Compassion and love are the essence of Islam as expressed in the Quran. Yet, the sad fact of the world today is that if you ask people about Islam, they would probably talk about extremism and violence. Compassion in Islam Among Allah’s own names are “Rahman” and “Rahim” (Compassionate and Merciful). Each of the Quran’s 114 chapters, except for the 9th, begins with those two names: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”. “Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men. And Allah loves doers of good (to others).” (3:134) These qualities are the foundation of compassion, that those who control their anger and pardon others and do good to others are those whom Allah loves. “Rahma”, meaning compassion, and its derivatives are also used more than 326 times in the Quran. It is also interesting to note that the womb of the mother is also called “Rahm”, which is derived from the word “Rahma”. Mankind’s Love for God We must cultivate in our thinking that God loves us in infinite ways. Just look around you and contemplate; the skies,…
