Worshiping Allah Through His Name "Ar-Ra’uf" (The Most Kind):
1. Among His kindness to us, glory be to Him, is that He knows our weakness. Therefore, He has made our obligations lighter and commanded us to fulfill them in a manner that is not burdensome. He says:
"Allah intends to lighten your burdens, for mankind was created weak." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:28)
And He says:
"Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:286)
Among His kindness to us, glory be to Him, is that He has drawn close to us, endeared Himself to us, and shown compassion toward us. He has preserved for us the means of worship and attaining reward through our senses and faculties such as hearing, sight, hands, and feet. He says in a Hadith Qudsi:
"My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary deeds until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely grant it to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him. I do not hesitate about anything I am going to do more than My hesitation about the soul of a believer. He dislikes death, and I dislike harming him." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
This means that while a believer dislikes death, death may sometimes be a form of kindness and mercy for them.
Ibn Ata’illah As-Sakandari beautifully said:
"Sometimes He gives to you by withholding, and sometimes He withholds from you by giving."
And Among His Kindness, Glory Be to Him is that He Opens the Door of Repentance:
Allah has made repentance and returning to Him accessible. Whoever repents and returns to Him, their sins are erased and replaced with good deeds.
• He Has Made the Heavens and the Earth Subservient to Us:
Allah has subjected all that is in the heavens and the earth for our religious and worldly benefit. He has spread out the earth for us and raised the sky above us without pillars.
• "And He holds the sky from falling upon the earth except by His permission. Indeed, Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful." (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:65)
This is one of the greatest signs of His kindness toward us. He also says:
"It is He who sends down clear signs to His servant to bring you out of darkness into light. And indeed, Allah is Kind and Merciful to you." (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:9)
• • He Preserves Our Good Deeds:
Allah does not let our righteous deeds go to waste, no matter how small, whether it is a prostration, a seeking of forgiveness, or a supplication. Allah says:
"And Allah would never cause your faith to be lost. Indeed, Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:143)
• He Guides Some of His Servants to the Straight Path:
Out of His kindness, Allah guides certain individuals to the straight path, enabling them to sell themselves for His pleasure and forgiveness. A believer can only reach this level through Allah’s kindness and mercy. Allah says:
"And among the people is he who sells himself, seeking the approval of Allah. And Allah is Kind to [His] servants." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:207)
1. Measuring the Kindness of the Lord Through Righteous Deeds:
Whoever wants to gauge the extent of the Lord's kindness and His satisfaction with them should measure their righteous deeds. The more they advance in good deeds, the more they recognize this as divine guidance, while maintaining a sense of complete servitude to Him. Allah says:
"And Allah is Kind to [His] servants." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:207)
2. Being Cautious of Allah:
Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on the verse:
"And Allah warns you of Himself and Allah is Kind to [His] servants" (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:30).
Al-Hasan Al-Basri “Out of His kindness to them, He warns them of Himself ”(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2/31)
The One warning is Allah, the Almighty. He warns about Himself, His Supreme Essence, and the consequences of His anger upon those who displease Him, as well as the punishment that awaits those who deserve it.
This serves as a reminder from Allah to His servants to fear Him and avoid committing what He has forbidden and detests. He knows all their affairs and is capable of hastening punishment. Even when He grants respite, He eventually seizes with overwhelming power.
3. Renewing Repentance to the Kind Lord:
Allah says:
"Then He turned to them in forgiveness. Indeed, He is Kind and Merciful to them." (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:117)
The door of repentance remains open and does not close in the face of anyone until the sun rises from the west. No matter how great the sin or severe the offense, Allah’s pardon is even greater, and His mercy is more encompassing. Allah says:
"Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'" (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53)
If you repent sincerely from your sins, you return as though you have never sinned at all. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The one who repents from sin is like the one who has no sin." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
4. Holding Firmly to the Qur'an:
Allah revealed the Qur'an as a mercy to us, to guide us from darkness into light. He says:
"It is He who sends down clear verses upon His servant to bring you out of darkness into light. And indeed, Allah is Kind and Merciful to you." (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:9)
5. Supplicating with the Name of Allah "Ar-Ra'uf" (The Most Kind):
A supplication based on the verse:
"And those who came after them say, 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.'" (Surah Al-Hashr, 59:10)
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir reported that Abu Ubaidah ibn Abdullah ibn Mas'ud wrote to him:
"As for what follows, I inform you about the guidance of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud in prayer—his actions and words. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was given a concise and comprehensive speech. He used to teach us how to say during prayer when we sit in it:
"All greetings, prayers, and pure words are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah."
After that, the person may ask whatever they wish, seeking Allah’s mercy and forgiveness with brief words, without prolonging the sitting.
He (Abdullah ibn Mas'ud) used to say: 'I love that your supplication to Allah, after completing the greetings in prayer, should include the following:
"Glory be to You, there is no god other than You. Forgive my sin, and rectify my deeds for me. Indeed, You forgive sins for whomever You will, and You are the Forgiving, the Merciful. O Oft-Forgiving, forgive me. O Oft-Returning (to Mercy), accept my repentance. O Most Merciful, have mercy on me. O Pardoner, pardon me. O Kind One, show kindness to me. O Lord, inspire me to thank You for the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and enable me to worship You in the best way. O Lord, I ask You for all good, and I seek refuge in You from all evil. O Lord, open for me with goodness, conclude my affairs with goodness, and grant me a longing to meet You without any harmful affliction or misleading trial. Protect me from sins, for whoever You protect from sins, You have indeed shown mercy to them, and that is the great success."
And whatever supplication you make, let it be with humility and sincerity, for Allah loves the humility of His servant toward Him.'"
(In this narration, Abu Ubaidah did not directly hear from his father. Referenced in Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir by At-Tabarani, 10/65, Hadith 9942.)
