هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٢هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٢٣هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٢٤

“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. He is Allah , the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [Quran 59:22-24]

<Professor Hums playing with a baby>

SCENE:

Jester: Knock knock
Kids: Who’s there?
Jester: Kanga

Kids: Kanga who?
Jester: I believe it is pronounced kangaroo?

I got another one!

Jester: Knock knock
Kids: Who’s there?
Jester: Cash

Kids: Cash who?
Jester: No thank you I prefer peanuts!

Jester: Knock knock
Kids: Who’s there?
Jester: Tennis

Kids: Tennis who?
Jester: Tennis is five plus five!

Jester: Knock knock
Kids: Who’s there?
Jester: Orange

Kids: Orange who?
Jester: Orange you enjoying all these jokes!

King Hasan: Oh Jester! I do declare I enjoy seeing my friends showing love and mercy to the youngest citizens of the kingdom. It is sunnah to be loving to children, did you know that Cat? And what a good cat you are. Such a nice companion to me. May Allah be merciful to those who show mercy!

Aunty Hiba: Mercy between friends and strangers? Mercy between adults and children? Mercy between owners and pets? I am here for all of it! Two of the beautiful names of Allah are Ar Rahmaan which means The Most Merciful... and Ar Raheem which means The Permanently Merciful

 Both rahmaan and raheem come from the root raa-haa-meem, these names are similar so let’s talk about them both at the same time. What is Rahmah? Rahmah is mercy compassion, kindness and gentleness, and tenderness.

SCENE:

Jester: <sobbing hysterically>

King Hasan: Allahu Akbar! What's going on! Why are you crying so terribly?! What is making you so miserable?

Jester (wailing): I can't tell you! It's terrible, terrible! 

King Hasan: How can I help you if I don't know what's bothering you?

Jester: No one can help me! I have done a terrible thing and nothing can be done about it!

King Hasan: Well Allah already knows what you have done. So why don't you turn to Him and ask Him for help?

Jester: I have committed a sin that I am so sad and embarrassed about. I can't even forgive myself. How can Allah forgive me after what I’ve done?

King Hasan: Allah is Ar Rahman. The Extremely Merciful. He loves it when us humans turn to Him! Don't despair Jester! Have faith in Ar Rahmaan!

Jester <looking hopeful>: You have given me hope and faith. 

<holds up hands in dua> Ya Rahmaan, forgive me and have mercy on me!

Aunty Hiba: No matter how many sins you commit, He can have mercy on you if you just turn to Ar-Rahmaan. Every mistake or sin is an opportunity and a sign that it’s time to get closer to Him! Whenever you commit a sin, call Him by this name to have mercy on you. 

“Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [Quran 39:53].

Aunty Hiba: There are two Names of Allah with the same root, to emphasize that Allah is really the MOST Merciful, there is no one else who is more merciful than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

So both of these names mean something merciful. They have a difference though.

The name Ar-Rahman means:

– Allah is extremely merciful

– Allah is not just merciful, but is being very merciful right now

– Allah’s mercy is not permanent; it can leave you if you do wrong.

In contrast, the name Ar-Raheem means:

– Allah’s mercy is permanent

– Allah’s mercy is not necessarily happening right now

– Allah’s mercy is not the same level of extremely merciful

SCENE:

King Hasan: It's your job to keep this town on the map by coming out with new science discoveries!  

Professor Hums: You need to put more funding into science research for me to do anything!

King Hasan: I think you are being lazy with your time and wasteful about the money you’ve been assigned!

Professor Hums: I think you are being unreasonable in your expectations and miserly with the town's treasury!

King Hasan and Professor Hums: (together) GAH! (turn and walk away)

King Hasan: Oh no I have been very harsh with the professor.

Professor Hums: Oh no I have been very unfair with the king.

King Hasan and Professor Hums: (run towards each other and hug) I’m so sorry! I don't want to fight with you! You’re the best (king) (prof) ever!

Aunty Hiba: Be active in being in touch with your family: regularly visit, call, and exchange gifts. And, like the king and the professor, when you have an argument with your friends, be the first to make up!

“The Prophet (s) said: It is not permitted for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days.”

Aunty Hiba: I believe the Professor had also researched a difference between Al Rahman and Al Raheem. 

SCENE:

Professor Hums: Hmmm...interesting. Ibn Abbas says that Ar-Raheem is only for believers, while Ar-Rahman is for all the creatures and everything on earth — because permanent mercy is what you need for Jannah, and that’s only for believers.

Aunty Hiba: By combining these two names together, we get the total meaning of Allah being extremely and permanently merciful, both immediately (right now) and in the future!

And this is why we start with “Bismillah Ir-Rahman Ir-Rahim” when we do something good; because we want Allah’s mercy and blessings (barakah) both immediately and in the future.

SCENE:

Jester: <sobbing hysterically>

King Hasan: Allahu Akbar! What's going on! Why are you crying so terribly?! What is making you so miserable? Haven’t we been through this before?!?

Jester: <wailing> It's not the same thing! 

King Hasan: What is it this time Jester? Speak up quickly!

Jester: I believe in Allah’s mercy! But now I am afraid I have done something bad for which I will be punished by a human! And humans won't be as merciful!

King Hasan: You do seem to be good at getting into trouble. But go on tell me what happened and let’s see if I can help you. 

Jester: I..I..I broke your favorite crown! I picked it up to give it a nice shine and it slipped from my hand and, and….<wailing again> I brooke it! 

King Hasan: Well I think it's time you learnt your second lesson about the mercy of Allah. 

Jester: Please tell me. What is it?

King Hasan: The Prophet (s) said: Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to the people.

Jester: <looking hopeful> So what does that mean for me?

King Hasan: <laughing> I will not punish you! I will show you mercy for the sake of Allah and hope that He will show mercy to me!

Jester: <jumping up and down with joy> SubhanAllah! Alhumdulillah! Allahu Akbar!

Aunty Hiba: So that's a good lesson! Be merciful to others if you want the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan! 

“The Prophet (s) said: Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to the people.”

SCENE:

Professor Hums: Ah how fascinating. Rahmaan and Raheem are the Names of Allah that we say in Bismillah when we start anything and they are the ones that come at the beginning of the Quran in Surah Fatiha. Besides this, the root Raham appears 339 times in the Quran. 

Aunty Hiba: So why use these names in the beginning? Why the importance? Why the repetition? 

When people learn about Allah, we should know that the first thing He introduced about Himself is His Mercy. It is most important for us to learn that Allah is ready to accept people and forgive people. 

The Prophet (s) said, “Verily Allah created Mercy. The day He created it, He made it into one hundred parts. He withheld with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent its one part to all His creatures.” 

SCENE:

King Hasan: Knock Knock
Jester: ooooh! Who’s there
King Hasan: Boo
Jester: Boo who
King Hasan: Hey! I told you it's okay about my crown! Don’t cry again!

Aunty Hiba: Isn't it amazing that all of the big and little acts of mercy we see in this world and that have been there throughout time are all only one out of the hundred parts of mercy. Allah has saved 99 parts for His true believers on the day of judgment, that is when Allah will be ar Raheem.

SCENE:

Dr. Fatima: Abba! Assalamu Alaikum! Welcome! 

Abba: Walaikum Assalam my daughter! I am so happy to see you! <Abba and doc hug>

Dr. Fatima: I missed you Abba. I am so happy you came to visit me. 

Abba: Thank you for inviting me. I hope I’m not going to bother you. 

Dr. Fatima: Exactly the opposite.We are going to have so much fun together. We will visit all my friends, eat at all the restaurants, and go sightseeing together! You will sleep in my room and I will sleep on the sofa! 

Abba: You are a good daughter! How is your work going? 

Dr. Fatima: Alhamdulillah! I love my work! But I had to give one of my patients bad news yesterday. I told him he had high blood pressure and amnesia. Guess what he said? 

Abba: He must’ve said…...well at least I dont have high blood pressure! <both laugh>

Abba: I have another joke for you. Why do doctors have good hearing? 

Dr. Fatima: Because they have Ultra-sound!

Aunty Hiba: Dr. Fatima is definitely on the right track. We should be good and kind and loving to our parents. And there is one more thing. We should ask Ar-Rahmaan to have mercy on our parents. 

“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment….. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.” 

[Quran, 17:23-24]

What an important dua for all of us to memorize. Let’s repeat the three times together: 

Rabbirhamhuma kama rabbayani sagheera

Ameen! Something about that dua...hits me straight in the feels every time! No matter how old you get, you always feel small in front of your parents and of course, in front of Allah! May Allah surround us with His mercy always!

Aunty Hiba: So that's it for today. Reflect upon Allah’s mercy when you see all the blessings around you; food, water, air, clothes, home, nice things, loving people. When you love someone or are loved, know that this feeling was manifested by the mercy of Allah. Think about the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan in sending the Prophet Muhammad (s) to you. Think about the mercy of being born in a Muslim family and be intensely happy and grateful to have such a merciful Lord.

Let's read our Surah Hashr ayahs again. This time see if you can find the beautiful names of Allah Ar Rahmaan and Ar Raheem!

هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٢هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٢٣هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٢٤

“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. He is Allah , the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [Quran 59:22-24]