12 Rabi ul-Awwal 1446
Ebrahim Moosa | Palestine Information Network
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radi Allahu anhu) reported that Rasulullah ﷺ once said, “Verily, I might begin the salaah and I intend to prolong it, but then I hear the crying of an infant. I will shorten the salaah as I know his crying will distress his mother.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
After imaan, nothing fills the heart more beautifully than the gift of mercy. Faith lacking mercy, is a faith that is deficient. As Muslims, we begin our actions with the formula: Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. This sacred expression, which is frequently repeated, extols the Divine attributes, al-Rahman and al-Rahim, both of which derive from rahmah, or mercy. In the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ draws attention to how He has prescribed mercy for Himself (al-An‘am 6:12) and how His mercy embraces all things (al-A‘raf 7:156).
Of the greatest manifestations of Allah’s ﷻ Infinite Mercy is his designating of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ as a universal ambassador of Mercy: “And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds” (Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:107). Rasulullah ﷺ is the Prophet of mercy, sent by Allah ﷻ as a mercy to all mankind; believers, and even non-believers and hypocrites. The mercy he exuded was a shelter, not simply for humanity, but all living beings. Allah ﷺ describes the tender and considerate nature of His beloved ﷺ as one that is saturated with concern for our suffering, anxious over our well-being, and filled with grace and mercy to the believers (At-Tawbah 9:128).
When a man who witnessed Rasulullah ﷺ kissing his grandson, Sayyiduna Hasan (radi Allahu anhu), remarked that he had ten children and never kissed any of them, Rasulullah ﷺ proclaimed: “Verily, whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.”
The tears of Prophetic mercy flowed profusely throughout the Sirah, be they in sujood, or in the dua on the eve of battle, or when encountering the persecution of the polytheists, or upon receipt of news of the martyrdom or passing of his blessed companions.
As his son, Ibrahim (radi Allahu anhu) breathed his last, tears flowed from the blessed eyes of Rasulullah ﷺ. “My eyes are flowing, my heart is grieved, but we will only say that with pleases Allah,” Nabi ﷺ said. He added, “This is mercy, and he who does not show mercy, will not have mercy shown to him.”
This embodiment of mercy would shorten his salaah out of tenderness for a child crying, and in consideration for the anxiety this weeping would be causing to a mother. After the massacre of 70 of his select companions who were ‘Qurra’ at Bi’r Ma’oona, Rasulullah ﷺ felt such a sense of pain and grief that he never experienced before.
Considering these tears he ﷺ shed for a single child and the concern he afforded to the feelings of even one mother, it is mind-blowing to consider how the blessed heart of Rasulullah ﷺ would ache at the unfathomable scenes of cruelty and suffering we are witnessing today from Gaza.
At least 53 children have been murdered by Israeli Occupation terror every day since October 7, and 72 men and women are killed in Israeli strikes, every single day. At least 10 000 Palestinians are missing under the rubble, most of them presumed dead. Of the more-than 40 000 people killed, nearly 17 000 are children.
After the incident of Bi’r Ma’oona, for an entire month, during Fajr, Rasulullah ﷺ performed the Qunūt and supplicated against the transgressors. Driven by the mercy evoked at witnessing the torment of his companions, Rasulullah ﷺ sought the establishment of justice. Justice too, is a mercy from Allah ﷻ to humankind. Borne out of mercy, justice is an essential instrument for preserving and elevating human honour and dignity.
The books of Sirah recount how the look on the blessed face of Rasulullah ﷺ changed when he encountered the pitiable condition of tribesmen from Mudar who were clad in woollen rags, dishevelled and starving. They also record, however, how the same blessed face began glowing soon after like that of the bright moon or glittering gold, after he ﷺ witnessed an amazing outpouring of generosity from his companions to uplift these most-deserving individuals.
May the Prophetic example of mercy shine upon us so that we are able to truly feel the pain of the tormented Ummah. May it propel us towards a greater striving for justice that will see tears turned to smiles, hearts being healed, and peace replacing all the horror.
