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To what extent is the interpretation of the evangelists valid concerning the narratives "the killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf" and "the killing of Abu Rafi' Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Huqayq," which posits that the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not pardon those who wronged him when he gained the power to strike, and thus sent those who assassinated the aforementioned individuals?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Forgiveness was part of the policy and wisdom of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. As for his not forgiving the killers, it was because letting them go would cause discord and turn people away from the religion of Allah, and discord is worse than killing. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to forgive those who wronged him if forgiveness was good, and he would seek retribution if the sacred limits of Allah were violated, but not for himself. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "He never took revenge for himself for anything brought to him, ever, until the sacred limits of Allah were violated, then he would take revenge for Allah."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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