If forgiveness means relinquishing a claimed right from the other party, this is permissible. Every accountable person has the right to waive their claim, whether it is a material or moral right, and they can do so privately or without informing the other party. The general principle is that the actions of the accountable are valid.

The Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) forgave the people of Mecca, and Prophet Yūsuf forgave his brothers despite their clear wrongdoing.

Re-establishing communication is not obligatory, especially if it would likely lead to renewed conflict. A similar situation occurred with the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) as narrated in Al-Bukhārī regarding Waḥshū’s conversion to Islam. Waḥshī said: “I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and when he saw me, he said, ‘Are you Waḥshī?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘You are the one who killed Ḥamzah?’ I said: ‘What happened is what you have heard.’ He said, ‘Can you keep your face away from me?’ So, I left…” Waḥshī did not return to Medina until after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Ibn Ḥajar commented on this, saying: “This shows that a person dislikes seeing someone who has caused harm to a close relative or friend.”

Similarly, when ῾Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb saw Abū Maryam al-Ḥanafī, who had killed his brother Zayd ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, after he returned to Islam and came to claim his share of the spoils, ῾Umar said: “By Allāh, I do not love you until the earth loves spilled blood.” Abū Maryam replied, “Does this deprive me of any right?” ῾Umar said, “No.” Abū Maryam said, “No harm then, only women grieve for love.” ῾Umar treated him justly, even though he could not forget the killing of his brother.

Therefore, whoever can rise above their feelings should do so. But for those who cannot, maintaining the minimum right of a Muslim and a relative is sufficient, and it is not obligatory to maintain close friendships or affectionate relationships.

Fatwā issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr