XX. Mercy

174. The Most Merciful of those in the earth 372. 'Umar was heard to say, "Anyone who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy. Anyone who does not forgive will not be forgiven. Anyone who does not turn in repentance will not be turned to nor will he be protected or guarded." 373.

Mu'awiya ibn Qurra reported that his father said, "A man said, 'Messenger of Allah, I was going to slaughter a sheep and then I felt sorry for it (or 'sorry for the sheep I was going to slaughter').' He said twice, 'Since you showed mercy to the sheep, Allah will show mercy to you.'" 374. Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the truthful confirmed one, Abu'l-Qasim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Mercy is only removed from the one who is destined for wretchedness." 375. Jarir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah will not show mercy to a person who does not show mercy to other people." 175. Mercy towards the family 376. Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the most merciful of people towards members of his family.

He had his son (Ibrahim) suckled in part of Madina and the husband of his wet-nurse was a blacksmith. We used to go to him and the house would be full of smoke from the bellows. He would kiss the child and take him in his lap." 377. Abu Hurayra said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a child which he began to embrace. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said.

'Do you show mercy towards me?' 'Yes,' the man replied. He said, 'Allah is more merciful towards you than you are towards this child. He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.;: 176. Mercy to animals 378. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "One day a man became very thirsty while walking down the road.

He came across a well, went down into it, and drank and then climbed out. In front of him he found a dog panting, eating the dust out of thirst. The man said, 'This dog is as thirsty as I was.' He went back down into the well and filled his show, putting it into his mouth (in order to climb back up) and then gave the dog water. Therefore Allah thanked him and forgave him." They said, "Messenger of Allah, will we have a reward on account of animals?" He said, "There is a reward on account of every living thing." 379. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A woman punished her cat by imprisoning it until it died of hunger and because of it, she entered the Fire.

It was said and Allah knows best: 'You did not feed it nor give it water when you imprisoned it nor did you release it and let it eat from the plants of the earth." 380. 'Abdullah ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Show mercy and you will be shown mercy. Forgive and Allah will forgive you. Woe to the vessels that catch words (i.e. the ears). Woe to those who persist and consciously continue in what they are doing." 381.

Abu Umama that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who shows mercy, even to an animal meant for slaughtering, will be shown mercy by Allah on the Day of Rising." 177. Taking an egg from a small bird 382. 'Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped in a place and then someone took a bird's eggs and the bird began to beat its wings around the head of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He asked, "Which of you has taken its eggs?" A man said, "Messenger of Allah, I have taken its eggs." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Return them out off mercy to the bird." 178. Birds in cages 383.

Hisham ibn 'Urwa reported that Ibn az-Zubayr was in Makka and the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were carrying birds in cages. 384. Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came in and saw a son of Abu Talha's called Abu 'Umayr. He had a sparrow which he used to play with." He said, "Abu 'Umayr, what happened to (or where is) the little sparrow?'" XXI. Social Behaviour 179. Relating good things between people 385.

Umm Kulthum, the daughter of 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt, reported that she heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Someone who makes peace between people by saying something good or relates something good is not a liar." She said, "I did not hear him make an allowance for any lie that people utilise except in three cases: making peace between people, a man speaking to his wife, and a woman speaking to her husband." 180. A liar is not behaving correctly 386. 'Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You must be truthful. Truthfulness leads to dutifulness and dutifulness leads to the Garden. A man continues to tell the truth until he is written as a siddiq with Allah.

Beware of lying. Lying leads to deviance and deviance leads to the Fire. A man continues to lie until he is written as a liar with Allah." 387. 'Abdullah said, "Lying is not correct, neither in seriousness nor in seriousness nor in jest. None of you should promise his child something and then not give it to him." 181.

Someone who is patient when people injure him 388. Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The believer who mixes with people and endures their injury is better than the person who does not mix with people nor endure their injury." 182. Enduring injury 389. Abu Musa reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "No one nothing is more patient in enduring an injury which he hears than Allah Almighty. They claim that He has a son, and yet He still cures them and provides for them." 390.

'Abdullah said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, swore an oath like one of the oaths that people swear and a man of the Ansar said, 'By Allah, it is not an oath by which the Face of Allah Almighty is desired." I said, 'I will tell the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I went to him while he was with his Companions and I spoke to him in confidence. It clearly affected him greatly, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his face changed colour so that I wished that I had not told him. Then he said, 'Musa was injured with greater than that and he endured it.'" 183. Improving a state of friendship 391.

Abu'd-Darda' reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I tell you a degree better than prayer, fasting and sadaqa?" "Yes," they replied. He went to say, Improving a state of friendship. Causing discord in a state of friendship is what shaves things away." 392. Regarding the ayat, "Fear Allah and put things right between you," (8:1), Ibn 'Abbas said, "This is an injunction from Allah to the believers to fear Allah and to put things right between them." 184. When you lie to a man and he believes you 393.

Sufyan ibn Usayd al-Hadrami reported that he heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "It is great treachery to tell something to your brother so that he believes you when you are lying to him." 185. Do not make a promise to your brother and then break it 394. Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not dispute with your brother. Do not make dun of him. Do not make a promise to him and then break it." 186.

Attacking Lineage 395. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There are two courses that my Community will not abandon: wailing and attacking a person's lineage." 187. A man's love for his people 396. A woman called Fusayla said that she heard her father say, "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, is it part of disobedience for a man to help his people in something which is unjust?' 'Yes,' he replied."