Episode 12: Mercy
Definition: Mercy is tenderness of the heart and sympathy of the soul that result in forgiveness and kindness(1).
Some of its effects on behavior is complaisance, lowering the wing [(an Arabic phrase that describes the act of being very humble and compassionate towards others; As a bird does with its young)] and sharing one's pains and joys with others.
The place of Mercy in the Sharia'
Islam is the religion of mercy. A great number of texts in Islam call for, and encourage, this great moral and reveal the results of practicing it. Some of which are:
· What Jarir ibn Abdullah narrated, he said: Allah's messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: (Allah has no mercy onto those who do not have mercy onto people)(2).
· According to Abu Hurairah, he said: I heard Abu al-Gasim [(i.e. Allah's messenger)] (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: (Mercy is not stripped [away from anyone] except from a miserable [person])(3).
· According to Abdullah ibn Amr, he said: Allah's messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: (Merciful people are given mercy by [Allah] The Most Merciful. Have mercy onto those on earth and He who is in the Heavens will have mercy onto you)(4).
The Chosen-one [(i.e. prophet Mohammad)] (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was among the most complete of people to be attributed with this great moral. In fact, Allah has made [His messenger] (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) a mercy for creatures; Glory be to Him said: (And We have sent you not, but as a mercy for all creatures)(5). [The messenger's] companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were beholders of kindness and mercy, as Allah (glory be to Him) has so described them in saying: (Muhammad the messenger of Allah; and those with him are strong against unbelievers, (but) merciful amongst each other)(6).
1) Abu Bakr al-Jazaeri, Minhaj al-Muslim pg. 142.
2) Produced by: al-Bukhari #7376 and Muslim #2319.
3) Produced by: Abu Dawood #4942; al-Tirmithi #1924 and he said: "hadeeth hasan".
4) Produced by: Abu Dawood #4941; al-Tirmithi #1925 and he said: "hasan saheeh".
5) Translation of meaning: Holy Quran, chapter al-Anbiyaa, verse 107
6) Translation of meaning: Holy Quran, chapter al-Fateh, verse 29.
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