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The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There was a man who wronged himself greatly, and when he was dying, he said to his children: ‘When I am dead, burn my body and then grind my bones and scatter me in the wind and at sea, for by Allah, if Allah gets hold of me, He will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else.’
So, they did that. But Allah Almighty said to the earth: ‘Give back what you have taken.’ Then, there he was, standing. Allah said to him: ‘What made you do what you did?’ He said: ‘Fear from You.’ So Allah forgave him.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Praising Himself and giving glad tidings to His servants, Allah Almighty says: {...Indeed, your Lord is All-Kind, Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nahl: 7]
“Ra’ūf” is derived from “ra’fah”, which means the highest degree of mercy.
Indeed, it is good in every aspect. Allah Almighty says: {...Indeed, Allah is All-Kind and Most Merciful to mankind.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 143]
Our Lord, Exalted be He, is the One Who created us, protects us, shows mercy and kindness to us, subjects the world to us, removes harm from us, and brings all sorts of good things to us. This stems from His supreme benevolence and bounty.
Out of His kindness towards His pious servants, Allah Almighty accepts their good deeds, no matter how little they may be, and preserves their faith and does not cause it to be lost or go to waste. {...And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is All-Kind and Most Merciful to mankind.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 143]
Out of His supreme kindness towards His servants, He warns, encourages, intimidates, promises, and threatens them, as He wants to lead them to what is good and beneficial for them. {...And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is All-Kind to [His] servants.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 30]
One of the signs of His kindness is that He revealed the Book to His Messenger so as to bring people out of darkness into light by His permission. Allah Almighty says: {It is He Who sends down upon His Servant verses of clear evidence that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And indeed, Allah is All-Kind and Most Merciful to you.} [Surat al-Hadīd: 9]
Another sign of His kindness is that He subjected to us means of transportation, such as horses, mules, and donkeys in the past, and cars, planes, trains, etc. in modern times. Allah Almighty says: {And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is All-Kind, Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nahl: 7]
Signs of His kindness also include the fact that whatever He buys from His servants - like their lives and wealth - does originally belong to Him, and He gives them abundant rewards in return. He says: {And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is All-Kind to [His] servants.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 207]
And as part of His supreme kindness, He answers the supplications of His close servants. Allah Almighty says: {And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying: “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are All-Kind and Most Merciful.”} [Surat al-Hashr: 10]
Another aspect of His kindness is that He laid down certain punishments that deter people from committing crimes and drive them to adhere to piety. Indeed, it is out of kindness to reform those to whom kindness is to be shown. Kindness is a higher and more gentle form of mercy. Allah Almighty says: {And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy... and because Allah is All-Kind, Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nūr: 20]
Another sign of His kindness is that He gives respite to the disbelievers and sinners instead of seizing them unexpectedly while they are not aware. And He also gives them safety, good health, and sustenance. Allah Almighty says: {Or that He would not seize them gradually [in a state of dread]? But indeed, your Lord is All-Kind and Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nahl: 47]
And one of the signs of His kindness is that He holds {...the sky from falling upon the earth, unless by His permission. Indeed Allah is All-Kind and Most Merciful to people.} [Surat al-Hajj: 65]
Everyone who suffers poverty, distress, and a broken heart.
Everyone who is in heavy debt and, therefore, lives in loss and confusion and finds life to be narrow and tough.
Everyone who goes through severe pains, and doctors cannot find a cure for him, and there is no way.
Everyone who is in grief and distress and upon whom life has turned its back, and he is surrounded with hardships.
Everyone whose son, loved one, or friend has traveled or been away for a long while, and so he agonizes, his heart shivers in sadness, and he sees the beautiful life around him as hard and gloomy.
Remember the verse that says: {...Indeed, your Lord is All-Kind and Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nahl: 7]. And repeat that verse that reads: {...And Allah is All-Kind to [His] servants} [Surat al-Baqarah: 207] Call out and say: My All-Kind Lord, show kindness to me, strengthen me, and remove my distress and the harm I am suffering.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Allah Almighty afflicts His servants to hear their complaints and earnest imploring and supplication to Him.” {He said: “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah...”} [Surat Yūsuf: 86]
And then expect relief from your Lord, Who says: {Is He [not best] Who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.} [Surat an-Naml: 62]
He is the All-Kind, the Most Merciful, the Magnificent, the Most High. How close and kind He is to His servants!
When you find a hardship getting tough, know that it will soon ease; when the night getting dark, rejoice, for the morning is approaching soon.
Do not be impatient or lose hope in the All-Kind and Most Merciful Lord. Indeed, things must necessarily change. The best act of worship is to wait for relief from Allah. Days bring change and fluctuations, and the future is pregnant with many possibilities, yet they are now unseen to us. Allah Almighty says: {...Every day He is upon some affair.} [Surat ar-Rahmān: 29] He also says: {...Perhaps Allah will bring about after that a [different] matter.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] And He says: {Verily, with every hardship comes ease, Verily, with every hardship comes ease.} [Surat ash-Sharh: 5-6]
Allah Almighty describes His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as being kind, saying: {There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Hard to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and is kind and merciful to the believers.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 128] That means he is extremely kind and merciful towards the believers. Indeed, he is more merciful to them than their own parents.
That is why his right takes precedence over the rights of all people, and it is incumbent upon them to believe in him and respect and revere him.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would spend the whole night in prayer repeating one single verse: {If You should punish them - indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them - indeed it is You Who are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 118] Then, Allah Almighty, the All-Kind Lord, informed him that He would make him pleased with regard to his Ummah.
The believer should show kindness to himself and follow the paths of salvation and avoid those of ruin and perdition. And he should do this with other people as well.
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “If a person treats others generously, Allah treats him generously and graciously. Indeed, recompense is of the same type of the action.”
My Lord, You see my condition and know my need and weakness.
And You hear my secret talk and innermost thoughts.
My Lord, make me taste Your pardon on a Day
when no children or wealth will be of any avail.
O Allah, the All-Kind, we implore You to admit us into Your Paradise and save us from Your Hellfire.