahjul Balāghah. He says: The instrument of leadership is having an expansive chest.
May the Almighty enable us to follow in the sīrah of the Prophet Muhammad (s) by being gentle in nature and good in character.
Sources: Imam Ali bin Abū Tālib (a), Nahjul Balāghah; Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh; Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān; Al-Mustafawī, Al-Tahqīq fī Kalimāt al-Qur’ān al-Karīm.
ALI 703: 14 Lessons from the Timeless Movement of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Many lessons from Imam al-Husayn’s movement can be applied to society today for reaching higher religious, theological, spiritual and ethical levels. The first part of this online course will attempt to discuss three akhlaqi lessons from this timeless movement. It will include reflections from the Quran and Hadith of Ma’sumin (a). Each session will be of 75 minutes, including Q & A.
Schedule: Three Sunday mornings – Aug 31, Sep 7 & 14, 2025
Timings: 11:30 am to 12:45 pm; Toronto/NY times
Instructor: Syed Ali Kazmi
Fees: CAD $25.00
Registration: www.academyofislam.com/registration