Mercy/Compassion

The Compassion of Mothers

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ جَاءَتْنِي مِسْكِينَةٌ تَحْمِلُ ابْنَتَيْنِ لَهَا فَأَطْعَمْتُهَا ثَلَاثَ تَمَرَاتٍ فَأَعْطَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا تَمْرَةً وَرَفَعَتْ إِلَى فِيهَا تَمْرَةً لِتَأْكُلَهَا فَاسْتَطْعَمَتْهَا ابْنَتَاهَا فَشَقَّتْ التَّمْرَةَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَأْكُلَهَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَأَعْجَبَنِي شَأْنُهَا فَذَكَرْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَوْجَبَ لَهَا بِهَا الْجَنَّةَ أَوْ أَعْتَقَهَا بِهَا مِنْ النَّارِ

Aisha reports: A poor lady came to me carrying her two daughters and I gave her three dates. She gave each daughter a date and raised the third one to her mouth to eat it, but her two daughters asked for it. She divided the date which she had intended to eat into two parts and between them. I was impressed by her and mentioned the incident to Allah's Messenger (sas). He said, "Allah has made Paradise mandatory for her" or "has liberated her by this from the fire".

In another version, the Prophet said, "What has amazed you about that? Allah has had mercy upon her because of her compassion for her two children."

Mercy toward Allah's creation brings on Allah's mercy upon its doer. In another hadith, the Prophet (sas) said:

الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمْ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ  أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ وَالرَّحِمُ شُجْنَةٌ مِنْ الرَّحْمَنِ مَنْ وَصَلَهَا وَصَلَتْهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَهَا بَتَّتْهُ [أحمد]

"The merciful ones will receive the mercy of the Most Merciful. Have mercy upon the people of the earth so those in heaven have mercy on you. Ar-rahim (the womb) is close related to Ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful). Whoever connects it (i.e., ties of family) I will connect and whoever cuts it I will cut."

Fairness Among Children

An-Nu'maan ibn Basheer reports that his father went to Allah's Messenger (sas) carrying him (or leading him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I make you my witness that I have bequethed An-Nu'maan such-and-such."  He (sas) asked, "Did you make such a grant to all of your children?" "No", he answered.  He (sas) then said, "Then get someone else as a witness."  Then, he (sas) said, "Would you not like them to all be equally righteous toward you?" "Why, yes!" he replied.  He (sas) then said, "Then, no."

In another version, the Prophet (sas) said, "Do not call me to witness injustice."

And, in another, "This is no good and I do not bear witness except to what is right."

Of the adab of parenthood is the necessity of being equal with all of one's children in gifts and giving.

It is lawful to give to less than all of one's children if it is done as and incentive for good deeds and some of them earned it while other did not according to most scholars.

Mercy is 100 Parts

جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الرَّحْمَةَ مِائَةَ جُزْءٍ فَأَمْسَكَ عِنْدَهُ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ جُزْءًا وَأَنْزَلَ فِي الْأَرْضِ جُزْءًا وَاحِدًا فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الْجُزْءِ يَتَرَاحَمُ الْخَلْقُ حَتَّى تَرْفَعَ الْفَرَسُ حَافِرَهَا عَنْ وَلَدِهَا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُ [البخاري]

"Allah made Mercy 100 parts. He kept 99 parts and sent one part down to earth. From this is all the compassion and mercy in creation even the horse lifting its hoof for fear of hurting its young."

This hadith is a source of joy for the believer and a strong incentive to effort in all that is good and right. As one contemplates the great mercies of Allah upon us right here in this life and struggles to imagine the much greater mercy which Allah has kept to Himself and to which the believer hopes to look forward. Believers then compete to reach out to Allah's creation with compassion and mercy out of desire for the other 99% which Allah has kept to Himself.