P2-HAD-15 Major teachings in the Hadiths Paper 2, Question 1 · compulsory
Hadith 15 — Mercy shown and mercy received
This Hadith connects Allah's mercy with the mercy people show to others. A believer who hopes for divine compassion must not become cruel, indifferent or pleased by another's suffering.
Compulsory Question 1 Hadith 15 Life in the community
Syllabus connection
- P2.T1.b3 What each passage teaches about what Muslims should believe
- P2.T1.b4 What each passage teaches about how Muslims should act
- P2.T1.b5 Study with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English translation
- A2.15 Hadith 15: Mercy Group (editorial): Community
Learn the material
Learning objectives
Key vocabulary
- rahma
- Mercy expressed through compassion, protection and beneficial action.
- yarham
- To show mercy.
- nas
- People generally, not only friends or one group.
- qasuwa
- Hardness or cruelty of heart.
- rifq
- Gentleness in manner and action.
Before you start
Answer from memory before opening the answers.
- Which teaching group has this course placed the Hadith in?
- What does Paper 2 Question 1(a) ask you to explain?
- What does part (b) ask you to do differently?
- Which short phrase best carries this Hadith's central instruction?
Check your answers
- Life in the community. This is an editorial teaching group; several Hadiths connect with both groups.
- What the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe or understand.
- How Muslims put the teaching into action through concrete practice.
- لَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ.
The lesson
The prescribed Hadith
لَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُ النَّاسَ.
God will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.
Prescribed Hadith 15 · Appendix 2 · recorded by al-Bukhari or Muslim in their Sahih collections (many by both)
Central teaching
A believer should show broad, practical compassion while using just and proportionate boundaries to protect people from harm.
Instruction → belief → action
| Teaching point | Evidence or focus | Development |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy is a defining religious quality | Allah will not show mercy. | The short warning makes cruelty incompatible with a life seeking Allah's mercy. |
| The object is people generally | To one who does not show mercy to people. | The wording 'people' broadens compassion beyond one's preferred circle. |
| Mercy includes action | Allah will not show mercy. | Feeling pity without protecting, helping or forgiving may be incomplete. |
| Mercy is not permissiveness | To one who does not show mercy to people. | It can include firm boundaries that prevent harm, applied justly and without cruelty. |
Do not copy the translation as your answer
Part (a) rewards the teaching behind the words. Name the instruction, explain the belief or principle it rests on, and develop its scope.
Context and chronology
The Hadith is framed as a severe warning rather than a sentimental slogan. It asks the learner to examine habitual treatment of others.
The wording does not teach that Allah's mercy is mechanically purchased by one act. It identifies merciless character as spiritually dangerous.
Source discipline
Use the prescribed wording and secure context. Do not invent a narrator, occasion, collection number or historical detail merely to make the answer sound learned.
People, places and events
- Every person who hopes for Allah's mercy.
- Those who are weak, dependent or easy to ignore.
- People in conflict, where mercy and justice must be balanced.
Qur'an and Hadith evidence
Learn short phrases that can be placed inside an explanation. English quotation is acceptable; accurate use matters more than length.
لَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ
Allah will not show mercy.
The warning gives human compassion direct spiritual importance.
مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُ النَّاسَ
To one who does not show mercy to people.
The object is broad and resists selective compassion.
Significance
- Allah is merciful and commands His servants to reflect mercy in human relationships.
- How people treat the vulnerable reveals the state of the heart.
- Divine mercy should create humility rather than entitlement.
- Compassion and justice support one another when directed towards real good.
These are the beliefs and principles for part (a). The examination asks what the Hadith teaches, not only what its words say.
Significance in practice
For part (b), use setting → action → effect. Specific practice is stronger than saying “Muslims should follow it”.
| Setting | Action | How this applies the Hadith |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Correct a child calmly and proportionately rather than humiliating them. | Discipline protects while preserving trust and dignity. |
| Illness or disability | Offer time, access and patience instead of irritation. | Compassion removes avoidable burdens. |
| Conflict | Allow apology and reform where safety and justice permit. | Mercy prevents permanent condemnation of a person. |
| Animals and environment | Avoid needless suffering and care responsibly for living creatures. | Mercy extends beyond convenient human relationships. |
Connections with other topics
| Source or topic | Connection |
|---|---|
| Hadith 10 | Mercy is made concrete through sustained care for widows and the poor. |
| Hadith 11 | Orphan care is a powerful institutional form of mercy. |
| Hadith 16 | A single body cannot remain indifferent to another member's pain. |
Common misconceptions
Students often think Mercy means never imposing consequences.
In fact Merciful justice may require boundaries, restitution or protection from harm.
Students often think Mercy is only for Muslims one likes.
In fact The wording refers to people generally and challenges selective compassion.
Students often think One kind act guarantees Allah's mercy.
In fact The Hadith concerns a merciful disposition expressed consistently, while final judgement belongs to Allah.
What the examiner wants
AO1: what you must know
- Know the complete set translation and the meaning of the key Arabic terms.
- State the central instruction accurately: A believer should show broad, practical compassion while using just and proportionate boundaries to protect people from harm.
- Develop at least three underlying beliefs or principles.
- Use a short phrase from the Hadith as evidence rather than copying the whole translation.
- Give balanced coverage across the two Hadiths you choose.
The Hadith teaching answer
Paper 2 Question 1 asks two different things from Paper 1. Part (a) asks what the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe. Part (b) asks how they put it into action — which needs concrete, practical examples.
- The instruction
- Simply and directly: what is the Prophet ﷺ telling Muslims to do?
- The belief behind it
- What this shows about Allah, or about what a believer is.
- The action
- Concrete practice — in the home, the community, and everyday life.
- Today
- A real, specific example a student could actually give.
AO2: what you must understand
Part (b) needs actions. Each example should show who does what, in which setting, and how it expresses the teaching.
Family
Action: Correct a child calmly and proportionately rather than humiliating them. Effect: Discipline protects while preserving trust and dignity.
Illness or disability
Action: Offer time, access and patience instead of irritation. Effect: Compassion removes avoidable burdens.
Conflict
Action: Allow apology and reform where safety and justice permit. Effect: Mercy prevents permanent condemnation of a person.
Animals and environment
Action: Avoid needless suffering and care responsibly for living creatures. Effect: Mercy extends beyond convenient human relationships.
Worked examination example
Weaker response
Mercy requires allowing harmful behaviour to continue without consequences.
Why it is weak: it distorts or narrows the teaching and gives no developed belief or practical action.
Stronger response
Mercy is a defining religious quality: the short warning makes cruelty incompatible with a life seeking Allah's mercy. The object is people generally: the wording 'people' broadens compassion beyond one's preferred circle. Mercy includes action: feeling pity without protecting, helping or forgiving may be incomplete. Mercy is not permissiveness: it can include firm boundaries that prevent harm, applied justly and without cruelty.
Why it is stronger: it identifies several teachings, develops them and remains within the wording's limits.
Practise
Guided practice
- Reduce the Hadith to one accurate instruction.
- Select three belief or principle statements from the teaching table.
- Attach one short phrase from the Hadith to each developed point.
- Turn two applications into setting → action → effect sentences.
- Correct one misconception without using vague language.
Before you write, answer these
- What is the instruction?
- What belief or principle lies behind it?
- Which exact action proves application?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Independent practice
- Write a 90–120 word part (a) explanation without looking.
- Write two separate part (b) examples from different settings.
- Compare this Hadith with Hadith 10 in one similarity and one difference.
- Explain why the first misconception is wrong.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then check it. Every option is explained — including the ones that are wrong — so read the feedback even when you were right.
Write a full answer
Exam-style practice question
Four Hadiths are printed in the examination. Practise choosing the two you can explain and apply most evenly.
Hadiths set for this practice
- Hadith 15 — this lesson
- Hadith 10 — Care for widows and the poor
- Hadith 16 — Unity of the community
- Hadith 1 — Sincerity (nasiha)
Exam-style practice question
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
(a) Choose any two of the Hadiths above. Explain what teachings they contain for Muslims to believe. [4] AO1
(b) Explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action. [4] AO2
Written by this course to match the style and demand of the examination. It is not a Cambridge question.
Plan your answer
Before you write, answer these
- Which two Hadiths can I develop equally well?
- For each, what is the instruction and what beliefs lie behind it?
- What short wording can I use as evidence?
- Which two practical actions are specific and realistic?
- Have I divided time and space evenly?
Out of scope here: Copying the translations, giving only personal opinion, or describing general importance without concrete action.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Indicative answer
Show an indicative answer Write yours first — you will learn more
Part (a) — Hadith 15
Mercy is a defining religious quality: the short warning makes cruelty incompatible with a life seeking Allah's mercy. The object is people generally: the wording 'people' broadens compassion beyond one's preferred circle. Mercy includes action: feeling pity without protecting, helping or forgiving may be incomplete. Mercy is not permissiveness: it can include firm boundaries that prevent harm, applied justly and without cruelty.
Part (a) — Hadith 10
One who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor man is like the one who exerts himself in the way of Allah, or the one who stands for prayer in the night or fasts in the day. This teaches the central principle of Care for widows and the poor and should be developed from its own lesson.
Part (b) — practical action
Family: Correct a child calmly and proportionately rather than humiliating them. Discipline protects while preserving trust and dignity.
Illness or disability: Offer time, access and patience instead of irritation. Compassion removes avoidable burdens.
Other answers are equally valid
- Marks are awarded for what is correct. Nothing is deducted for errors or omissions.
- Credit is given for valid answers that go beyond the syllabus and the mark scheme.
- It is entirely possible to reach the highest level using different information or a different argument from the one shown here.
- Answers are judged against the levels of response, not against a checklist of required points.
Marking guidance reference
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 |
|
| 3 | 3 |
|
| 2 | 2 |
|
| 1 | 1 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The clearest difference between Level 3 and Level 4 is comprehensiveness, development, and quotation. Level 3 "may quote"; Level 4 is "likely to quote".
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3–4 |
|
| 1 | 1–2 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The whole AO2 distinction is discussion versus description. A factually excellent but purely descriptive paragraph cannot reach Level 2.
Note that AO2 has two levels, not four. Some older textbooks and revision guides still show a four-level scale for part (b); that scale is out of date.
Self-assessment checklist reference
Judge your answer as a whole against the levels above, not by counting points. An answer can reach the top band using different material from the indicative answer.
Consolidate
Lesson summary
- A believer should show broad, practical compassion while using just and proportionate boundaries to protect people from harm.
- Allah is merciful and commands His servants to reflect mercy in human relationships.
- A strong part (a) answer explains the instruction and the belief behind it rather than copying the translation.
- A strong part (b) answer gives specific, realistic actions and explains how each action applies the teaching.
- Both selected Hadiths are marked together, so balanced treatment is essential.
Retrieval flashcards
Further revision task reference
- Create a one-page card with the Arabic opening, complete translation, one instruction, three beliefs and three actions.
- Retrieve it after 24 hours, one week and one month.
- Complete an eight-minute Question 1 practice pairing it with Hadith 10.
- Replace any vague action with a named setting, action and effect.
Before you write, answer these
- Which belief is secure?
- Which action is too vague?
- Which Arabic phrase can I recall accurately?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Your progress is saved in this browser only. Use My progress to export it if you change device.
Why this would reach the top band
The response distinguishes belief from action, develops the teaching instead of copying it, and gives realistic applications. Other accurate teachings and examples can reach the same level.