What are the differences between maghfirah (forgiveness), satr (concealment), 'afw (pardon) and safh (overlooking)?
The terms: al-Ghafr (forgiveness), al-Satr (concealment/covering), al-ʿAfw (pardoning), and al-Safh (overlooking), are close in meaning.
Al-Ghufrān (absolute forgiveness) is more specific than al-Satr (concealment), and it entails the bestowal of reward. As for al-Satr, it is the covering of something with a covering, and it is used in the sense of refraining from mentioning something.
Al-ʿAfw (pardoning) and al-Safh (overlooking) are close in meaning. Al-ʿAfw is the relinquishing of punishment, while al-Safh is turning away from the sin, and it is more eloquent than al-ʿAfw. It is also said: al-ʿAfw is the relinquishing of punishment for the sinner, and al-Safh is the relinquishing of blaming them.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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