Hadiths Concerning the Vast Mercy of Allah
Allah describes Himself as both “The Most Merciful” (Ar-Rahman) and “The Especially Merciful” (Ar-Raheem), indicating the intensity of His mercy in the name of Ar-Rahman and its general application to His believing servants in the name of Ar-Raheem. Below are some enlightening hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the vastness of Allah’s mercy:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, Allah has a hundred parts of mercy, one part of which He bestowed upon His creation such that they show compassion towards one another, and ninety-nine parts reserved for the Day of Judgment.”
- Allah’s mercy encompasses not only humans but also involves animals and other creatures. The Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated: “Allah has divided mercy into a hundred parts; He withheld ninety-nine parts with Himself and sent one part down to earth. From that part, creation shows mercy to one another, so much so that a mare lifts her hoof from her foal out of fear of harming it.”
- If a disbeliever were to truly comprehend the extent of Allah’s mercy, they would never despair of entering Paradise, as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “If a disbeliever knew all that Allah has in terms of mercy, they would never despair of Paradise.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained: “Indeed, Allah has decreed good deeds and bad deeds and then clarified that whoever intends to do a good deed but does not carry it out will have a complete good deed recorded for them, while if they intend to do a good deed and perform it, Allah records it as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred times and even more. On the other hand, if someone intends to commit a sin but refrains, it will be recorded as a complete good deed for them, whereas if they intend and commit the sin, it will be noted as a single sin.”
Hadiths About Allah’s Mercy Preceding His Anger
Among the manifestations of Allah’s mercy towards His servants is that He does not hasten their punishment, even when they deserve it. As stated in the Quran: “If Allah were to hasten for people the evil they invoke as they hasten for them good, their term would be ended for them.” The following hadiths illustrate the precedence of mercy over anger:
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) affirmed: “When Allah created the creation, He wrote in His Book, which is above His Throne: ‘Indeed, My mercy overwhelms My anger,’ indicating that Allah’s mercy has prevailed since the creation of the heavens and the earth.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “When Allah completed the creation, He inscribed above His Throne: ‘Indeed, My mercy precedes My anger.'”
Hadiths on Allah’s Mercy in the Hereafter
While the Hereafter involves reckoning for worldly deeds, it also contains numerous moments showcasing Allah’s mercy towards His creation. Some relevant hadiths include:
- Allah (Exalted and Majestic) rewards extensive rewards for minimal deeds, as indicated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “On the Day of Resurrection, a man from my community will be brought forth in front of all creation, and for him, ninety-nine scrolls will be unfolded, each as far as the eye can see. Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will ask: ‘Do you deny any of this?’ He will respond: ‘No, my Lord.’ Allah will then ask, ‘Have My recording angels wronged you?’ He will reply: ‘No, my Lord.’ Allah will continue to ask, ‘Do you have any excuse, or do you have a good deed?’ The man will become hesitant and say: ‘No.’ Then Allah will say: ‘Indeed, you have a good deed with Us, and you will not be wronged today.’ A card proclaiming the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad will then be brought forth. The man will exclaim: ‘O my Lord! What is this card in light of all these scrolls?’ Allah will respond: ‘You will not be wronged.’ The scrolls will be placed on one scale and the card on another, causing the scrolls to become light and the card to weigh heavy.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated: “On the Day of Resurrection, the believer will be brought close to his Lord, Who will shelter him and inquire about his sins. Allah will say: ‘Do you recognize these sins?’ The believer will respond: ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will continue: ‘Indeed, I concealed them for you in this world, and today I forgive them for you.’ The believer will then receive his record of good deeds.”
Hadiths on Allah’s Greater Mercy than that of Parents Toward Their Children
One of the aspects of Allah’s mercy towards His creation is His command to parents regarding their children, as mentioned in the Quran: “Allah instructs you concerning your children.” Allah’s compassion towards children exceeds that of their parents. Here are a couple of examples:
- A group of captives came before the Prophet (peace be upon him), and a woman among them was found nursing her child. When she saw a child among the captives, she took him, pressed him to her chest, and nursed him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked us: “Do you think this woman would cast her child into the fire?” We replied: “No, not while she is capable of keeping him.” The Prophet responded: “Indeed, Allah is more merciful to His servants than this woman to her child.”
- A man approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) with a child, holding him close. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Do you have mercy for him?” The man replied: “Yes.” The Prophet then said: “Allah is more merciful towards you than you are toward him, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”