The Vast Mercy of Allah The Almighty - I

30/11/2016| IslamWeb

Mercy is one of the attributes of Allah The Almighty. It is from the mercy of Allah The Almighty that calamities and trials expiate one's sins, and a believer is rewarded for showing patience through these calamities. Another aspect that manifests the mercy of Allah The Almighty is that He conceals our sins and faults in this life and forgives them in the Hereafter.

The vastness of the mercy of Allah The Almighty:

One of the Names of Allah is, the Most Merciful and the ever Merciful. Allah The Almighty created mercy in one hundred parts, but only sent down one part amongst mankind and kept the rest for the pious slaves in the Hereafter. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts; and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent down to earth one part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] In another narration, the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah created one hundred units of mercy on the Day He created the heavens and the earth. Each one of them can contain all that is between the heaven and the earth. Of them, he put one on earth, through which a mother has compassion for her children and animals and birds have compassion for one another. On the Day of Resurrection, He will perfect and complete His mercy". (That is He will use all the hundred units of mercy for his slaves on that Day).”

Moreover, Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Were an infidel to know the mercy Allah has, none would despair of His Paradise.” [Muslim]

The mercy of Allah The Almighty far exceeds that of the mother for her child. `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab reported, “Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allah amongst whom there was a woman who was running (searching for her child). When she saw a child among the captives, she took hold of it, pressed it against her belly and breastfed it. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Do you think this woman would ever throw her child into fire?' We said, 'By Allah, she would never throw the child into fire.' Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah is more kind to his slave than this woman is to her child'. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Abu Hurayrah reported, “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'When Allah created the creatures, He wrote in the Book, which is with Him over His Throne: `Verily, My Mercy prevailed over My Wrath.' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This is the mercy that the believer’s soul resorts to after death, as the Messenger of Allah indicated to the Companions .

Allah The Almighty extends His mercy to his disobedient slaves whenever they repent and turn to Him for forgiveness. Allah The Almighty bestows on him His mercy and forgives their sins and conceals them for him. Ibn ‘Abbaas reported, “Once a group of the disbelievers came to Messenger of Allah who had killed many people and committed adultery excessively. They came to him and said, 'What you are saying and calling people to is a good thing, but is there a way to expiate for what we have committed in the past?' Then the following verse was revealed (which means): {And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated. Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [Quran, 25: 68-70]

No one can limit this vast mercy of Allah The Almighty nor prevent it from reaching the people. With His mercy, Allah The Almighty guides people, forgives their sins, accepts their good deeds and overlooks their wrongdoings.