The topic of grace is prevalent in Islamic theology and is central to its discourse. God’s love in the Qur’an is often called rahmah. This term is usually rendered as grace, love, blessing, or mercy. The Qur’an says about God’s rahmah that it encompasses all things: “My punishment I inflict upon whom I will but My rahmah embraces all things” (7:156), and “O Lord! You embrace all things within [Your] rahmah” (40:7).
For humans, God’s grace is displayed, for example, in His abundant forgiveness and in the creation of the world from which all can derive great benefit (Qur’an 22:65; 30:50). Grace is shown in the revelations sent by God through His messengers (2:154; 11:17; 11:53): “. . . We have not sent you [O Muhammad] except as an act of love (rahmah) to everyone.” (21:107). The coming of Prophet Muhammad is especially a manifestation of God’s grace and kindness (57:9; 6:155). He came as rahmat-al-lil-’alamin (grace to all nations) and the revelation he brought is rahmah for all those who believe (10:57; 17:82).
There are other terms like hub and mahab-bah that refer to God’s love when it is directed at specific individuals, such as those who repent (2:222); who do good (2:195; 5:13); who are just (5:42; 49:9); who persevere in patience (3:145); who fight for His cause (61:4); who love cleanliness (61:4); and who put their trust in Him (3:158).
At the same time, there are statements in the Qur’an that serve as reminders that grace is not available to the conceited, boastful man (Qur’an 2:190), the mischievous disturbers of peace (28:77), the unjust (42:40), the extravagant (6:142), the supercilious (16:23), and the transgressors (2:190).
Two of the most frequently used names of God are al-Rahman, al-Rahim, the Beneficent, the Merciful, emphasizing the significance of grace as a defining feature of the deity. Since it is incumbent on human beings to imitate him insofar as it is possible, they ought to employ grace in their treatment of each other.
It is difficult to overemphasize the central-ity of the topic of grace in Islamic theology.
It particularly suggests the significance of patience, sabr, and the notion of Islam as a religion in the middle, where people are encouraged to be moderate in their behavior and tolerant of others. There has also developed a considerable literature on how manners, adab, ought to be refined and gentle, and this is often contrasted with the state of affairs in the jahal-liya, the pre-Islamic state, when Arab manners in particular were typified as rough and aggressive. The arrival of Islam encouraged the development of more sophisticated manners, those embodying grace, and in this way Muslims are in a position to demonstrate their adherence to one of the divine names. Many of the stories about the Prophet and his Companions in the hadith, or traditional stories, also illustrate the significance of grace, in that the early practitioners of Islam are taken to have exemplified it in their everyday actions and provide detailed examples of how it should be pursued. The Prophet himself is often labeled “the perfect man,” al-insan al-kamil, in part because of the way he acted as well as what he did, and this way is taken to have been graceful.
