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Hadith #251 of 500 • Sahih Muslim • Sahih

Sahih Muslim 6974 (Book 50, Hadith 22) — Kindness, Mercy and Compassion

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) • Grade: Sahih (Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Ijma' / Scholarly Consensus))

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#251 • Sahih Muslim 6974 (Book 50, Hadith 22)Sahih MuslimKindness, Mercy and Compassion
Sahih (Authentic)
Primary Companion Narrator
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Book & Reference: The Book of Repentance (Book 50, Hadith 22)
Scholarly Grading Source: Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Ijma' / Scholarly Consensus)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ أَنْزَلَ مِنْهَا رَحْمَةً وَاحِدَةً بَيْنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ وَالْبَهَائِمِ وَالْهَوَامِّ فَبِهَا يَتَعَاطَفُونَ وَبِهَا يَتَرَاحَمُونَ وَبِهَا تَعْطِفُ الْوَحْشُ عَلَى وَلَدِهَا وَأَخَّرَ اللَّهُ تِسْعًا وَتِسْعِينَ رَحْمَةً يَرْحَمُ بِهَا عِبَادَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:There are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah and He has sent down out of these one part of mercy upon the jinn and human beings and animals and the insects, and it is because of this (one part) that they love one another, show kindness to one another and even the beast treats its young one with affection, and Allah has reserved ninety nine parts of mercy with which He would treat His servants on the Day of Resurrection

— Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (Sahih Muslim English Translation)

Audio Policy: Out of reverence for the words of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, synthetic or AI-generated speech is strictly disabled for Hadith narrations.
IslamTools Editorial Study Notes (Distinct from Prophetic Text)Kindness, Mercy and Compassion

Main Lesson & Core Meaning

The Most Merciful shows mercy to those who are merciful; show mercy to those on earth, and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you.

Practical Daily Application

Choose gentleness in family and community interactions, relieve the hardship of those in need, and treat animals and nature with compassion.

Key Islamic Terms & Vocabulary

Rahmah (الرحمة)

Active mercy, empathy, and compassionate care for creation.

Rifq (الرفق)

Gentleness and kindness, which beautifies everything it enters.

Shafaqah (الشفقة)

Tender concern for the weak, elderly, and vulnerable.

Scholarly Context & Jurisprudence Note

Scholars call the Hadith 'The Merciful are shown mercy by the Most Merciful' the foundational Hadith of Musalsal bil-Awwaliyyah, traditionally the first Hadith taught by masters to students.

Educational Note: This library is for Islamic study and education. Applying Hadith to complex personal legal matters (Fiqh) requires qualified scholarly guidance.

Noble Companion & Hadith Transmitterرضي الله عنه

أبو هريرة عبد الرحمن بن صخر الدوسي

Abu Hurairah (Abu Hurairah 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi)

The foremost transmitter of Prophetic Hadith among the Companions. From the tribe of Daws in Yemen, he embraced Islam and migrated to Madinah in 7 AH (the year of Khaybar), dedicating his life in As-Suffah to accompanying the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and preserving his words.

Verified Biographical Summary

Source Verification & Scholarly Audit Record

APPROVED_FOR_PUBLICATION
Collection: Sahih Muslim (Sahih Muslim 6974 (Book 50, Hadith 22))
Scholarly Grading Source: Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Ijma' / Scholarly Consensus)
Imam Muslim: Sahih
SOURCE_IDENTIFIEDARABIC_TEXT_VERIFIEDREFERENCE_VERIFIEDNARRATOR_VERIFIEDAUTHENTICITY_VERIFIEDTRANSLATION_VERIFIEDCOPYRIGHT_VERIFIEDEDITORIAL_REVIEWEDAPPROVED_FOR_PUBLICATION

Related Quranic Ayahs

Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107Surah Al-Balad 90:17

Related Prophetic Hadith

#244•Sahih al-Bukhari 2512 (Book 48, Hadith 5)Sahih al-BukhariKindness, Mercy and Compassion
Sahih (Authentic)
Primary Companion Narrator:Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه)
Book & Reference: Mortgaging (Bk. 48, No. 5)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ ‏ "‏ الرَّهْنُ يُرْكَبُ بِنَفَقَتِهِ إِذَا كَانَ مَرْهُونًا، وَلَبَنُ الدَّرِّ يُشْرَبُ بِنَفَقَتِهِ إِذَا كَانَ مَرْهُونًا، وَعَلَى الَّذِي يَرْكَبُ وَيَشْرَبُ النَّفَقَةُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The mortgaged animal can be used for riding as long as it is fed and the milk of the milch animal can be drunk according to what one spends on it. The one who rides the animal or drinks its milk should provide the expenditures

— Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan (Sahih al-Bukhari English Translation)

Scholarly Grading Source: Imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (Ijma' / Scholarly Consensus)
Full Reference & Explanation
#245•Sahih Muslim 6601 (Book 45, Hadith 99)Sahih MuslimKindness, Mercy and Compassion
Sahih (Authentic)
Primary Companion Narrator:Aisha bint Abi Bakr (رضي الله عنها)
Book & Reference: The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship (Bk. 45, No. 99)

حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي حَيْوَةُ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ الْهَادِ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ حَزْمٍ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ، - يَعْنِي بِنْتَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ - عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لاَ يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ وَمَا لاَ يُعْطِي عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:'A'isha, verily Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness which he does not confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it (kindness)

— Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (Sahih Muslim English Translation)

Scholarly Grading Source: Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Ijma' / Scholarly Consensus)
Full Reference & Explanation
#246•Sunan Abu Dawud 4941 (Book 43, Hadith 169)Sunan Abu DawudKindness, Mercy and Compassion
Sahih (Authentic)
Primary Companion Narrator:Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (رضي الله عنهما)
Book & Reference: General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab) (Bk. 43, No. 169)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي قَابُوسَ، مَوْلًى لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ لَمْ يَقُلْ مُسَدَّدٌ مَوْلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَقَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you. Musaddad did not say: The client of 'Adb Allah b. 'Amr. He said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said

— Prof. Ahmad Hasan / Nasiruddin al-Khattab (Sunan Abu Dawud)

Scholarly Grading Source: Al-Albani (Sahih); Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid (Sahih); Shuaib Al Arnaut (Sahih Lighairihi); Zubair Ali Zai (Isnaad Hasan)
Full Reference & Explanation
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