26. MERCY OF GOD

26. Mercy of God ~ 77 ~ On this subject, many traditions have been recorded in the books of hadith. Two of these sayings of the Prophet are of particular significance. One concerns a woman who trussed up a cat with rope and deprived it of food and water. Ultimately, the cat died. God so strongly disapproved of this that, in spite of her great devotions (she used to pray a lot), He decreed that she be cast into hell. The other incident concerns a woman who although not religious, took pity on a dog she found lying on the ground, dying of thirst. There was a well nearby, but she had nothing with which to draw water from it. Then she thought of her shawl. She lowered this into the well, and then squeezed the water, which it soaked up into the mouth of the dog. She continued to do so until its thirst was quenched. The animal’s life was thus saved. God was so pleased with this human gesture of mercy that He decreed that she should enter paradise.