Praise be
to Allaah.
Allaah is the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate,
and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy. His Mercy encompasses all
things. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“and My
Mercy embraces all things”
[al-A’raaf 7:156]
In Saheeh
Muslim it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Allaah has one hundred parts of mercy, of
which He sent down one between the jinn, mankind, the animals and the insects,
by means of which they are compassionate and merciful to one another, and by
means of which wild animals are kind to their offspring. And Allaah has kept back ninety-nine parts of mercy with which
to be merciful to His slaves of the Day of Resurrection.”
Muslim, al-Tawbah,
6908.
It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab
said: “Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and
there was a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for her child). When
she found her child she embraced him and put him to her breast. The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said to us, ‘Do you think that this woman would throw her child in
the fire?’ We said, ‘No, by Allaah, not if she is
able not to.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Allaah is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to
her child.’”
Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 5653; Muslim, 6912.
One aspect of the
Mercy
of Allaah
to His slaves is that He sent the Messengers and revealed the Books and laws to
organize their lives according to the ways of wisdom, far removed from hardship
and difficulty. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And
We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for
the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:107]
The
Mercy_of Allaah
is what will admit His believing slaves to Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.
No one will ever enter Paradise because of his deeds alone, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No
one’s deeds will ever admit him to Paradise.” They said, “Not even you, O
Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “No, not even me,
unless Allaah showers me with His Mercy. So try to be
near to perfection. And no one should wish for death; he is either doing good so he will do more of that, or he is doing wrong so he
may repent.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
5349; Muslim, 7042
So the believer must remain in a
state between hoping for the
Mercy
of Allaah
and fearing His punishment, for Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Declare (O Muhammad) unto My slaves, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the
Most-Merciful.
And that My Torment is indeed the most painful
torment”
[al-Hijr 15:49-50]
With regard to your saying that Allaah loves us more than seventy mothers, Allaah knows best concerning that. It is sufficient for us
to know that the
Mercy
of Allaah
encompasses all things. O Allaah, have mercy upon us,
O Most merciful of those who show mercy.