Divine Mercy in the Qur’an: Between Divine Justice and the Limits of Retribution

Abstract

Praise be to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, ask for His guidance and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our bad deeds. May peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the leader of mankind, and upon his pure and noble family, The Holy Qur’an never ceases to speak to us about Allah’s mercy—it is almost the most tangible divine attribute that the reader can sense moment after moment. The phrase “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” recurs at the beginning of every surah except for Surah al-Tawbah, as if Allah wants us to begin every matter with a feeling of mercy rather than fear.However, what invites deeper reflection is this: how does this mercy intersect with justice? And how does it at times transcend the logic of reward and punishment as understood by human standards? Mercy in the Qur’an is not merely an attribute; it is a cosmic system. Allah says: “My mercy encompasses all things” (Al-A'raf: 156). This is not an exaggeration but a clear divine declaration. There is no creature, no event, no soul, no intention—except that mercy can reach it. But the real question arises when we try to connect this mercy with Allah’s justice: Does justice not require that every person be recompensed according to what they have done? So how can Allah show mercy to the wrongdoer, forgive the unjust, and honor those who may not seem to deserve it? Is this mercy an exception to justice? Or is mercy the overarching principle, and justice functions within its bounds? This research adopts an analytical methodology to examine the meanings