The Need for Mercy

One of the first things we see our holy religion Islam offering humanity is compassion and mercy. Essentially, from the first human and Prophet Adam (alayhissalam) to the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), all the prophets and divine revelations have been a mercy for humanity.

When we study the time our Prophet first started to convey his message, we see that society lacked compassion and had lost the essence of humanity. The shower of mercy, which began with the first revelation on Mount Hira, first washed over the Arab society at a time that came to be known as jahiliyyah and then crossed the continents in waves. People were rejuvenated with obedience to the commands of Allah, the Most Gracious and Merciful, and were introduced to mercy and compassion.

A person who does not believe in and obey Allah has treated himself mercilessly because rebellion against the Creator of the universe is a cruel behavior, even if it only affects a person’s self. It is futile to expect mercy and compassion from a wicked person or society. The futility of such unrealistic expectations becomes evident with the realization that a person whose heart lacks the fear of Allah is more savage than an animal when he finds suitable opportunities. The age we live in and millennia-long human history bear witness to this truth.

As for one whose heart is enlightened with iman and who fears their Creator, no matter what opportunity and power they have, the biggest inhibitor keeping them in check against adopting cruel behavior is themselves. Knowing that they will answer for everything they have done in the presence of Allah disallows them from tyrannizing or being merciless towards themselves or others.

The world today is unfortunately drowned in the darkness of boundless cruelty. Our Muslim brothers and sisters are especially in the grip of tyranny. Most are exposed to some form of oppression, violence, and destruction, while others forget that bloodstains cannot be cleansed with more blood, thus becoming a tool for tyrants.

Once a person develops a penchant for cruel behavior and begins to derive enjoyment from it, they can become too blind to distinguish who or what is in front of them. Those whom we frequently see in the news, people so maddened by their self-induced delusions that they can even hurt their loved ones, prove this truth.

The ultimate remedy to eradicate oppression on earth is to instill the mercy of Allah in everyone’s hearts. Gaining a heart sensitized to the suffering of others will enable people to look at their fellow humans and all living beings with eyes of mercy and compassion. Salvation is in mercy.

Our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once said:

– Only the merciful will enter Paradise. Thereupon, his companions said:

– O Messenger of Allah, we are all merciful. The Prophet then said:

– A person who is merciful only to himself is not considered merciful. The truly merciful person is one who is merciful both to himself and to others. (Haythami; Suyuti)

Umar bin Khattab (radiyallahu anh) proved with many examples how mercy and justice are two halves of the same whole. After the conquest of Damascus, he saw an old, needy Christian, whom he took pity on and ordered to be helped. The source of this compassion, which encompasses even those who do not belong to the same faith, is the teaching of divine mercy, and today, humanity is in need of this teaching more than ever.

Gracious, gentle behavior and genuine mercy are traits of Muslims that extend beyond their interactions with other people. Mercy comes into the picture as a vital concept in the command related to sacrificing udhiyah animals. First, one must ensure the ease and comfort of the animal before the slaughter, blindfold them so that they don’t see the blade and are frightened, and caress them gently. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “when you slaughter an animal, do it in the best possible way; each of you should sharpen his knife and give the animal as little pain as possible” (Tirmidhi 1409)

Showing mercy to oneself is to abandon what Allah has forbidden, in accordance with His commands, and spare oneself from torment by repenting one’s sins. Showing compassion to others means avoiding inflicting any harm on them in any way, shape, or form. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once said:

“Allah will not show mercy to a person who does not show mercy to people” (Muslim; Tirmidhi)

“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe.” (Tirmidhi; Nesai)

Today, Muslims are unfortunately oppressed by both their brothers and the enemies of Islam. Elderly, women, and children are killed wantonly. Houses, cities, and even entire countries are being destroyed. These are grave situations that affect us all. Some heads of state gather and talk about possible solutions. In fact, since they are the real oppressors behind the scenes, they make sure to capitalize on this epidemic of suffering. Since there is no mercy in their hearts for the downtrodden and persecuted, the already deep wounds continue to fester.

Despite this brutal world, we must continue to read and listen to words of compassion, to learn and teach it. It's like planting a sapling you’ve been holding in your hand even if it is the world’s end. In consideration of the need for mercy, it is particularly meaningful to read and listen to the following incidents, hadiths, and examples of mercy, as told by our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam):

“A man suffered from intense thirst while on a journey, when he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst and eating the moistened earth. The man said to himself: 

– That dog is thirsty just like I was just now.

He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, then caught it in his mouth and then he climbed up and made the dog drink it. So Allah appreciated this act of his and forgave him”

Then (the Companions around him) said:

- Is there a reward for us even for (serving) such animals? 

Our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“You will be rewarded for the good you do for every living creature.” (Bukhari; Muslim; Abu Dawud)

There is a famous story of a correspondence between Sulayman the Magnificent and Ebussuud Efendi, the Shaykh al-Islam of the time. The sultan wrote a note to the Shaykh al-Islam asking if it was a sin to break (kill with pesticide) the ants that damage the trees in the garden. Shaykh al-Islam answered with a wise poem saying that he would be held accountable on the Day of Judgment and that the ant would get its due.

Our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded:

“You see the believers in regard to their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well, then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.” (Bukhari; Muslim; Ahmad b. Hanbal)

Ali bin Abi Talib (radiyallahu anh) gave an account of the events detailed below:

“One day, I saw Umar riding a camel early in the morning and going towards the valley. I asked him:

– O Leader of the Believers! Where are you going so early in the morning?

– One of the camels received as zakat has escaped. I am going to catch it.

– O Umar! You have diminished the successor Caliphs (by dealing with such a simple thing).

– Do not condemn me, O Ali! I swear by the one who sent Muhammad as a prophet, if a goat falls into the river on the edge of the Euphrates, Umar will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment, for there is no obedience to the ruler who does not protect the rights of the believers, and to the wicked leader who instills fear in the believers.”

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) stated the following in a hadith:

“The abdal of my ummah will not enter Paradise because they pray a lot or fast a lot. They will enter Paradise because they are pure-hearted, generous and merciful towards all Muslims.” (Tabarani; Daylami; Suyuti)

The words that show the importance of mercy, from the verses of the Qur’an, hadiths, wise words of the scholars, and righteous people, would take up entire volumes. Let us end with the following blessed words of our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), which he presented to us as a crystal clear principle:

“Be merciful to those on earth, so that those in the heavens will also have mercy on you.” (Abu Dawud; Tirmidhi)

With His tawfiq and inayah...

Sheikh Sayyid M. Mübarek Elhüseyni