149 - Grace abounding

1. The Prophet, peace be upon him, informs us that Allah Almighty has divided mercy into one hundred parts. This is an approximation by the Prophet, peace be upon him, to convey the meaning, and Allah knows best about its nature. However, the intended meaning is that there are numerous mercies that Allah has designated for His servants. The purpose is to emphasize that what we possess of mercy is limited, while what He possesses, glorified be He, is abundant.

2. Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him, further explained that ninety-nine percent of these mercies will be in the Hereafter for His servants. All that we witness in this world as manifestations of mercy, such as a mother's mercy towards her child and the compassion and forgiveness among people regarding their rights, and even the mercy shown to animals, whether we know about it or not, is only a part of that mercy which Allah has sent down. If what we see on earth of mercy is just one part out of one hundred, then how about the rest of the parts that Allah has prepared for His servants in the Hereafter? They are stored and reserved by Allah Almighty until the Day of Judgment. People will receive multiplied mercy that exceeds what they experienced in this world. Allah, glorified be He, will forgive them and make it easy for them to forgive one another.

3. Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave an example of the mercy that Allah has bestowed upon His servants. It is the mercy among animals and creatures, where they show compassion towards one another. The lion does not eat its cubs, and even the female horse, with her speed and agility, lifts her leg to avoid harming her offspring. This is a small example among many examples of this one part of mercy, and through it, the vastness of Allah's mercy becomes evident.

1. The mercy of Allah is vast, but He has a special and greater mercy for those who fear Him and believe. Therefore, whoever desires to receive the abundant reward of Allah's mercy should hasten to enter the path of the righteous servants of Allah, by upholding His boundaries, following His commands, and refraining from what He has forbidden.

2. If animals and creatures, who have not been given intellect and wisdom, show compassion towards one another, then what about those who have removed mercy from their hearts? Whoever does not show mercy will not receive mercy.

3. Whenever you see Allah testing you or testing His servant with a calamity, know that it is a result of great wisdom. Otherwise, Allah, glorified be He, is not lacking in mercy. And whenever you see Him cursing or condemning someone to eternal fire, know that they deserve it.

4. Do not let your heart be constricted by the hardships that befall you, for how vast is the mercy of Allah, and how close is its attainment for His weak servants who seek it from Him and have good expectations of Him.

5. Our Lord is merciful, He sends from His mercy what sustains our lives, and He reserves from it that we will need on a day when there will be no currency. Retribution is through good deeds and bad deeds, and the bankrupt is the one who exhausts their good deeds and increases their bad deeds. Then, Allah makes some of His mercy the angels' supplication for us, seeking mercy, forgiveness, elevation in ranks, and the greatest part of it is when He forgives our sins and pardons us, overlooking our shortcomings in worship and obedience to His commands. Indeed, whoever neglects to show gratitude and repentance to Him after that is a deluded loser.

6. As the poet said:
To You, O God, I raise my desire,
Even if I am a criminal, O Possessor of bounty and generosity.
When my heart hardened and my ways narrowed,
I made hope in Your forgiveness my ladder.
My sins overwhelmed me, but when I associated them.
With Your forgiveness, O my Lord, your forgiveness became greater.
And You have always been forgiving of sins,
Generous in pardon and honor.