RNA – An American Muslim whose New York café was robbed recently has emulated the manners of Prophet Muhammad, posting an open letter on the café door to forgive the robber.
In a letter in big panel window of his Brooklyn coffee shop, Abdul Elenani said forgave the robber if he needed to commit the robbery for survival.
“If the money you stole was to better you and your family’s living, then I forgive you,” Elenani wrote in the letter.
“If it was stolen for you to go out there and ruin yourself and health, I still forgive you and ask of you to fix yourself.”
The letter, which went viral on social media, was filled with sentiments of mercy and forgiveness for the robber.
Elenani wrapped up his letter with two powerful quotations from Prophet Muhammad.
“You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness,” Prophet Muhammad once said.
By forgiving his robber, Elenani was praised for clearing misconceptions about the religion by simply following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.
Here’s the full text of the letter:
Through this door you came and through this door I write!
Dear John/Jane Doe,
Hope this letter finds you and your family well. What happened on the night of the 17th of August was a mistake and not cool. After hearing about all the restaurants getting robbed and broken into on a weekly basis then Cocoa Grinders turn came around that night made me just stop to write you and hopefully you read it.
If you were to ask me personally “Would you rob to survive?” I’d say “I’m better off not surviving and of course not be a reason to mess up someone’s day or life” but of course at the end of the day everyone has their own personal opinion. Well sir/madam, I didn’t report this and I didn’t check the cameras to see who you are. I’d rather just not know. If the money you stole was to better you and your family’s living, then I forgive you. If it was stolen for you to go out there and ruin yourself and health, I still forgive you and ask of you to fix yourself.
“Every human being commits sins, and the best of sinners are those who frequently repent.”
– Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
“You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness.”
This was said about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
With love,
Abdul Elenani
R111/112/C