If we want to situate our existence in the universe properly, we must have accurate knowledge about Allah. However, humans, in their own capacity, find it impossible to fully understand Allah. Therefore, Allah Himself has revealed knowledge about Himself. All the divine books have been sent for the purpose of explaining Allah and our relationship with Him.
According to the Qur’an, the foundation of the relationship between Allah and existence is His attributes of al-Rahman (the Most Merciful) and al-Rahim (the Most Compassionate). In other words, the primary aspect of His relationship with existence is mercy (An‘am, 6:12, 54; Ghafir, 40:7). This is evident in the significance of the basmalah, which encapsulates His merciful nature and serves as the key to all goodness. The principle that Allah's mercy surpasses His wrath is a fundamental concept in Islamic thought. It is rooted in the understanding that mercy stems from the true essence of al-Haqq (the Ultimate Reality), whereas wrath is a secondary quality that arises from the actions of the created beings (A‘raf, 7:156). Consequently, Allah's mercy reaches His servants prior to His wrath.
The initial manifestation of His mercy is evident in our emergence from nothing into existence. The very fact of existence itself is a blessing and the source of all other blessings. Every inherent blessing bestowed upon all things during their initial creation is also a result of mercy. Therefore, there is no being that remains untouched by the mercy of Allah. All imaginable peace and all hope stems from His attributes of al-Rahman (the Most Merciful). Since hopelessness is something that destroys a person, in the Qur’an, despairing of Allah’s mercy is considered heresy and equated with disbelief (Yusuf, 12:87; Hijr, 15:56; Ankabut, 29:23; Zumar, 39:53).
The name “al-Rahman” is never used in the Qur’an for anyone other than Allah, and it is always used as one of His attributes. This is evident from instances where “al-Rahman” is used interchangeably with the name “Allah” in the Qur’an, such as Isra, 17:110; Maryam, 19:69, 78, 90, 91, 96, Furqan 25:60, Taha 20:5, 108 and Ra‘d 13:30. Therefore, there is consensus among scholars that the name “al-Rahman” cannot be attributed to any creature.
As mercy is one of the essential attributes of Allah, He sent His last Prophet to be a mercy to the worlds (Anbiya, 21:107) and described the “Book” revealed to him as a mercy for humankind (Yunus 10:57; Isra, 17:82, Naml 27:76-77, Qasas 28:86, Luqman 31:3, Jathiyah 45:20). In hundreds of verses, the Qur’an expresses the material and spiritual blessings bestowed upon humanity through the concept of mercy. Additionally, harmony and peace within family life are connected to feelings of love and compassion (Rum, 30:21).
