Love manifests towards those whom we like as love; towards those whom we do not like as forgiveness.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
In the East, when we speak of saints or sages, it is not because of their miracles, it is because of their presence and their countenance which radiate vibrations of love. How does this love express itself? In tolerance, in forgiveness, in respect, in overlooking the faults of others. Their sympathy covers the defects of others as if those defects were their own; they forget their own interest in the interest of others. They do not mind what conditions they are in; be they high or humble, their foreheads are smiling. To their eyes everyone is the expression of the Beloved, whose name they repeat. They see the Divine in all forms and in all beings.
Think of the life of the great Master Jesus… one sees that from beginning to end there was nothing but love and forgiveness. The best expression of love is that love which is expressed in forgiveness. Those who came with their wrongs, errors, imperfections, before the love, that was all forgiven; there was always a stream of love which always purified.
( from Religious Gathekas #44: The Religion of the Heart, Part 3 [ unpublished ] )
We may make an ideal in our imagination, and, whenever we see that goodness is lacking, we may add to it from our own heart and so complete the nobility of human nature. This is done by patience, tolerance, kindness, forgiveness. The lover of goodness loves every little sign of goodness, overlooks the faults and fills up the gaps, by pouring out love and supplying that which is lacking. This is real nobility of soul. Religion, prayer, and worship are all intended to ennoble the soul, not to make it narrow, sectarian or bigoted. One cannot arrive at true nobility of spirit if one is not prepared to forgive the imperfections of human nature. For all, whether worthy or unworthy, require forgiveness, and only in this way can one rise above the lack of harmony and beauty.
( from the Sufi Message Series, Volume IX – The Unity of Religious Ideals, Part II: The God-Ideal )
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
The love we feel toward friends and relatives and heroes is natural. Although Christ said,
“Love ye your enemies,” this does not mean to entertain the identical feeling toward them. Why? Because feeling is that which connects parties and unites them. We are united to our dear ones by love. By whatever the feeling we hold to those we do not like, they may not feel friendly toward us.
The proper attitude is therefore selflessness, to refuse to hold the feeling of dislike. They, not appreciating our love, could not see it as love or friendship but could perceive it in the spirit of forgiveness. From our point of view it would be the same in both cases, but the object of love and the connection between ourselves and the other would be different in each instance.