Mercy of Ar-Rahmān - 377

Est. Read time: 4 min
Edition Number: 377

Assalamu Alaykum,

In this gem, shaykh reminds us that the mercy we see in this world is just 1% of Allah ﷻ’s mercy, while 99% is saved for the Hereafter.

Hope you enjoy!

We begin in the Name of Allah ﷻ, the Most Merciful and Compassionate,
We ask that He ﷻ sends Peace and Blessings upon our noble and beloved
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

The difference between ar-Rahmān and ar-Rahīm has been explained beautifully by the companions and scholars of Islam. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه said, “Ar-Rahmān is Allah ﷻ’s mercy that is extended to all of creation in this world, while ar-Rahīm is the mercy that is exclusive for the Hereafter.” In another narration, he said, “Ar-Rahmān is general for all of creation, whereas ar-Rahīm is specific for the believers,” as Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an: “And He is ever Merciful to the believers.” These two explanations align, because on the Day of Judgment, only the believers will have access to Allah ﷻ’s mercy, while in this world His mercy encompasses everyone. From a linguistic perspective, both names are on patterns of hyperbole (mubālaghah), but ar-Rahīm is considered more extreme than ar-Rahmān. This follows the Arabic morphological pattern where the ending with “yā” (like al-‘Alīm, al-‘Azīz) signifies a stronger, more intensified form.

This understanding also connects to the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ in which he mentioned that Allah ﷻ has one hundred portions of mercy. Out of these, only one portion has been sent down to this world, while the remaining ninety-nine are reserved for the Hereafter. All the mercy we see in this world from animals caring for their young, to parents sacrificing for their children, to the compassion and kindness we show one another is derived from that single portion. A mother losing sleep for her child, a father working tirelessly to provide for his family, and every act of mercy and tenderness we witness all of it is just 1% of Allah ﷻ’s mercy. The other 99% is saved for the Hereafter, where mercy is needed most.

May Allah ﷻ grant us the tawfiq to recognize His mercy in every moment, to be grateful for it, and to strive to be recipients of the greater mercy in the Hereafter.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم

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