Mercy is a favor from Allah that He puts in the hearts of whomsoever He wills of His servants. Verily, Allah will have mercy on His servants who show mercy to others, as He is the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful. He loves the merciful and calls to mercy. He orders His servants to enjoin patience and mercy. A person may lack mercy for some reasons, such as the abundance of sins and disobedience. This is because sins stain people’s hearts to the extent that they ultimately blind them until their hearts become harder than stones. Allah, speaking about the Children of Israel, says: {And yet, after all this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even harder}. (2: 74) Allah also says about them when they opposed and rebelled against the Divine law: {Then, for having broken their solemn pledge, We rejected them and caused their hearts to harden}. (5: 13)
Among the things that cause a loss of mercy is arrogance with wealth and pride with riches. Allah says: {Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient}. (96: 6-7) The day the heart is disciplined with faith and good deeds it fills with mercy and kindness. Another reason for the weakness of mercy is the abundance of gluttony and saturation, because they give rise to contempt and recklessness. Hence, the month of fasting was prescribed to crush this unruliness and ill discipline. The fasting person is naturally among the most merciful people. That is because he has tasted hunger, experienced thirst, and endured hardship. Therefore, his soul is enveloped with mercy, care and gentleness for Muslims.
Mercy is something that every Muslim is required to show to his brother Muslim. It is a requirement from every responsible custodian toward those under his care. He should feel sorry for them and be lenient towards them. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said: “O Allah! Whoever is entrusted with authority over any affair of the Muslims and made it difficult for them, make it difficult for him. And whoever is entrusted over any affair of the Muslims and is kind towards them, be kind towards him.”
In an authentic Hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “Whoever oversees an affair for my nation and disappeared or abandoned them without fulfilling their needs while impoverishing them, Allah will debar him from his needs and impoverish him on the Day of Judgement.”
Mercy demands that the scholar and teacher should be gentle toward his students and lead them to the easiest and best ways to love him and benefit from his teachings. If he does this Allah will decree for him the most excellent and abounding reward. Listen to the manner in which Allah praises His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: {And it was by God’s grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee}. (3: 159)
Mercy further requires from the imam that he should not make worship difficult for his followers or cause them harm. On the contrary, he should be merciful, kind and wise. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever leads the people in prayer must make it easy because among them are the old, the sick, the young and the needy.” It was narrated that when Mu`adh once extended the prayer the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: “Are you a troublemaker O Mu`adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu`adh? Are you a troublemaker O Mu`adh?”
In the same manner, when `Uthman Ibn Abu Al-`As Ath-Thaqafi requested: ‘O Messenger of Allah, make me an Imam of my people.’ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘You are their Imam so lead the prayer according to the weakest of them and take a caller to prayer who would seek no payment for doing so.’
Mercy dictates that the one who calls to Islam must advise those whom he is inviting with tenderness. That he should, moreover, clarify issues to them with concern. He should not hurt, defame people or even revile the disobedient in public. Allah advised Moses and Aaron to employ the following methods in their call to the tyrant Pharaoh: {But speak unto him in a mild manner, so that he might bethink himself or [at least] be filled with apprehension}. (20: 44)
He also says: {Call thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer’s path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner}. (16: 125)
The eminent jurist and Islamic scholar, Imam Ash-Shafi`i wrote:
Support me with your advice in private, and avoid advising me in public.
Surely giving advice among the people is a kind of reproach, which I would rather not listen to.
If you disobey and ignore my wish, don’t be saddened if you are not obeyed.
Mercy is required from a father to his children. The mercy of the father or mother towards their children has the greatest effect on their integrity, well-being and obedience. Self-praise and harshness only open the door to despair. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Kindness was never bestowed upon something except that it beautified it, and it was never removed from that thing except that it made it ugly.”
O you who fast and cause hunger to your stomach, there are thousands of stomachs more awaiting a meal. Will there not arise from amongst you those who would feed them? O you who fast and cause thirst to your liver, there are thousands more who await a mouthful of water. Will there not arise from amongst you those who would quench their thirst? O you who fast and wear the finest garments, there are naked people out there awaiting only a piece of cloth to cover their bodies. Will there not then come forth from amongst you those who would clothe them?
O Allah! We implore to you to bestow on us your extended mercy that will forgive our sins and erase our misdeeds and errors.
By Sheikh `Aa’id `Abdullah Al-Qarni
