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Does God hold us accountable for hating someone who previously harmed us, and for wishing for God's punishment upon them, without showing these feelings or harming them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim must love, hate, be angry, and be pleased for the sake of Allah. This is among the strongest bonds of faith, and not merely for personal whims or self-triumph. Rather, one should pardon, forgive, and overlook if the matter pertains to oneself. Allah Almighty says: (And that you pardon is nearer to piety) and (So whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is due from Allah).

"Wealth is not diminished by charity, nor is a servant wronged and he endures it, but Allah increases him in honor." We advise pardoning and overlooking harm, and responding to ill-treatment with kindness, as Allah Almighty says: (Repel [evil] with that which is better, and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity will become as though he was a devoted friend). If you are unable to do that, then do not supplicate against him with more than he wronged you, and pardon is better.

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

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