The mercy of Allah Most High

Allah Most High says:  Your Lord has decreed Mercy for Himself.  Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

 

Surah Ana’am

 

The Mercy of Allah prevails over His wrath

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  When Allah Most High decided to bring the creation into being, He wrote a book (Lauh Mahfooz – The Protected Tablet), which is present with Him on the ‘Arsh and it is written in that book:  My Mercy prevails over My wrath.

 

Both Bukhari and Muslim have related this.

 

Details about the absolute Mercy of Allah Most High

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Indeed!  The Mercy of Allah has 100 parts.  Only one of them has been sent down to the earth, which has been divided among the humans, genies, animals and insects.  It is through this mercy that they have relations among each other and treat each other with compassion and it is through this mercy that even savage animals treat their young ones with compassion.

 

The remaining 99 parts have been reserved for the hereafter through which He will have mercy on His believing slaves (and enter them into paradise).

 

This has been related by both Bukhari and Muslim….

 

A Muslim should remain between hope and fear

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  If a believer gets to know the severity of the punishment and torture (of sins) with Allah Most High, then (out of fear of their sins) no believer will so much as think of paradise.

 

If the disbelievers get to know how boundless is Allah’s Mercy, then no disbeliever will ever despair of entering paradise.

 

(This shows that a believer should be between hope and fear)

 

This has been related by both Bukhari and Muslim.

 

Paradise and hell are near good and bad deeds respectively

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  For each of you, paradise is as near as the laces of your shoes and hell is also similarly near to you.

 

(Thus, every person will enter paradise or hell as per his/her deeds, i.e. one has faith and good deeds, then that person is near paradise and if disbelief and bad deeds, that person is near hell)

 

This has been related by Bukhari.

 

Fear of Allah Most High and admittance of sins – Means of divine forgiveness

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  A man (from one of the past nations) who was a serious sinner, when his last moments came, he instructed his sons that his body should be burnt and half of his ashes should be scattered in the forest and the other half should be thrown in the river.  He said this out of the fear that if Allah Most High gets hold of him, then due to his sins he will be subjected to such punishment that no one else in the world would have been subjected to such punishment.  Fear of Allah made him disregard the fact that Almighty Allah is capable of gathering all his scattered particles and then questioning him.

 

          Thus, when that person died, his sons followed his instructions.  Almighty Allah ordered the river to gather his remains and similarly the land was ordered to gather his remains.  When that person appeared before Allah Most High, He asked him:  Why did you do such a thing?  He answered:  My Lord!  I was a great sinner.  I have done so out of fear of Your punishment.  You know my intention well.

 

Almighty Allah forgave that person due to his fear of Allah Most High and admittance to sins.

 

This has been related by both Bukhari and Muslim.

 

[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 6]