Mercy in the Qur'an
What does the Qur'an teach about God's mercy?
Trace one of the Qur'an's most frequent themes: God's mercy, which 'encompasses all things', is decreed by God upon Himself, and leaves no one beyond hope of forgiveness.
Why it matters
Many people assume religious scripture is mainly about rules and punishment. Readers of the Qur'an are often surprised by how often it speaks of mercy.
Every surah but one opens with 'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful'. This lesson follows the theme of mercy through the Qur'an and the Prophet's teaching.
The teaching
Mercy at the opening of almost every surah
The basmalah, 'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful' (1:1), begins 113 of the Qur'an's 114 surahs. Only Surah At-Tawbah (9) does not begin with it.
The two names, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, both come from the root r-h-m, meaning mercy. Before any command or story, the reader is reminded of who God is.
Mercy that God has decreed upon Himself
'He has decreed upon Himself mercy' (6:12). In another verse God says: 'My mercy encompasses all things' (7:156).
The Prophet reported that when God completed creation, He wrote in a Book with Him: 'My Mercy overpowers My Anger' (Sahih al-Bukhari 3194).
Never beyond hope
One of the most hopeful verses addresses people who have done wrong: 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins' (39:53).
Scholars explain that this includes anyone who sincerely turns back to God in repentance. No one is told that it is too late.
Greater than a mother's love
When the Prophet saw a woman among captives frantically searching for, and then nursing, her child, he asked his Companions whether she would ever throw her child into a fire. They said no. He said: 'Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son' (Sahih al-Bukhari 5999).
He also taught that God divided mercy into one hundred parts, sending down one part to the earth, from which all creatures show mercy to one another (Sahih al-Bukhari 6000).
From the Qur'an
Each passage shows the Arabic text, an attributed English translation, and our explanatory note, kept visually separate.
Arabic text
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ1
Translation · Saheeh International
1In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
The basmalah, which opens 113 of the 114 surahs, names God first by His mercy.
Arabic text
قُل لِّمَن مَّا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قُل لِّلَّهِۚ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَۚ لَيَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ12
Translation · Saheeh International
12Say, "To whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and earth?" Say, "To Allah." He has decreed upon Himself mercy. He will surely assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. Those who will lose themselves [that Day] do not believe
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
God has decreed mercy upon Himself.
Arabic text
۞وَٱكۡتُبۡ لَنَا فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَۚ قَالَ عَذَابِيٓ أُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَنۡ أَشَآءُۖ وَرَحۡمَتِي وَسِعَتۡ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ فَسَأَكۡتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ156
Translation · Saheeh International
156And decree for us in this world [that which is] good and [also] in the Hereafter; indeed, we have turned back to You." [Allah] said, "My punishment - I afflict with it whom I will, but My mercy encompasses all things." So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakah and those who believe in Our verses
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
'My mercy encompasses all things.' The verse goes on to name those who will receive it especially: the God-conscious, those who give zakah and those who believe.
Arabic text
۞قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ53
Translation · Saheeh International
53Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
A direct invitation to anyone who has done wrong not to despair of God's mercy.
Differences of interpretation and context
Commentators connect this verse with the next ones (39:54–55), which call people to turn back to God. The promise of forgiveness is understood alongside sincere repentance.
Arabic text
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ107
Translation · Saheeh International
107And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
The Prophet himself is described as a mercy to the worlds.
From the hadith
Hadith are reports of the Prophet Muhammad's words and actions. Each one below shows its collection, reference number and grading, with the authority that graded it.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne, "My Mercy overpowers My Anger."
Why it matters here
God's mercy overpowers His anger.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 3194 (Book 59, Hadith 5)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Narrated `Umar bin Al-Khattab:
Some Sabi (i.e. war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, a woman amongst them was milking her breasts to feed and whenever she found a child amongst the captives, she took it over her chest and nursed it (she had lost her child but later she found him) the Prophet (ﷺ) said to us, "Do you think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?" We replied, "No, if she has the power not to throw it (in the fire)." The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son."
Why it matters here
God's mercy is greater than a mother's love for her child.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5999 (Book 78, Hadith 30)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
- Editorial note
- Words in brackets were added by the translator.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, Allah divided Mercy into one hundred parts. He kept ninety nine parts with Him and sent down one part to the earth, and because of that, its one single part, His Creations are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it."
Why it matters here
All the mercy creatures show to one another is a single part of God's mercy.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6000 (Book 78, Hadith 31)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Context and key terms
Arabic terms in this lesson (5)
Rahmah
رحمة
Mercy; compassion
Compassion that seeks the good of others. Two names of God at the opening of the Qur'an, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, come from the same root.
Allah
الله
God
The Arabic word for the one God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use it. Muslims use it to refer to the Creator, who has no partner or equal.
Surah
سورة
Chapter
One of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an. Surahs vary from three verses to 286 verses in length.
Tafsir
تفسير
Explanation; commentary
Scholarly explanation of the Qur'an, drawing on language, the Prophet's teachings, historical context and earlier scholars. Tafsir is human interpretation and is distinct from the Qur'an itself.
Tawbah
توبة
Repentance; turning back
Turning back to God after a mistake: recognising the wrong, regretting it, stopping it and resolving not to return to it, and putting right any harm done to others.
Why Surah At-Tawbah has no basmalah
Scholars have given different explanations for why Surah 9 does not begin with the basmalah, including that it continues the theme of the previous surah. Whatever the reason, its absence was preserved deliberately as part of the text's transmission.
Mercy and justice together
The Qur'an also speaks of accountability and justice. Islamic teaching holds the two together: mercy is not indifference to wrongdoing, and justice is never cruelty. The opening surah itself moves from mercy (1:3) to the Day of Recompense (1:4).
Everyday example
Illustrative story (fictional)
Karim's message
Karim had stopped praying years ago and felt too ashamed to return. 'I've done too much,' he told a friend. 'It would be hypocritical.'
His friend didn't argue. He simply sent him 39:53 with the translation. Karim read it several times. A week later he quietly attended the Friday prayer for the first time in years.
The Qur'an's message of mercy is often what people most need to hear.
Activity
Sorting activity
Mercy in the sources
Sort each statement according to whether it is supported by the verses and hadith in this lesson.
0 of 5 sorted
Knowledge check
Answer each question to see an explanation. You can retry as many times as you like; nothing is graded.
Reflection
Try it in practice
Notice mercy
- 1Each day this week, write down one example of mercy you see: from people, animals or in nature.
- 2Show one act of mercy that you would not normally show.
- 3At the end of the week, reread 7:156 and reflect on your list.
This is also available as an optional daily practice: Reflect on one verse.
Sources and further reading
Primary sources cited
- Qur'an 1:1 (Surah Al-Fatihah). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 6:12 (Surah Al-An'am). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 7:156 (Surah Al-A'raf). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 39:53 (Surah Az-Zumar). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 21:107 (Surah Al-Anbya). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3194, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5999, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6000, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
Further reading
- Qur'an 39:53 in context (opens in a new tab) · Quran.com
Read with the verses that follow.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5999 (opens in a new tab) · Sunnah.com
God's mercy compared with a mother's.
This lesson is educational and is not a fatwa (religious ruling). For personal religious questions, please consult a qualified scholar you trust. How we source and review lessons.
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