Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, said that Al-Ghaffār (Absolute Forgiver) is one of the names of Allah - Glory be to Him - which are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and in the purified Sunnah, and the Muslims are unanimously agreed upon them. The name Al-Ghaffār is mentioned in the Qur’an in many forms. The Almighty says, “He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” (Qur’an, 39:5) and the Almighty’s saying: “[O Muhammad], inform My servants that I am the All Forgiving, the All Merciful”, (Qur’an, 15:49) and the Almighty’s saying “But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes”, (Qur’an, 20:82) and “The forgiver of sin, acceptor of repentance”, (Qur’an, 40:3).

During the fifteenth episode of his Ramadan program Grand Imam At-Tayyeb Talk, broadcast on Al-Hayat channel, His Eminence clarified that this name is mentioned in many Arabic forms like Ghāfir, Ghaffār and Ghafūr, which intensify the meaning of forgiveness and indicates that Allah forgives all sins and conceals them however abundant they may be. 

His Eminence indicated that the name Ghāfir or Ghaffār is derived from ghafr, which means to conceal. This means that Allah Almighty conceals His servants’ sins in this life and in the Hereafter.

His Eminence added that this speech may seem simple, but behind it is great wisdom, as most of the sinners and the disobedient are not known because Allah – Exalted be He – does not reveal their bad deeds to anybody. This is the meaning of the Forgiver who covers the sins of his servants, then pardons and forgives them in the Hereafter, on the Day of Resurrection. What concerns us here is that He - Glory be to Him – veils His servants’ sins and pardons them in the Hereafter.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam indicated that Imam Al-Ghazali had a deep insight into this subject to which no one else had before him. Al-Ghazali said that Allah’s name Al-Ghaffār means that He conceals the ugliness of the servant on several levels. First, Allah Almighty conceals many of the ugly things that belong to human beings inside them; this ugliness would be unbearable if exposed. Thus, as far as physical impurity is concerned, Allah Almighty veiled it with beauty. As for abstract ugliness, which consists in diseases of the heart, such as malice, hatred, envy and arrogance. Allah Almighty conceals these shortcomings or sins so that others may not see them.

His Eminence clarified that the Qur’an was revealed with commands and prohibitions, but they require a law that binds people to behave in accordance with these noble morals and punish them if they cross their limits. In many countries, no one in any of the channels can harm a person's reputation; otherwise, the next day he would be brought to trial. However, we have been afflicted by people who, if they see a good deed, they hide it; and if they see a bad thing, they broadcast it; and if they do not see a bad thing, they fabricate one. We hope – God willing- that this phenomenon will be criminalized, and a relevant deterrent law be passed.

 

At the end of his talk, Al-Azhar Grand Imam concluded that whoever defames someone, it is as if he had killed him, or as if he had badly injured him. Moreover, Allah Almighty has warned those who track people’s faults, let alone those who broadcast them on the air, that He would track their faults and expose them even if they were guarded in the heart of their homes. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever traces the faults of his fellow human being, Allah, Exalted be He, will trace his faults; and if so, he will be disgracefully exposed even in the middle of his guarded home.” Whoever does that will inevitably be disgraced, except for those who hurriedly repent, regret and ask for the forgiveness of those whom they wronged; and this holy month is an opportunity for those who may be mindful or fear Allah, and those who do not care will be punished severely.