.:: The Expanse of God’s Mercy ::.

[المتيم المجهول]

God, be glorified said : ( Say” O my servants who have squandered to their detriment, despair not of God’s mercy) Qur’an: (39:53). And God also said: (and My mercy embraces everything.) Qur’an: (7:156).



Narrated in the hadiths:

1. Abu Huraira, may God bless said: The Messenger of God (pbuh) said: When God ordained creation; He wrote a book which, to Him is above His throne. It reads: “My mercy supersedes my wrath”. And, in another version: “ Vanquished my anger”. Consensus.



2. On the authority of jabar, may God bless: The Messenger of God (pbuh) has said: Your deeds will not guarantee your entry into paradise, nor would they spare you hellfire, not even I, save with the mercy of God”. Narrated by Muslim



3. Abu huraira, may God bless, has narrated that, he had heard the Messenger of God say: God has created mercy in one hundred parts and, kept with Him ninety nine parts, descending to earth one part. Out of this single part shall humans exchange mercy, until the horse raises its hoof, lest it hurt its newly born”. Narrated by Bukhari.



One Aspect of God’s Mercy Toward His Servants:

Is His Mercy Towards The Prisoner And The Captive



God has said: (O my sons, go in search of Joseph and his brother, and despair not of God’s mercy. Surly none despairs of god’s Mercy save the unbelieving folk.) Qur’an: (12:87).




We learn from this verse that God, be glorified, warns us against despairing of His mercy, sooner or later. For in the episode of Josef, may God bless, is a profound lesson to us and, to all our brethren- the families of prisoners and captives, because God, be glorified has shown us the expanse of his mercy towards Josef, may God bless, while he was in exile, as he reunited him with his people after forty years, twelve of which he had spent in prison. We beseech God, the Almighty, to embrace our prioners, and the prisoners of all Muslim in jails, with his mercy and, to return them to their people safe and sound and, reunite them with their families. God is surely capable of that, but we must be patient and supplicate.



God’s Mercy Towards The Sick

We find a great lesson in the episode of Job-peace and prayers be upon him-who was afflicted with sickness for eighteen years. He endured his sickness with patience, and beseeched God the glorified, for his recovery. God’s mercy was extended to him and, he recovered and reunited with his family and recovered his wealth.
The verses in the Qur’an, narrating this episode read:
(And (remember) Job when he called to his Lord, saying, ‘Indeed tribulation has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the Merciful. Then we responded to him and removed what was upon him of tribulation. And we gave him his family and the like of them with them, as a mercy from us. And a remembrance to the worshippers.) Qur’an: (21:83-84).



A sick person should not despair of God’s mercy and his healing from his sickness, and he should be patient and engage in prayers and supplications.



God’s mercy on the sterile person who is incapable of begetting offspring
We find in the story of Zakariya and Abraham, peace and prayers be upon them, a moral and a lesson on this subject. A verse in the Qur’an reads: (And (remember) Zachariah, when he called to his Lord, (saying) “My Lord leave me not childless though you are the best of heirs.” The we responded to him, and we bestowed upon him John, and we adjusted his wife for him. Truly they used to vie with one another in good deeds, and supplicate us in eagerness and in tears. And they were venerators to us) Qur’an: (21:89-90).



After prolonged endurance and advanced age, God’s mercy and bounty blessed him with a son, John (yahya) and, also, Abraham (pbuh) when he had reached the age of one hundred and his wife had reached the age of ninety. They begot Ishmael and Isaac and after the Jacob. The Qur’an states: (Praise is to God who has bestowed on me in my old age Ishmael and Isaac. Surely my Lord is Hearer of the supplication.) Qur’an: (14:39).

And also: (Hence we gave her the glad tidings of Isaac and of Jacob after Isaac. ☼ She said, ‘Woe betide me! Shall I give birth whilst being an old woman, and husband is an old man? This is indeed a wondrous thing. ‘☼ they said, ‘ do you wonder at God’s behest?) Qur’an: (11:71-73)



We beseech the Almighty to grant patience to anyone suffering from sterility and to award good offspring.





What is required of us is to be merciful to one another as Muslim, in vindication of the Prophet’s saying (pbuh): In every iota that you give is recompense). Narrated by Bukhari. And on the authority of Abi Sa’id, he said: “ Whoever does not show mercy shall not be shown mercy”.
Narrated by Bukhari in “ Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”.



Conclusion: God’s mercy is plentiful and great and, is extended to His faithful and patient servants. A person of faith should not despair of God’s beneficence. There are manifold manifestations of God’s mercy, encompassing His faithful servants. In the Qur’an and Sunna which space does not permit to enumerate.



We beseech God, be glorified, to include us among His faithful servants