The Merciful Messenger

People need joviality, intimacy to encompass them, forbearance, and a big heart to bear their concerns. A person without heart is like a machine, and without soul he is nearer to a solid stone. Man is characterized by his heart and soul by which man shows mercy to others.

Mercy is one of Allah's Attributes, He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and He is the Most Compassionate. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And My Mercy embraces all things." [Surat Al A`raf: 56].

If people show mercy toward one another, there will be no oppressed, miserable, or deprived among them. If people had showed mercy, they would not have killed one another and shed blood. If they had showed mercy, they would not have disputed with one another and would not have resorted to courts for solving their disputes, and if people show mercy to one another, their selves will calm down.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "And Allah is merciful only to those of His Servants who are merciful (to others)." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet also said: "Mercy is only taken from the one who is destined for wretchedness." [Reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhy].

It was reported from Christ (Peace be upon him) his saying in the Sermon of the Mountain: "Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy."

Mercy is the call of prophets and Messengers, and was embodied in its highest image in the personality of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who was the mercy given to the worlds. He guided them to the way of success and put the plans of change and rehabilitation, seeking the care of Allah and following His Guidance. He did not deceive or trick the people and he did not use violence nor hatred, but treated them kindly, forgave their rudeness, and addressed them of what they could understand. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And We have sent you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)." [Surat Al Anbiya': 107].

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was a mercy in terms of the religion and in the world. As for the religion, he was sent and the people were in ignorance and error, so he called them to the truth, explained for them the rulings, and distinguished between the lawful and prohibited. As for the world, by his mission they got rid of humiliation and insignificance. The message of Muhammad is mercy for human beings, and this mercy is still expanding to include anyone who needs mercy.

Humanity today is in dire need to this mercy because it is sinking in material baffles, hells of wars, and harshness of souls and hearts.

The element of mercy shows up in his message (peace be upon him) about monotheism which saves people from error, heathendom, illusion, and superstition, so heads do not bow except before Allah, the One and the Superior Force.

Even the infidels obtained mercy by his mission by the delay of their punishment, and they were not inflicted by torment, such as collapse, deformation, and drowning as happened to the previous nations, which is an honor to the Prophet (peace be upon him): "And Allâh would not punish them while you (Muhammad peace be upon him) are amongst them." [Surat Al Anfal: 33].

At-Tirmidhy reported with a good chain of transmission on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al `Aas who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): "The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you."

At-Tabarany reported with an authentic chain of transmission on the authority of Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: "You shall not become true believers until you show mercy to one another. They said: We all are compassionate. He said: It is not the mercy which you show to your friends but it is the general mercy [which all the people should show to one another]."

When the Prophet's front teeth were broken, he said: "O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know." It was reported in some books of Tafsir (Qur'anic commentary) about Allah's Saying: "And verily, your Lord will give you (all good) so that you shall be well-pleased." [Surat Ad-Duha: 5].

When the previous Ayah was revealed, he said: "O Allah, it does not please me on the Day of Recompense to see one of my nation in Hell." Imam Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "It was said: O Messenger of Allah, invoke Allah against the polytheists. He said: I was not sent as a curser, but I was sent as a mercy."

Al Bukhari reported on the authority of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "Whenever Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful to do so, he would not approach it. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) never took revenge (over anybody) for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged in which case he would take revenge for Allah's Sake."

An-Nu`man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever."

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you (Muhammad peace be upon him) been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults)." [Surat Al `Imran: 159]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Verily, there has come to you a Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad peace be upon him) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allâh, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire); for the believers (he peace be upon him is) full of pity, kind, and merciful." [Surat At-Tawbah: 128].

At-Tirmidhy reported with authentic chain of transmission on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al `Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "He is not one of us who shows no mercy to younger ones and does not acknowledge the honor due to our elders."  "A funeral procession passed by Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) who said: Relieved or relieving? The people asked: O Allah's Messenger! What is relieved and relieving? He said: A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah, while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from him."

Of the aspects of his mercy is the Hadith that was reported by Al Bukhari on the authority of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: "A bedouin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: You (people) kiss the boys! We don't kiss them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I cannot put mercy in your heart after Allah has taken it away from it."

Al Bukhari reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) kissed Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali while Al Aqra` ibn Habis At-Tamimy was sitting beside him. Al Aqra` said: I have ten children and I have never kissed anyone of them, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) cast a look at him and said: Whoever is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully."

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) complaining of the harshness of his heart, He said to him: "Do you like to soften your heart and meet your need? Show mercy to orphans, wipe over his head, and feed him of your food."

His servant Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) told us about the way the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to treat him: I served Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) for ten years (the last part of his life time) By Allah, he never insulted me, never said pshaw to me, never said to me why did that, and never said to something I left: why did you leave it." Abu Dawud reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:"Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) stood up for the prayer and we too stood up along with him. Then a bedouin shouted while offering prayer. O Allah! Bestow Your Mercy on me and Muhammad only and do not bestow it on anybody else along with us. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) had finished his prayer with Taslim, he said to the Bedouin: You have limited (narrowed) a very vast (thing), meaning Allah's Mercy." Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Once I was walking with Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and he was wearing a garment from Najran with thick hem. A bedouin followed him and pulled his garment so violently that I noticed the side of the shoulder of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) affected by the hem of the garment because of that violent pull. The Bedouin said: O Muhammad, give me some of Allah's wealth which He has given to you. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) turned and looked at him and smiled then he commanded that he is given something [of that money].

Al Bukhari reported: "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth."

Mu`awiyah ibn Qurrah narrated that a man said: "O Messenger Allah, verily, I feel sorry when I am about to slaughter a goat. Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Verily, if you show mercy to them, Allah shall show mercy to you." That means: If you are about to slaughter it, slaughter it while you are showing mercy to it. `Abdullah ibn Ja`far said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made me ride behind him one day and confided something to me which I shall never disclose to anyone. He (peace be upon him) entered an orchard belonging to an Ansary and saw there a camel. When it saw him, it began to groan and its eyes shed tears. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) approached it and patted it on the hump and the base of its head until it quieted down. Then he (peace be upon him) asked: Who is the owner of this camel? An Ansary youth stepped forward and said: It is mine, O Messenger of Allah!' He said: Do you not fear Allah in respect of this beast which Allah has placed in your possession? This camel is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil." Al Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "While a man was walking on a road, he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself: This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did. So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him. The people asked: O Allah's Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals? He said: (Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being)." The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not bear to see any animal that carries beyond its capacity, and prohibited that a living animal is taken as a target for amusement such as wrestling bulls, moreover he prohibited provocation between animals. He disapproved that the People of Pre-Islamic Period cut the ears of cattle. Furthermore, he commanded that a person should sharpen his knife when slaughtering an animal, not to slaughter an animal while another animal is looking, and a person should not sharpen his knife before the animal. When the mule of the Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up, he used to grind the barely and feed it with his own hands.

The attacks of the enemy against the Prophet (peace be upon him) were met by wisdom and led to the unity of the Muslim nation, no matter their doctrines were, and no matter how combined their words are and that is a clear sign to the goodness of this nation because it is the nation of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should also be callers to goodness and guidance, stick to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and to spread his message to all the people.

And Praise be to the Lord of the World.