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Mercy is bestowed on all of God’s creatures.
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“The
willingness to forgive and not to punish” is a definition frequently used for
the word mercy, but what is mercy in Islam?
With
Islam, mercy was given a deeper meaning that created a vital aspect in the life
of every Muslim, which he is rewarded by God (Allah)
for showing.
Allah’s
mercy, which is bestowed on all His creatures, is seen in everything we lay eyes
on: in the sun that provides light and heat, and in the air and water that are
essential for all the living .
An
entire chapter in the Qur’an is named after Allah’s divine attribute
Ar-Rahman or “The Most Gracious.” Also two of Allah’s attributes are
derived from the word for mercy. They are Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, which mean “The
Most Gracious” and “The Most Merciful.” These two attributes are mentioned
in the phrase recited at the beginning of 113 chapters of the Qur’an: “In
the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” This phrase is a
continuous reminder for the reader of Allah’s endless mercy and great
bounties.
Allah
assures us that whoever commits a sin will be forgiven if he repents and ceases
this act, where He says what means: {Your Lord hath inscribed for Himself (the
rule of) mercy: verily, if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter
repented, and amend (his conduct), lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful}
(Al-An`am 6:54). This verse is affirmed by a hadith
qudsi, where Allah says what
means: “My mercy prevails over My wrath.”
Reward
for kindness and compassion was also assured by the Prophet Muhammad: “The
merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and
He Who is in heaven will show mercy unto you” (As-Suyuti).
A
Prophet’s Mercy
Concerning
Prophet
Muhammad’s mercy, it is best to mention first what Allah Himself has
said about him: {We have not sent thee save as a mercy to the
worlds}
(Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:107), which assures that Islam is founded on mercy, and that
Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as mercy to all creatures with
no exception.
Allah
also says in the Qur’an what means: {Now hath come to you an Apostle from
amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he
over you: to the believers is he most kind and merciful} (At-Tawbah 9:128).
These verses were clearly manifested in the Prophet’s manners and dealings,
for he bore a lot of hardships for the sake of conveying Allah’s message. The
Prophet was also most gentle in guiding his people, and whenever they used to
harm him he always asked Allah to pardon them for their ignorance and cruelty.
For
more on the Prophet’s mercy, click here. The
Prophet’s Mercy
The
Prophet’s Companions
When
describing the Companions
Allah says in the Qur’an what means: {Muhammad is the Apostle of God; and
those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate amongst
each other} (Al-Fath 48:29).
… dedicated all his wealth for buying slaves from their brutal masters and then he set them free for the sake of Allah |
Some
people may think it obvious for Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be moral,
because he is a prophet, but the Companions were ordinary people who devoted
their lives to the obedience of Allah and His Prophet. For instance Abu
Bakr As-Siddiq dedicated all his wealth for buying slaves from their
brutal masters and then he set them free for the sake of Allah.
When
once clarifying the right concept of mercy to his Companions, the Prophet said
that it is not by one’s kindness to family and friends, but it is by showing
mercy and compassion to the general public, whether you know them or not.
A
“Little” Mercy
Some
of the heartless pre-Islamic traditions were the offering of one’s child as
sacrifice for deities and the burial of girls alive. These acts against children
were strictly prohibited by the Qur’an and Prophetic tradition many times.
As
for the Prophet’s mercy towards children, he was once leading the prayer and
his grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, were still young boys playing and
climbing over his back, so in the fear of hurting them if he should stand, the
Prophet prolonged his prostration. Another time, the Prophet performed his
prayer while carrying Umamah, his granddaughter.
This
kindness of the Prophet was not only bestowed on his own children but also
extended to children playing on the street. As soon as seeing the Prophet, they
would run to him, and he would receive them all with a warm smile and open arms.
“… but on hearing the cries of a child …” |
Even
during prayer the Prophet’s innate kindness was clear, as he once said: “(It
happens that) I start the prayer intending to prolong it, but on hearing the
cries of a child, I shorten the prayer because I know that the cries of the
child will incite its mother’s passions” (Al-Bukhari).
In
many situations the Prophet taught us how children should be brought up in a
kind and loving atmosphere, and that they should not be beaten, or hit across
the face, to avoid their humiliation. When a man once saw the Prophet kissing
his grandson, he was astonished at the Prophet’s leniency and said, “I have
ten children but I have never kissed any one of them.” the Prophet replied,
“He who does not show mercy, no mercy would be shown to him” (Al-Bukhari).
Just
a Stroke of Hair
When
Allah mentioned orphans in the Qur’an He said what means: {Therefore, treat
not the orphans with harshness} (Al-Duha 93:9). In accordance with this verse
came the manners of the Prophet towards orphans, for he said, “I and the
person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like
this,” putting his index and middle fingers together.
In
order to make the orphan feel appreciated and that if he has lost the affection
of his parents there are still people who are willing to love and care for him,
the Prophet encouraged kindness by saying that a person is rewarded by good
deeds for each hair he strokes on an orphan’s head.
The
protection of the orphan’s property was clearly confirmed by Allah and His
Prophet. For instance, Allah says what means: {Those who unjustly eat up the
property of orphans, eat up a fire into their own bodies: they will soon be
enduring a blazing fire!} (An-Nisaa’ 4:10).
One of the seven most grievous sins in Islam is exploiting orphans’ property. |
A
Prophetic saying also informs us that one of the seven most grievous sins is the
devouring of the orphan’s property.
Could
This Be War?
Mercy
in Islam also extends to enemies, in times of war
and peace, as Prophet Muhammad used to urge his Companions to maintain family
ties with relatives who were still disbelievers by calling on them and giving
them gifts.
As
for times of war, Allah commands Muslims to grant refuge to enemies if they
should ask for it, and forbids anyone to harm them. This is stated in the Qur’an,
where Allah says what means: {If one amongst the pagans ask thee for asylum,
grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to
where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge}
(At-Tawbah 9:6).
Rapid burial was commanded out of respect for the dead. |
As
for the Prophet, he forbade his Companions to harm the elderly, injured, women,
children, and people in places of worship. Also, destroying fields was
forbidden. Defacing the corpses of enemies was strictly banned and giving them
rapid burial was commanded out of respect.
The
Prophet’s orders regarding captives were strictly obeyed by his Companions. In
one of the stories about a battle related to us by a captive, he says that he
was staying with a Muslim family after being captured. Whenever they had their
meals, they used to give him preference by offering him bread while they would
eat only dates.
When
the Prophet (peace be upon him) victoriously entered Makkah after defeating the
Quraish, he approached them and asked, “How do you expect me to treat you?”
They replied, “You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother! We
expect nothing but goodness from you.” Then the Prophet announced, “I speak
to you in the same words as Yusuf (the Prophet Joseph) spoke unto his brothers: {No reproach on you this day, God will forgive you, He is the Most Merciful of
the Merciful} (Yusuf 12:92). Go, for verily you are free.”
On
this day, when tolerance and forgiveness were least expected, the Prophet set an
example of mercy and forgiveness by releasing all the captives without ransom,
and forgiving them for the persecution and brutal torture of the Muslims, which
was continuous during the first 13 years of conveying the message of Islam.
All
of God’s Creatures
Animals
were not ignored and were given many rights in Islam. For instance, when the
Prophet saw a donkey with a branded face, he said, “Have you not heard that I
have cursed anyone who brands an animal on its face or who hits it on its face?”
(Muslim).
The
Prophet once said that a woman was sent to Hell because of a cat that she
imprisoned, neither feeding it nor setting it free to hunt for its own food. On
the other hand, the Prophet said, a man went to Paradise for giving water to a
dog in the desert that was panting out of thirst.
The
Prophet forbade that knives should be sharpened in front of animals before
slaughtering. In addition, the slaughtering of an animal before another was
prohibited. This is clear in one of the Prophetic sayings: “God calls for
mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter:
sharpen your blade to relieve its pain” (Al-Bukhari).
“Who has distressed this bird by taking its young?”
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One
of the Companions related this incident: When they were traveling with the
Prophet, they found a bird with its young ones, so they took them from their
mother. The bird came and started flapping its wings, so the Prophet asked, “Who
has distressed this bird by taking its young? Return them to it at once” (Al-Bukhari).
Animal
rights were affirmed by the Prophet when he said that anyone who took a living
thing as a target is cursed. Forcing animals to fight till one gores the other
was also strictly banned, for animals have feelings and this would be definite
torture for them.
The
Islamic concept of mercy is holistic and stresses the interconnectedness of all
of creation with itself and with the Creator. Mercy starts with God and is
bestowed by Him to every living creature. Animals and humans alike show each
other mercy, to live harmoniously with one another, and in turn, by showing this
mercy, they themselves are shown even more mercy from Allah. This vision of
Islam encourages the breaking down of barriers between peoples and is the
underlying foundation upon which both life and civilization are built.
What
does mercy mean to you? Join our discussion by
clicking
here
**
Hala Salah is an editor in the Discover Islam Section of IslamOnline.net. She has a BA in Tourism and Hotels from Helwan University and has attended an English da`wah course in Al-Azhar university. She is a student in the Higher Institute of Islamic Studies. You may reach her at
IntroducingIslam@islamonline.net
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