- Islamic Education
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- Ways of Access and Signs of Acceptance
Mercy:
Dear honored brother, we are discussing a new topic of the sheries Subul al-Wusool wa Alamaat al-Qubool (Means of Access and Signs of Acceptance), and this topic is "Mercy".
I would like to remind you, dear brother, of what Allah the Almighty means when He says:
(And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them)
One of the meanings of this Ayah is that the greatest way of getting closer to Allah is to adopt one of His Perfections. Allah the Almighty is the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful, and the most effective way through which one can get closer to Allah is to have mercy upon His Creations. If you show mercy to His Creatures, you reach Him. Thus, the topic at hand is closely related to other topics of the series.
When one is merciful, he is able to draw nearer to the Most Beneficent and Most Merciful. Let me repeat the abovementioned Ayah:
(And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them).
In this lecture we are discussing at length some of the Quranic Ayat in which mercy is mentioned.
Allah created us to bestow mercy on us and to please us:
First of all, Allah the Almighty created us to bestow mercy upon us and to please us. Upon hearing these words, someone might then ask, "Then why do all these calamities befall us abundantly?" The answer can be deduced from examining the car. Since the car is made to keep running, why does it have brakes? Generally speaking, the presence of the brakes contradicts the purpose for which the car was made as they hinder the car from moving. However, the brakes guarantee the greatest level of safety for the vehicle, although it theoretically negates its main purpose. Accordingly, calamities have paramount wisdom behind them whether people realize it or not.
Hence, some scholars of theology recommend that when someone wants to mention Allah's Beautiful Names, he should mention them in pairs, such as saying the Bestower of Honour/ the Humilator, the Abaser/ the Exalter, the Afflicter/ the Benefactor, and the Superb Provider/ the Preventer. Allah the Almighty seemingly dishonors some people only to honor them, He abases other people only to exalt them, He afflicts some people only to bless them and He withholds something from them only to give them other blessings. It was reported in the following Hadith:
((O people, this worldly life is a place of crookedness and is not a place of straightforwardness. It is a place of grief and is not a place of joy. Whoever recognizes this will not feel joy at [the achievement of] some hope or feel grief at wretchedness. Allah has meant for the worldly life to be a place for trial, and has meant for the Hereafter to be a place for ramification. Hence, He has made the adversity of the worldly life a reason for the reward in the Hereafter, and He has made the reward of the Hereafter a compensation for the adversity of the worldly life. He takes to give and afflicts to reward.))
Love is fundamental in religion
Let me refer to the first Ayah concerning this point:
(And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah [nation or community (following one religion only i.e. Islam)])
Allah the Almighty could have forced us to be guided but such compulsory guidance would not have made us happy. Thus, He wants us to establish a connection with him that is based on love. Allah says:
(There is no compulsion in religion)
Allah wants us to approach Him willingly, submissively and initiatively. He says:
(a people whom He will love and they will love Him)
Allah says:(But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else))
Allah does not want us to have a connection with Him that is based on obligation, oppression or coercion, but rather He wants it to be based on love. Hence, love is fundamental in Islam, for man is basically made of a mind that perceives, a heart that loves and a body that moves. The mind is nourished by knowledge, the heart is nourished by love and the body is nourished by food and drink.
Allah has bestowed upon people freedom of choice:
I repeat the Ayah again:
(And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah [nation or community (following one religion only i.e. Islam)])
Men are, and will always be different, because they were created different and were given the freedom of choice:
(Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve)
(Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful)
(For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good)
(Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allah's Messengers), till they tasted of Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie.")
(And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah [nation or community (following one religion only i.e. Islam)]).
Allah, however, willed that people would be created with freedom of choice; He willed that they would approach Him with their own will, submission and initiative. They are different, because they have been granted the free will. Read the following and ponder over it:
(Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy (the follower of truth - Islamic Monotheism) and for that did He create them)
He created us to bestow His Mercy upon us. Some people say, "Subhana Allah (Glory be to Allah), He created us to make us miserable." Well, who told you that? Such a belief contradicts what is mentioned in the Quran:
(Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy (the follower of truth - Islamic Monotheism) and for that did He create them).
Whoever seeks Allah's Mercy will have it, for it is all-encompassing:
I would like to move to the second Ayah regarding the same point:
(But Allah chooses for His Mercy whom he wills)
To who does the verb "wills" refer? It refers to whoever seeks Allah's Mercy, and this is proved by the words which come next in the same Ayah:
(And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty)
Because of Allah's Great Bounty, whoever seeks His Mercy will have it, as it encompasses all creatures.
(But Allah chooses for His Mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty)
Allah the Almighty, in some Ayat, refers to the dual nature of the Ayat in the Quran; an Ayah follows the one that precedes it to explain it. What proves that the verb "wills" in the aforementioned Ayah refers to man? It is Allah's Words:
(Allah chooses for His Mercy whom He wills) because (Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty).
The most distant and aloof heart from Allah is the cruel and callous one:
The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, who is the Master of mankind, the beloved to Al-Haqq (Allah the Truth) and the Master of the sons of Adam was addressed in the following:
(And We have sent you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)
It seems that the purpose of our creation is to have Allah's Mercy bestowed upon us. The widest, largest and shortest route to reach Allah is to be merciful, and mercy is the widest gate through which man can approach Allah. Consequently, one of the most important topics in Means of Access and Signs of Acceptance is being Merciful. The proof can be deduced from the following Ayah:
(So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah!)
The most distant and aloof heart from Allah is the cruel and callous one. There is another Ayah that demonstrates a magnificent rule:
(And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently)
Allah Almighty address His Prophet, peace be upon him, telling him that due to the mercy that was instilled in his heart, he was able to deal with other people gently, and so they gathered around him in affection and love. Connection with Allah makes man merciful and gentle, and makes people stay close to him. On the other hand, whoever is disconnected with Allah will be cruel and rude and so people will break away from him:
(And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs)
This Ayah originates the Divine Law of assemblage and adjournment. As a father, a mother, a teacher, a guide, a scholar, a manager and or a leader you need people to gather around you and obey your orders, and what drives people to gather around you is one great characteristic, which is mercy. Such mercy is reflected in the gentleness with which you deal with them, and it makes people attracted to you:
(And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs)
A believer enjoys a vision granted by the Creator
Dear brother, I swear by Allah, there is a crucial Ayah in which Allah says:
(He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord)
Everything is clear to the believer, and because he believes in Allah and reads the Quran he has developed well-defined, profound and precise conceptions that go in harmony with the universe, life and the nature of man. The believer adopts a philosophy of calamities, a philosophy of time, a philosophy of the worldly life, and a philosophy of what is yet to come. The believer enjoys a vision granted to him by the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
When Allah says, "He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord", this indicates that things are crystal clear to the believer; he can even analyze the ongoing events in depth. For instance, the reasons of a civil war that may erupt in a country can be interpreted internationally that this country has witnessed a surprising economic growth, so the West decided to destroy it, which is logical. There are also regional and local interpretations which are based on the fact that there are foreign powers fighting over this country using their weaponry and other means of power. Furthermore, the civil war can be interpreted according to sectarian reasons, and that the different sects in the country have been fighting since a hundred years. I would like to refer to one more interpretation, which is feminine I think, and it is about an evil eye caused the war. In addition to all there interpretations, there is a Quranic interpretation:
(And Allah puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allah (with ungratefulness). So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) which they (its people) used to do)
Man owns everything if he is granted tranquility, but without it he owns nothing:
Allah the Almighty says:
(He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord, and a Mercy (Prophethood, etc.) has come to me from Him)
This is the result of the bond with Allah; it is a sense of satisfaction and a feeling of happiness. In fact tranquility makes people happy even if everything else is lost, but without it people are miserable even if they own everything. Allah the Almighty says:
(He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord, and a Mercy (Prophethood, etc.) has come to me from Him, but that (Mercy) has been obscured from your sight.)
You may know a believing employee who owns a small house and works as a typist with a limited income, but he has a connection with Allah that makes him the happiest man ever, as if he owns the entire world.
A brother once told me that a woman asked for his help since he was the head of a charity association. He went to her house with other members of the association, and he swore by Allah that she lived under the staircase, and that he had never seen a house with such poor conditions. He said that it was located under the staircase, so the kitchen was the higher space, while the bathroom was in the lower one, and there was a little space for light to come into it. It was a home for four children who looked like blossoming roses, and they wore clean clothes.
They went into the house to investigate its condition, and they wondered what a house was it! He swore by Allah that one day before he made that visit, he met a man who owned four billion liras, and that he could barely stand up (he was about to faint) after listening to that man's complaints and grievances. The man with the four billion was not satisfied with the general situation of the country saying that work had troubles, and there was cash available.
The head of the association went on saying that the woman requested one thousand lira per month, and when they decided to give her two thousand, she refused and said that one thousand is enough since her husband's pension was enough to support them, and the amount she needed was to pay the house rent. He said, "I met an unsatisfied man who owned four billion, but he kept complaining, and the next day, I came across a modest family, who although they lived under a staircase, the wife refused to take two thousand liras saying that one thousand was enough to suffice them."
Connection with Allah makes man happy, satisfied and tranquil:
When Allah grants someone happiness, he will be pleased with all life conditions. No matter how small his house might be or how harsh life conditions are, he will be happy as long as he is connected with Allah.
(He said: "O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof from my Lord, and a Mercy (Prophethood, etc.) has come to me from Him, but that (Mercy) has been obscured from your sight. Shall we compel you to accept it (Islamic Monotheism) when you have a strong hatred for it?)
Man has the freedom of choice:
(Verily, those who have believed, and those who have emigrated (for Allah's Religion) and have striven hard in the Way of Allah, all these hope for Allah's Mercy)
We all, by the Will of Allah, hope for His Mercy; we hope that He would bestow Mercy on us in this world and in the Hereafter, we hope that He would bring us closer to Him, we hope that He would enlighten our hearts, and we hope that He would grant us tranquility and contentment.
Means of accessing Allah's Mercy:
1- Obedience to Allah and His Prophet:
How can our heart be filled with mercy? They can by being merciful. If you show mercy, you will be able to approach Allah.
((If you are asking for My Mercy, then be merciful to My Creations.))
Allah says:
(And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) that you may obtain mercy)
Allah will have mercy on us if we obey Him and His Prophet, peace be upon him. The obedience of Allah can be done by abiding by His Orders and Prohibitions which are mentioned in the Quran, and the obedience of the Prophet, peace be upon him, can be done by following the Sunnah.
(He said: (As to) My Punishment I afflict therewith whom I will and My Mercy embraces all things)
You are but a thing among all things, and so you are encompassed by Allah's Mercy.
(He said: (As to) My Punishment I afflict therewith whom I will and My Mercy embraces all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqun (pious))
The pious are those who never disobey Allah, and they fear His Wrath:
(That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2), and give Zakat; and those who believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and revelations, etc.))
Consequently, obedience to Allah the Almighty and His Prophet, peace be upon him, is one means to get Allah's Mercy, and His Mercy is a path through which man can get closer to Him. The connection between I the topic of our lecture with the means of access is that when you are merciful to Allah's Creations, you will be able to connect with Him and to get closer to Him.
2- Reciting the Quran
Let us discuss another means to access Allah's Mercy. Allah the Almighty says:
(So, when the Qur'an is reauthord, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy)
You receive Allah's Mercy by reading the Quran. Accordingly, some scholars said, "If you read the Quran, but you are not impressed, if you pray, but you are not moved, and if you say words of remembrance (Zikr), but you feel nothing, then you should know that your heart is lifeless, so search for a heart that remembers Allah, and a heart that is connected with Allah the Almighty."
Believers are content by obeying Allah and the good deed they performs by Allah's Will:
About what should we be happy? An exclusive agent for a certain commodity might boast about his profits saying that they reach a million per day. Such huge profits can be made if the man is an exclusive agent for food products that are highly consumed in the market, so he is not exaggerating, and he could win a million every day. However, he should not be ecstatic with such a huge profit (because the true happiness is in Allah's Bounty and Mercy). Bill Gates owns 90 billion dollars, and he is a middle-aged man, but money is not what man is supposed to be happy about.
(Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'an); -therein let them rejoice.)
Qarun came out in front of Musa's people:
(Verily, Qarun (Korah) was of Musa's (Moses) people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. When his people said to him: "Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favours). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favours))
One should be happy, but what should he be happy about? Believers rejoice in their obedience to Allah, in their understanding of the Quran, in the good deeds Allah allowed them to perform, in the virtuous upbringing of their children, in their Halal (lawful) income and expenditure, in their Islamic households, and in being guided to call people to Allah:
(Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'an); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass)
The future is in the Hereafter, not this world:
Sometimes, you might enter a house and you are told that it costs 180 million, but if you ask, "where is the owner?" You would be told that he lies in the grave. Also, if you ask his children who chose the floor tiles, the amazing furniture and the lovely portraits, they would say that the deceased owner did, may he rest in peace.
(Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'an); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass)
Subhana Allah! A man keeps amassing from the bounties of this world one brick after another, for a long lifetime, but he loses everything in one second.
There is a man who lived in an underground house for around 23 years; he kept saving money until he could afford to buy a house with a lovely landscape view. On the first day in the new house, he sat with his wife in the terrace and told her, "Now we have guaranteed our future." On the third day, he died. He was buried under the ground. There is no guaranteed future unless it is with Allah. Your future is in the Hereafter.
(Say: "In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'an); -therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass)
When the word Al-Insan (man) is mentioned in the Quran with the definite article al), it refers to the state of man before he gets acquainted with Allah Almighty:
(And if We give man a taste of Mercy from Us, and then withdraw it from him, verily! He is despairing, ungrateful* But if We let him taste good (favour) after evil (poverty and harm) has touched him, he is sure to say: "Ills have departed from me." Surely, he is exultant, and boastful (ungrateful to Allah))
Man's rejoice and despair in this context are null and void unless he starts to know Allah the Almighty.
3- Al-Ihsan (The state of perfecting faith and good deeds)
As I said earlier, obedience is one means of accessing Allah's Mercy, and reciting the Quran is another means. We move to the third means to access Allah's Mercy:
(Surely, Allah's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers)
Allah would bestow His Mercy upon you if you obey Him, if you reauthor the Quran and if you are a good doer.
Mercy is in Allah's Hand not in man's:
Mercy is in Allah's Hand not in man's. Hence, Allah the Almighty says:
(Whatever of mercy (i.e. of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise)
It is all in the hands of Allah Alone, and your relationship should be with Allah Alone, so let no one claim that someone gives him a Fatwa (a religious opinion) which allows him to do something forbidden. Let me tell you that if you were able to take a Fatwa from the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself, and you were not of a rightful claim, you would never be able to escape Allah's Torment:((The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "I am only a human being, and you people (opponents) come to me with your cases; and it may be that one of you can present his case eloquently in a more convincing way than the other, and I give my verdict according to what I hear. So if ever I judge (by error) and give the right of a brother to his other (brother) then he (the latter) should not take it, for I am giving him only a piece of Fire."))
There are comparisons in the Quran:
(Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah's Signs and Verses))
Accordingly, knowledge is one means of obtaining Allah's Mercy. We have tackled obedience, reciting the Quran, Ihsan, and knowledge as means of accessing Allah the Almighty.
(Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)
No matter how grave the sin might be, remember:
(Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).
Hopelessness and despair manifest disbelief in Allah:
Dear brother, a believer never despairs as he knows that hopelessness and despair lead to disbelief in Allah the Almighty and Allah advises us to keep away from such negative emotions.
Esteemed brother, a man may work sometimes in the fields of commerce, agriculture, or industry or in the service sector. He may have a university degree and earn his living. As years pass, he moves from making a living to saving and accumulating money. For instance, he does his best to keep his profits 30 million, and if he loses around 5 million, he will say that the market is stagnant this year. He will start to complain about the market only because his profit becomes 5 million less.
Traders and industrialists sometimes are not satisfied with making a living, so they start to collect money and flaunting about the wealth they own asking one another how much wealth they have. Nowadays, owning three hundred million is nothing. I know a brother whose fortune is about four thousand million, but it nothing since people start to boast about having billions not millions. Allah Almighty tells us in the following Ayah that:
(But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass)
Allah advises you that if you act upon Allah's Orders, stay steadfast on His Path, read the Quran, perform good deeds, and raise your children properly, but you own nothing in the worldly life, then, "the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) is better" than your obedience, sincerity, upbringing of your children and good deeds. It is also better "than the (wealth of this world) which they amass".
A young man whose father died, was walking down the street one week after his father's death, and when a friend of his father's met him, he asked him, "Where are you going?" The young man replied, "I will get drunk for the soul of my father". He inherited a lot of money, but he is ignorant, sinful and morally deviated:
(But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass).
Allah's Mercy entails disciplining the heedless:
In some cases Allah's Mercy entails disciplining you:
(If they (Jews) belie you (Muhammad, peace be upon him) say you: "Your Lord is the Owner of Vast Mercy, and never will His Wrath be turned back from the people who are Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners, etc.))
The Mercy of Allah the Almighty entails that His wrath will never be turned from those who have wandered away from Him.
Withdraw and keep away from those who do not worship Allah:
Dear brother, one of the ways through which man can access Allah's Mercy is mentioned in the following Ayah. Allah the Almighty says:
((The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them)
Withdraw from the mixed-gender meetings or weddings, where women are half-naked, and they behave indecently, and withdraw from any meeting where people lie, behave hypocritically, backbite, gossip and cause deviation to sh3er:
((The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah)
They withdrew from them, because the latter did not worship Allah. If people worship Allah, then you should not withdraw from them.
((The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.))
The greatest thing in man's life is performing a good deed to meet Allah with:
The Masjid and your house can be your cave, so go into your house and pray, reauthor the Quran and raise your children properly:
((The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy)
Accordingly, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to make the following Du'a upon entering the Masjid:
((O Allah, open before me the doors of Your Mercy.))
Allah's Mercy is bestowed upon man within the Masjid, thus, upon leaving the Masjid, he used to say:
((O Allah, I ask You of Your Bounty))
In your daily life, you need a good deed with which you can attain Allah's Mercy. In the Masjid, tranquility will be casted in your heart.
Thus, upon entering the Masjid, say:
((O Allah, open before me the doors of Your Mercy.))
And upon leaving it, say:
((O Allah, I ask You of Your Bounty))
Allah the Almighty says:
((The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.))
Allah's Mercy is attained through obedience, worship and the effort exerted to reach Him:
Dear brother:
(And if you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) turn away from them)
A man came once to me and said, "My father ordered me to divorce my wife." I asked him, "How does she like?" He replied, "She is a very good wife and a religious and veiled woman, but my father does not like her, so he asked me to divorce her. What should I do?" I said, "Do not divorce her." Then, he said, "But did the Khalifah Umar not order his son to divorce his wife?" I said, "Is your father like Umar? If your father is like Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, then divorce your wife, but your father is not."
(And if you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) turn away from them (kindred, poor, wayfarer, etc. whom We have ordered you to give their rights, but if you have no money at the time they ask you for it) and you are awaiting a mercy from your Lord for which you hope, then, speak unto them a soft kind word (i.e. Allah will give me and I shall give you))
Be gentle to them, but do not do whatever they ask you to do (if it is against religion). Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas's mother told him, "If you do not disbelieve in Muhammad, I will abstain from food and drink until I die." Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas replied, "O mother, if you have one hundred souls and they depart from you one after the other, I will never leave my religion. So, it is up to you whether you eat or not." Upon hearing this, Sa'd's mother despaired of the effect of her hunger strike and started eating again.
Dear brother, we access Allah's Mercy by obeying Him, reading the Quran and performing good deeds:
(Surely, Allah's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers)
Allah's Mercy is also attained through the effort exerted to reach Him
