In the previous part of this series, the qualities of God, such as His kindness, forgiveness, knowledge and richness were explained in addition to the assured All-embracing mercy He has made incumbent on Himself, especially for those who qualify to receive it in their spiritual path. In this part, we will study the role of God’s mercy as seen in the Qur’an in making various arrangements for our survival and convenience on Earth, such as creating the stars, maintaining the sky, and delivering us from misfortunes.
God’s mercy also plays a part in human guidance as He sent humankind messengers with the impeccable qualities of empathy and gentleness. Indeed, God has provided humanity with infinite blessings in all aspects of their lives; it is our duty to appreciate and use them wisely in order to gain His pleasure and ultimately emerge as His vicegerents.
The Role of God’s Mercy in Our Worldly Life
In the Qur’an, God refers to the different arrangements He has made in this world for our convenience or for our survival. Some of those arrangements are simply to make life easier for us while others are essential. In what follows, we will refer to some of those blessings of God.
Maintenance of the sky and creation of the stars: Emphasizing on God’s mercy, the Qur’an tells us that God preserves the sky to protect the earth:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Have you not regarded that God has disposed for you[r benefit] whatever there is in the earth, and [that] the ships sail at sea by His command, and He sustains the sky lest it should fall on the earth, excepting [when it does so] by His leave? Indeed God is most kind and merciful to mankind. (22:65)
By saying “Have you not regarded that God has disposed for you[r] benefit…” God asks us to take heed of all that He has made manageable for us. He has given us ability to control what is on the earth and make use of the ships that move in the oceans. Moreover, God retains the sky in its place, preventing it from hitting the earth except with His permission (perhaps this refers to the incidents that take place prior to the Day of Judgement when the earth and the sky will crumble.) At the end of the verse, God reminds us of his utmost kindness and mercy. He has also created the stars to serve for orientation by night:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
It is He who has made the stars for you, so that you may be guided by them in the darkness of land and sea. We have certainly elaborated the signs for a people who have knowledge. (6:97)
Alterations of days and nights: If there were no alterations and we always had the day or the night, then it would have badly affected our physical, psychological, and spiritual life. This alteration is necessary for our peace of mind and spirit. God has created the night time primarily for our rest. The Qur’an says:
وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Out of His mercy He has made for you the night and the day, that you may rest therein and that you may seek from His grace and so that you may give thanks. (28:73)
Daytime and nighttime are two blessings of God and we should be more thankful with each day and night that comes. This verse implies that people are recommended not to choose a type of work or job that occupies the whole night. Of course, there are those who work only during the night for the benefit of society or because of their needs and there is nothing wrong, since they have no alternative. However, if it is an option it is preferable to choose work that allows for you to spend time with your family, to worship, or to rest at the end of the day.
Nighttime is undoubtedly the best time for rest. During the day, even if you attempt to simulate a nighttime setting by switching off the lights and placing a curtain to darken a room, you will still not experience the same rest experienced during the night. It is not just a matter of light or darkness; the entire atmosphere is different. We normally take this for granted as we do not count this as one of our possessions though in reality these are assets God has given us and we are to be thankful.
Winds and rain: Without wind the air remains still and that would be cause problems. Allah created wind to improve the quality of the air we breathe through the movement of the earth and the existence of wind. In some places when a city is built next to high mountains that prevent the movement of wind, people face obstacles such as being unable to leave their houses for several days. Thus, this current of wind provides benefits such as fresh air and helps disperse seeds for the fertilization of the plants:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً طَهُورًا لِنُحْيِيَ بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا وَنُسْقِيَهُ مِمَّا خَلَقْنَا أَنْعَامًا وَأَنَاسِيَّ كَثِيرًا وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَاهُ بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا فَأَبَىٰ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورًا
And it is He who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy, and We send down from the sky purifying water, with which We revive a dead country and provide water to many of the cattle and humans We have created. Certainly We distribute it among them so that they may take admonition. But most people are only intent on ingratitude. (25:48-50)
By sending this wind, He also gives you the good tidings of the possibility of rain that purifies you.
Animals: Out of His mercy, God has created animals, some of which help us transport our goods. Had He not created animals such as horses, camels, donkeys, and mules then we would find it difficult to carry our goods, especially before the invention of the automobile. Perhaps if there were no such animals to transport goods, the idea of inventing automobiles would not have occurred, for we normally model what exists in nature, such as the invention of the airplane modeled after birds. This has been termed by biophysicists as biomimetics. In any case, the Qur’an says:
وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا بَالِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ الْأَنفُسِ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And they bear your burdens to towns which you could not reach except by straining yourselves. Indeed your Lord is most kind and merciful. And horses, mules, and asses for you to ride them, and for adornment, and He creates what you do not know. (16:7&8)
Thus, the creation of animals is partly meant for our convenience. Of course, Islam provides recommendations and instructions as to how to treat these animals. Even narrations recommend that, for example, if a person is seated on a horse or a donkey and then meets a friend, he or she must not begin speaking until coming down from it, because doing so is painful to the animal. Or Imam Ali (a) tells us not to curse animals; otherwise you yourself will be cursed. Also, animals should be fed properly and be provided with shelter and even medicine.3
Transport in the seas and oceans: Out of His mercy, God has enabled us to build ships and boats to carry our goods in the seas and oceans. If it were not for the ability of water to be a container for carrying goods as well as having the quality of allowing objects to float on its surface, we would not have been able to carry them:
رَّبُّكُمُ الَّذِي يُزْجِي لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ فِي الْبَحْرِ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا
Your Lord is He who drives for you the ships in the sea, that you may seek His grace. Indeed, He is most merciful to you. (17:66)
Protection from catastrophes: Though we see the disasters that occur, we do not see the many from which we are saved. For example, the Qur’an says:
وَإِن نَّشَأْ نُغْرِقْهُمْ فَلَا صَرِيخَ لَهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنقَذُونَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِنَّا وَمَتَاعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
And if We like We drown them, whereat they have no one to call for help, nor are they rescued except by a mercy from Us and for an enjoyment until sometime. (36:43-44)
If God had wanted He would have made us all drown in floods. It is because of His mercy that He saves us and gives us this ability to survive.
When we think carefully about the probabilities we have for death and survival since childhood and take into account all the risks and threats we faced since birth, we realize that our chance of survival is actually very little. For example, to a newborn, numerous threats and dangers can happen every day. Just imagine your child playing with a knife, a fork, with the toys and instruments in the house, or simply touching hot objects.
Many things may happen to him in which you may not always have full control. Or when we cross the street, and many cross it on a regular basis, if one of the many drivers is not cautious for even a moment, we are bound to face the inevitable. On motorways, if only one of the many drivers for a moment goes unconscious there will be fatal crashes. There must be some mercy of God that saves us; otherwise we could not have continued our life, or at least remain healthy. To determine that mercy, God states this provision in the Qur’an:
لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّـهِ
He has guardian angels, to his front and his rear, who guard him by God’s command… (13:11)
God appoints angels mainly for our protection. There are angels whose responsibility is to protect us from the ongoing risks and dangers we face on a daily basis. Imam Baqir (a) describes this ‘divine decree’:
يحفظ بأمر الله من ان يقع في ركى أو يقع عليه حائط او يصيبه شيء حتى اذا جاء القدر خلوا بينه وبينه يدفعونه الى المقادير وهما ملكان يحفظانه بالليل وملكان من نهار يتعاقبانه
By an instruction from God, man is saved from falling in a well or collapse of a wall on him or calamities happening to him until a divine decree comes. So when it comes he would be left with that decree and will be pushed towards it. There are two angels that protect him during night and two day angels succeed them.4
Imam Sadiq (a) has also said:
ما من عبد الا ومعه ملكان يحفظانه فإذا جاء الامر من عند الله خليا بينه وبين امر الله
There is no servant of God except that there are two angels with him for protection. When God’s decree comes they will leave him to that decree.5
The same idea can be found in Nahj al-Balaghah where Imam Ali (a) says:
ان مع كل انسان ملكين يحفظانه فاذا جاء القدر خليا بينه وبينه
Truly there are two angels with every person who protect him. When the decree comes they leave him to that decree.6
More generally, Imam Ali (a) says that there are angels whose task is to protect God’s servants (ومنهم الحفظة لعباده ).
God’s mercy also plays a part in human guidance as He sent humankind messengers with the impeccable qualities of empathy and gentleness. Indeed, God has provided humanity with infinite blessings in all aspects of their lives; it is our duty to appreciate and use them wisely in order to gain His pleasure and ultimately emerge as His vicegerents.
The Role of God’s Mercy in Our Worldly Life
In the Qur’an, God refers to the different arrangements He has made in this world for our convenience or for our survival. Some of those arrangements are simply to make life easier for us while others are essential. In what follows, we will refer to some of those blessings of God.
Maintenance of the sky and creation of the stars: Emphasizing on God’s mercy, the Qur’an tells us that God preserves the sky to protect the earth:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Have you not regarded that God has disposed for you[r benefit] whatever there is in the earth, and [that] the ships sail at sea by His command, and He sustains the sky lest it should fall on the earth, excepting [when it does so] by His leave? Indeed God is most kind and merciful to mankind. (22:65)
By saying “Have you not regarded that God has disposed for you[r] benefit…” God asks us to take heed of all that He has made manageable for us. He has given us ability to control what is on the earth and make use of the ships that move in the oceans. Moreover, God retains the sky in its place, preventing it from hitting the earth except with His permission (perhaps this refers to the incidents that take place prior to the Day of Judgement when the earth and the sky will crumble.) At the end of the verse, God reminds us of his utmost kindness and mercy. He has also created the stars to serve for orientation by night:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
It is He who has made the stars for you, so that you may be guided by them in the darkness of land and sea. We have certainly elaborated the signs for a people who have knowledge. (6:97)
Alterations of days and nights: If there were no alterations and we always had the day or the night, then it would have badly affected our physical, psychological, and spiritual life. This alteration is necessary for our peace of mind and spirit. God has created the night time primarily for our rest. The Qur’an says:
وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Out of His mercy He has made for you the night and the day, that you may rest therein and that you may seek from His grace and so that you may give thanks. (28:73)
Daytime and nighttime are two blessings of God and we should be more thankful with each day and night that comes. This verse implies that people are recommended not to choose a type of work or job that occupies the whole night. Of course, there are those who work only during the night for the benefit of society or because of their needs and there is nothing wrong, since they have no alternative. However, if it is an option it is preferable to choose work that allows for you to spend time with your family, to worship, or to rest at the end of the day.
Nighttime is undoubtedly the best time for rest. During the day, even if you attempt to simulate a nighttime setting by switching off the lights and placing a curtain to darken a room, you will still not experience the same rest experienced during the night. It is not just a matter of light or darkness; the entire atmosphere is different. We normally take this for granted as we do not count this as one of our possessions though in reality these are assets God has given us and we are to be thankful.
Winds and rain: Without wind the air remains still and that would be cause problems. Allah created wind to improve the quality of the air we breathe through the movement of the earth and the existence of wind. In some places when a city is built next to high mountains that prevent the movement of wind, people face obstacles such as being unable to leave their houses for several days. Thus, this current of wind provides benefits such as fresh air and helps disperse seeds for the fertilization of the plants:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً طَهُورًا لِنُحْيِيَ بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا وَنُسْقِيَهُ مِمَّا خَلَقْنَا أَنْعَامًا وَأَنَاسِيَّ كَثِيرًا وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَاهُ بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا فَأَبَىٰ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورًا
And it is He who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy, and We send down from the sky purifying water, with which We revive a dead country and provide water to many of the cattle and humans We have created. Certainly We distribute it among them so that they may take admonition. But most people are only intent on ingratitude. (25:48-50)
By sending this wind, He also gives you the good tidings of the possibility of rain that purifies you.
Animals: Out of His mercy, God has created animals, some of which help us transport our goods. Had He not created animals such as horses, camels, donkeys, and mules then we would find it difficult to carry our goods, especially before the invention of the automobile. Perhaps if there were no such animals to transport goods, the idea of inventing automobiles would not have occurred, for we normally model what exists in nature, such as the invention of the airplane modeled after birds. This has been termed by biophysicists as biomimetics. In any case, the Qur’an says:
وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا بَالِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ الْأَنفُسِ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And they bear your burdens to towns which you could not reach except by straining yourselves. Indeed your Lord is most kind and merciful. And horses, mules, and asses for you to ride them, and for adornment, and He creates what you do not know. (16:7&8)
Thus, the creation of animals is partly meant for our convenience. Of course, Islam provides recommendations and instructions as to how to treat these animals. Even narrations recommend that, for example, if a person is seated on a horse or a donkey and then meets a friend, he or she must not begin speaking until coming down from it, because doing so is painful to the animal. Or Imam Ali (a) tells us not to curse animals; otherwise you yourself will be cursed. Also, animals should be fed properly and be provided with shelter and even medicine.3
Transport in the seas and oceans: Out of His mercy, God has enabled us to build ships and boats to carry our goods in the seas and oceans. If it were not for the ability of water to be a container for carrying goods as well as having the quality of allowing objects to float on its surface, we would not have been able to carry them:
رَّبُّكُمُ الَّذِي يُزْجِي لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ فِي الْبَحْرِ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا
Your Lord is He who drives for you the ships in the sea, that you may seek His grace. Indeed, He is most merciful to you. (17:66)
Protection from catastrophes: Though we see the disasters that occur, we do not see the many from which we are saved. For example, the Qur’an says:
وَإِن نَّشَأْ نُغْرِقْهُمْ فَلَا صَرِيخَ لَهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنقَذُونَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِنَّا وَمَتَاعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
And if We like We drown them, whereat they have no one to call for help, nor are they rescued except by a mercy from Us and for an enjoyment until sometime. (36:43-44)
If God had wanted He would have made us all drown in floods. It is because of His mercy that He saves us and gives us this ability to survive.
When we think carefully about the probabilities we have for death and survival since childhood and take into account all the risks and threats we faced since birth, we realize that our chance of survival is actually very little. For example, to a newborn, numerous threats and dangers can happen every day. Just imagine your child playing with a knife, a fork, with the toys and instruments in the house, or simply touching hot objects.
Many things may happen to him in which you may not always have full control. Or when we cross the street, and many cross it on a regular basis, if one of the many drivers is not cautious for even a moment, we are bound to face the inevitable. On motorways, if only one of the many drivers for a moment goes unconscious there will be fatal crashes. There must be some mercy of God that saves us; otherwise we could not have continued our life, or at least remain healthy. To determine that mercy, God states this provision in the Qur’an:
لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّـهِ
He has guardian angels, to his front and his rear, who guard him by God’s command… (13:11)
God appoints angels mainly for our protection. There are angels whose responsibility is to protect us from the ongoing risks and dangers we face on a daily basis. Imam Baqir (a) describes this ‘divine decree’:
يحفظ بأمر الله من ان يقع في ركى أو يقع عليه حائط او يصيبه شيء حتى اذا جاء القدر خلوا بينه وبينه يدفعونه الى المقادير وهما ملكان يحفظانه بالليل وملكان من نهار يتعاقبانه
By an instruction from God, man is saved from falling in a well or collapse of a wall on him or calamities happening to him until a divine decree comes. So when it comes he would be left with that decree and will be pushed towards it. There are two angels that protect him during night and two day angels succeed them.4
Imam Sadiq (a) has also said:
ما من عبد الا ومعه ملكان يحفظانه فإذا جاء الامر من عند الله خليا بينه وبين امر الله
There is no servant of God except that there are two angels with him for protection. When God’s decree comes they will leave him to that decree.5
The same idea can be found in Nahj al-Balaghah where Imam Ali (a) says:
ان مع كل انسان ملكين يحفظانه فاذا جاء القدر خليا بينه وبينه
Truly there are two angels with every person who protect him. When the decree comes they leave him to that decree.6
More generally, Imam Ali (a) says that there are angels whose task is to protect God’s servants (ومنهم الحفظة لعباده ).