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Mercy in the Quran and Sunnah

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Allah the Exalted said:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.

Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107

And Allah said:

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

Then he was among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to mercy.

Surah Al-Balad 90:17

And Allah said:

وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ

When those come to you who believe in Our verses, say: Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed mercy upon Himself.

Surah Al-An’am 6:54

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الرَّحْمَةَ مِائَةَ جُزْءٍ فَأَمْسَكَ عِنْدَهُ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ جُزْءًا وَأَنْزَلَ فِي الْأَرْضِ جُزْءًا وَاحِدًا فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الْجُزْءِ يَتَرَاحَمُ الْخَلْقُ حَتَّى تَرْفَعَ الْفَرَسُ حَافِرَهَا عَنْ وَلَدِهَا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُ

Allah has made mercy into one hundred parts. He kept with Himself ninety-nine parts and sent down one part to the earth, so because of the creation is merciful such that a horse raises its hoof over its child for fear of hurting it.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 5570, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Salman Al-Farisi reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَمِنْهَا رَحْمَةٌ بِهَا يَتَرَاحَمُ الْخَلْقُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

Verily, Allah has one hundred portions of mercy. Because of one part there is compassion between creation, and ninety-nine are reserved for the Day of Resurrection.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2753, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, tell the story of a prophet who was beaten by his people and he wiped the blood from his face, saying:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

My Lord, forgive my people for they do not know.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6530, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَمَّا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَهُوَ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي غَلَبَتْ غَضَبِي

When Allah decreed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne: My mercy prevails over My wrath.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 3022, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, pray against the idolaters!” So the Prophet said:

إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ لَعَّانًا وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ رَحْمَةً

Verily, I was not sent to invoke curses, but rather I was only sent as a mercy.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2599, Grade: Sahih

Abu Musa Al-Ashari reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَنَبِيُّ التَّوْبَةِ وَنَبِيُّ الرَّحْمَةِ

I am the Prophet of repentance and I am the Prophet of mercy.

Source: Sahih Muslim 4351, Grade: Sahih

Jubair reported:

وَقَدْ سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ رَءُوفًا رَحِيمًا

Allah has named the Prophet as kind and merciful.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2354, Grade: Sahih

Jareer ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُ النَّاسَ

Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to the people.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6941, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمْ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ الرَّحِمُ شُجْنَةٌ مِنْ الرَّحْمَنِ فَمَنْ وَصَلَهَا وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَهَا قَطَعَهُ اللَّهُ

Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One above the heavens will have mercy upon you.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1924, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

 ارْحَمُوا تُرْحَمُوا وَاغْفِرُوا يَغْفِرْ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

Be merciful to others and you will receive mercy. Forgive others and Allah will forgive you.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 7001, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: A man saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, kiss his grandson Hasan. The man said, “I have ten children and I do not kiss any of them.” The Prophet said:

إِنَّهُ مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمْ لاَ يُرْحَمْ

Verily, whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1911, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا وَيَعْرِفْ حَقَّ كَبِيرِنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا

He who does not show mercy to our little ones or recognize the rights of our elders is not one of us.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 7033, Grade: Sahih

Mu’awiyah ibn Qurrah reported: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I slaughter a sheep and I am merciful to it.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَالشَّاةُ إِنْ رَحِمْتَهَا رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ

If you are merciful with a sheep, then Allah will be merciful to you.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 15165, Grade: Sahih

Abu Musa Al-Ashari reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَفَلا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَا تَحَابُّوا عَلَيْهِ

You will never have faith until you love each other. Shall I tell you what will make you love each other?

They said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said:

أَفْشُوا السَّلامَ بَيْنَكُمْ تَحَابُّوا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لا تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تَرَاحَمُوا

Spread peace between yourselves. By the one in whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you are merciful.

They said, “O Messenger of Allah, all of us are merciful.” The Prophet said:

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِرَحْمَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَحْمَةُ الْعَامَّةِ رَحْمَةُ الْعَامَّةِ

Verily, it is not mercy between yourselves, but rather it is mercy in general, it is mercy in general.

Source: Al-Mustadrak ‘ala as-Saheehain 7391, Grade: Sahih

Anas ibn Malik reported:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَحِيمًا وَكَانَ لاَ يَأْتِيهِ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ وَعَدَهُ وَأَنْجَزَ لَهُ

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was merciful and no one would come to him in need except that he would promise to help him or he would give him something.

Source: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 278, Grade: Hasan

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْ كُنَّ لَهُ ثَلَاثُ بَنَاتٍ يُؤْوِيهِنَّ وَيَرْحَمُهُنَّ وَيَكْفُلُهُنَّ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ الْبَتَّةَ

Whoever has three daughters and he cares for them, he is merciful to them, and he clothes them, then he will enter Paradise.

It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, what if he has only two?” The Prophet said:

وَإِنْ كَانَتْ اثْنَتَيْنِ

Even two.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 13835, Grade: Hasan

Some of the people thought that if they had said to him one, the Prophet would have said even one.

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ يَتَّبِعُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَالسُّنَّةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ الْحَقَّ وَيَرْحَمُونَ الْخَلْقَ

The people of the Sunnah and the community follow the Book and the Sunnah and they obey Allah and His Messenger and follow the truth. They have mercy upon the creation.

Source: Majmu’ Al-Fatawa 1/278