Quran verses about mercy

1. ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿٣﴾

   The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

   The opening surah, recited in every prayer, describes Allah as the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.

2. ۞وَٱكۡتُبۡ لَنَا فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَۚ قَالَ عَذَابِيٓ أُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَنۡ أَشَآءُۖ وَرَحۡمَتِي وَسِعَتۡ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ فَسَأَكۡتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾

   “And inscribe for us goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter. We have turned to You.” He said, “My punishment—I inflict it upon whomever I will, but My mercy encompasses all things. I will specify it for those who act righteously and practice regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs.”

   In reply to Moses' prayer, Allah says His mercy encompasses all things and that He will extend it to those who are mindful and generous.

3. قُل لِّمَن مَّا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قُل لِّلَّهِۚ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَۚ لَيَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

   Say, “To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?” Say, “To Allah.” He has inscribed for Himself mercy. He will gather you to the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Those who lost their souls do not believe.

   Allah declares that He has written mercy upon Himself.

4. وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَقُلۡ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَ أَنَّهُۥ مَنۡ عَمِلَ مِنكُمۡ سُوٓءَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةٖ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ﴿٥٤﴾

   When those who believe in Our revelations come to you, say, “Peace be upon you, your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself. Whoever among you does wrong out of ignorance, and then repents afterwards and reforms—He is Forgiving and Merciful.”

   The Prophet ﷺ is told to greet the believers with peace and tell them their Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself, so whoever does wrong in ignorance and then reforms will find Him forgiving.

5. ٱلَّذِينَ يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۖ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖ رَّحۡمَةٗ وَعِلۡمٗا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ﴿٧﴾

   Those who carry the Throne, and those around it, glorify their Lord with praise, and believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness for those who believe: “Our Lord, You have encompassed everything in mercy and knowledge; so forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and protect them from the agony of the Blaze.

   The angels who carry the Throne pray for the believers, saying that Allah's mercy and knowledge reach everything.

6. ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ ﴿١﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ ﴿٢﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ ﴿٣﴾ عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ ﴿٤﴾

   ¹The Compassionate. ²Has taught the Quran. ³He created man. ⁴And taught him clear expression.

   Surah Ar-Rahman opens with Allah's name the Compassionate, followed directly by His teaching of the Quran and His gift of speech.

7. وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٠٧﴾

   We did not send you except as mercy to mankind.

   Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ that he was sent only as a mercy to all the worlds.

8. لَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولࣱ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رَءُوفࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ﴿١٢٨﴾

   There has come to you a messenger from among yourselves, concerned over your suffering, anxious over you. Towards the believers, he is compassionate and merciful.

   The Prophet ﷺ is described as distressed by the hardship of his people, eager for their good, and kind and merciful to the believers.

9. فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٖ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَۖ فَٱعۡفُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴿١٥٩﴾

   It is by grace from Allah that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the conduct of affairs. And when you make a decision, put your trust in Allah; Allah loves the trusting.

   After the difficult events at Uhud, this verse says it was by Allah's mercy that the Prophet ﷺ was gentle with his companions, and that harshness would have driven them away.

10. وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنۡ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَكُم مَّوَدَّةٗ وَرَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

    And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and He planted love and compassion between you. In this are signs for people who reflect.

    Among Allah's signs is that He made spouses for people and placed love and mercy between them.

11. وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرٗا ﴿٢٤﴾

    And lower to them the wing of humility, out of mercy, and say, “My Lord, have mercy on them, as they raised me when I was a child.”

    Children are asked to lower the wing of humility to their parents out of mercy and to pray that Allah have mercy on them as they raised them when small.

12. قَالَ لَا تَثۡرِيبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ يَغۡفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّـٰحِمِينَ ﴿٩٢﴾

    He said, “There is no blame upon you today. Allah will forgive you. He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

    Joseph forgives his brothers and describes Allah as the Most Merciful of the merciful.

13. ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ ﴿١٧﴾

    Then he becomes of those who believe, and advise one another to patience, and advise one another to kindness.

    Among those on the steep path of goodness are believers who encourage one another toward patience and compassion.

The Quran presents Allah's mercy as wider than any wrong a person can do, and then asks people to pass some of it on. A gentle word to someone who disappointed you, a prayer for your parents, patience with a spouse: these are the small ways the verses above take shape in an ordinary day.