Three types of people expect the mercy of Allah (swt): Those who have believed, emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah (swt). There are the ones who have believed before others; the ones who have left their homes and money in Mecca and emigrated to Madina; and the ones who fought along with Prophet Muhammad (saws) defending their religion and sacred places. Those are the ones to expect the mercy of Allah (swt). Someone might ask: “Who would be sure about the mercy of Allah if those people are not sure about it?” . The answer is: There is hope since (expect) indicates that they are not sure. We should keep in mind that we all hope for and expect Allah’s (swt) mercy in our earthly life. That’s why Omar Bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: “I swear by Allah if someone calls that all people shall enter paradise except for one man, I will think this man is Omar.” He said so because he fears that Allah’s mercy might not include him. Prophet Muhammad (saws) said in Hadith:

“The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise.” They (the Prophet’s companions) said, ‘Not even you, O Allah’s Apostle?’ He said, “Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me.  So be moderate in your religious deeds and do the deeds that are within your ability.[1]

So, never count on your deeds and count only on Allah’s (swt) mercy. Allah (swt), with His mercy, has made paradise the reward for your good deeds.

( أُولَٰئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ) (those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.): Whenever Allah (swt) speaks about mercy He (swt) mentions forgiveness along with it and that He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. “Allah” is the greatest among all names/attributes of Allah (swt), and the names and attributes of Allah are so many. In a Hadith it is mentioned that:

“Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise. “[2]

There are, then, ninety-nine attributes of Allah (swt), however, Allah (swt) starts them with “the Compassionate, the Merciful” in the “Basmalah” at the beginning of each Surah of the Qur’an except for “At-Tawba.” There are a hundred and fourteen Suras and the same number of Basmalahs as there is a verse in the “An-Naml” Surah that reads:

 {إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ }

(Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it reads: ‘In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.)  (An-Naml: 30)

Allah (swt) is Compassionate (the entirely merciful) in the earthly life as He has His mercy encompassing all His creatures, the believer, the disbeliever, the obedient, and the disobedient; and Merciful (the especially merciful) in the afterlife as His mercy lies in entering paradise. Furthermore, the attributes of Allah (swt) neither increase nor decrease, rather, the things related to them increase. In other words, everyone on earth are exposed to Allah’s (swt) kindness. Rain, for example, falls at the believers’ and disbelievers’ alike. Besides, believers and disbelievers get livelihood, health, and money; and Allah (swt) has control over all. In the afterlife, however, believers and disbelievers can’t enter paradise together, and there the two attributes, the Compassionate and the Merciful are differentiated. As a matter of fact, the verses of mercy are normally concluded by stating that Allah (swt) forgives the sins since He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari: Patients volume, Hadith no.: 5349.

[2] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Oneness of Allah, Hadith No. 6957.