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ISLAM AS A MERCY FOR THE ENTIRE CREATION
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*Love Others as You Love Yourself*
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Islam teaches us to be merciful to the entire creation, to Muslims and non-Muslims, to friends, even to the animals, trees, rocks etc.
Mercy (Raḥmah) in Islam has a very wide meaning that includes kindness, compassion, love, tolerance, patience with people, and to treat others the way we would love to be treated.
Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ), said, _*“None of you will have faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”*_
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 13)
This Islamic value is at the core of the prophetic message and meaning of faith. Every Muslim needs to strive to be an agent of mercy on earth for all human beings and creatures.
Allaah (ﷻ) says:
ۛ *وَأَحْسِنُوٓا۟ ۛ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ*
_...And do good; indeed, Allaah loves the doers of good._
[Al-Baqara 2:195]
Allaah (ﷻ) again said (speaking to Muhammad ﷺ):
*وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ*
_I have not sent you except as mercy to the worlds._
[Al-Anbiyah 21:107]
This means mercy to everything on earth.
Allaah (ﷻ) intends for the mercy of Islam to touch every person on earth. It is not as some have claimed, that Islam is only merciful to Muslims. Rather, *Islam teaches us to be merciful to the entire world and everyone in it* so as to soften the heart of the non-Muslims towards Islam.
Abdullah ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said:
_*Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One above the heavens will have mercy upon you.*_
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1924.)
Our actions must be a source of daawah to non-Muslims around us. We must strive to please Allaah (ﷻ) through our speech, our dress, our treatment of others, etc. If we treat especially non-Muslims well whilst dressed well showing our identity as Muslims, that alone is enough daawah to them.
May Allaah (ﷻ) aid us to be merciful to others and protect us from any satanic influences.
*آمِيْن يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينْ*
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