Love and Mercy

“Indeed, some of God’s other Divine Names that indicate the ‘gentle’ Divine Qualities – such as the Divine Name ‘the Kind’ (Al-Raouf), which occurs in the Holy Quran ten times, and certain Names as previously mentioned – also imply both God’s Love and Mercy together.

We may even say that Mercy engenders Love; for the word Rahman (‘mercy’) is derived from Rahim (‘womb’), and God says in a ‘Hadith Qudsi’ (that is, a Hadith where the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, is quoting God Himself as Speaker):

‘I am God (Allah), I am the Compassionate One (Al-Rahman). I created the womb (‘rahim’) and named it after My Name. He who keeps its ties, I shall keep (my ties with) him; and he who cuts his ties, I shall cut him off (from Me).’

Indeed, if we reflect on the womb, we will realize that the womb produces mercy just as it produces children, because when a child is born from the womb he or she already naturally enjoys his or her mother’s love. This is a law of nature: mercy produces love, even though love has special qualities which mercy does not necessarily share.”

 

From ‘Love in the Holy Quran’ by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad.

H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad is a Jordanian Prince, educated at the Harrow School, U.K. and has a BA from Princeton University. He received his first PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge University and his second PhD from Al-Azhar University, Cairo. He is a Professor of Islamic Philosophy and the Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs to King Abdullah of Jordan, which has allowed him access to many of the world’s leaders.