And it is also authentically reported that he said:

“Allah shows mercy only to those of His servants who are merciful.”

The Sunan collections also contain an established report from him:

“The merciful are shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in heaven will show you mercy.”

Nevertheless, the Most High says concerning the prescribed punishment for the man and woman guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse:

“Do not let pity for them prevent you from carrying out Allah’s law, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.”
[Surah al-Nūr 2]

The Most High also says:

“O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them.”
[Surah al-Tawbah 73]

This is, in fact, part of Allah’s mercy towards His servants. Allah sent Muhammad only as a mercy to all worlds, and He, glorified be He, is more merciful towards His servants than a mother is towards her child. Yet the intended mercy may be attained only through some pain and hardship that befall certain souls. As related in a report, when people say concerning a sick person, “O Allah, have mercy on him,” Allah says, “How can I show him mercy by sparing him something through which I show him mercy?”

Likewise, an act’s being an act of pardon is a quality that makes it something Allah loves. But if it conflicts with