الرحمة والرفق

The source. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Those who show mercy, the Most Merciful will show them mercy. Be merciful to those on earth, and the One above the heavens will be merciful to you." (Abu Dawud 4941, Tirmidhi 1924)

One day the Prophet ﷺ kissed his grandson Al-Ḥasan. A man who was there said: "I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them." The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy." (Bukhari 5997, Muslim 2318)

Animals too. The Prophet ﷺ told of a thirsty man who found a well, drank, then saw a dog dying of thirst. He went back down, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. Allah thanked him and forgave him. (Bukhari 2363, Muslim 2244) [À VÉRIFIER: numbers] He also spoke of a woman who was punished because she locked up a cat without feeding it. (Bukhari 3482, Muslim 2242)

Gentleness every day: • With younger ones: patience with your little brothers and sisters, even when they annoy you. • With older people: give them your seat, help them, listen to them. • With those who are different or left out: include them in the group. • With animals: never mistreat them, take care of them if you have any. • With yourself: when you make a mistake, get back up without putting yourself down.

A smile counts too: the Prophet ﷺ said that smiling at your brother is charity. (Tirmidhi 1956)

What about you? In your class, one student is always alone at break. What could you do this week?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah is gentle, He loves gentleness, and He gives for gentleness what He does not give for harshness." (Muslim 2593) And: "Gentleness is not found in anything without making it beautiful, and it is not taken from anything without making it ugly." (Muslim 2594)

Why is gentleness so effective? Because it opens hearts. Allah says to the Prophet ﷺ: "Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered from around you" (meaning of verse 3:159). Even when someone needs correcting, gentleness gets the message across, while harshness blocks it.

Mercy also covers animals: the Prophet ﷺ asked us to do everything well, even when slaughtering an animal: sharpen the blade and spare it suffering (Muslim 1955).

Gentleness does not mean weakness: you can say no, set limits and stand up for someone, without shouting or humiliating.

Common pitfalls: being gentle only with people you like; mocking someone "for a laugh"; being so hard on yourself that you lose heart.

Lessons to draw • Lower your voice when a discussion heats up. • Correct people in private and with kind words. • Include someone who is alone: a "want to come with us?" can change their day. • Take care of animals and never make them suffer for fun. • Forgive yourself your mistakes and start again.

Key points • Those who show mercy receive mercy (Abu Dawud 4941, Tirmidhi 1924). • Allah loves gentleness and gives for it what He does not give for harshness (Muslim 2593). • Mercy also covers animals.

The main message Gentleness makes everything more beautiful: by being gentle with people, animals and yourself, you draw Allah's mercy.