رحم دلی

Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Those people will be deprived of Allah's special mercy in whose hearts there is no compassion for other people and who do not show mercy to others." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Mercy is in truth a special attribute of Allah Most High; ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim are among His special names — that is, Allah is the One who shows mercy. In this world Allah's mercy is general, and disbeliever and believer alike benefit from it without distinction; but in the Hereafter His mercy will be reserved for the believers alone. The more a servant reflects this attribute of Allah, the more deserving he is of Allah's mercy; and the more merciless a person is, the more he will be deprived of Allah's mercy.

In this hadith the word "man" is general, covering believer and disbeliever, the pious and the wicked alike, for without doubt mercy is the right of all. The greatest demand of true compassion towards a disbeliever or a sinner is that our hearts should ache at the fate awaiting his disbelief and sin, and that we strive to save him from it. Every aspect of the pure life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lies before us like an open book: even for Wahshi, the Abyssinian who killed his dearly beloved uncle Hamza, he ﷺ longed that he might somehow enter Islam — and, moved by the Prophet's mercy, character, and conduct, Wahshi did eventually embrace Islam and became known as the Companion Wahshi.

Beyond this, to protect every person — whether believer or disbeliever — from worldly and physical hardships and to be concerned for him is certainly part of compassion.

Likewise, in our personal affairs, to forgive someone who has made a mistake or wronged us is also the most excellent and highest form of compassion. When we do so, Allah Most High, out of His grace and generosity, forgives the failings of His servants and raises them in rank.

Show mercy to the people of the earth, and God upon the highest Throne will show mercy to you.