Quran Verses About Allah's Mercy
The Quran's widest sentence about mercy is Allah's own: 'My mercy encompasses all things' (7:156). He has 'decreed upon Himself mercy' (6:12, 6:54) — a self-imposed rule — and sent His Prophet 'as a mercy to the worlds' (21:107). Nearly every surah opens in the name of the Most Merciful; these eleven ayahs show why rahmah is the Quran's most repeated theme.
Updated July 16, 2026
- Surah Al-A'raf 7:156
۞وَٱكۡتُبۡ لَنَا فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَۚ قَالَ عَذَابِيٓ أُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَنۡ أَشَآءُۖ وَرَحۡمَتِي وَسِعَتۡ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ فَسَأَكۡتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
And ordain for us in this world that which is good, and in the Hereafter (that which is good), Lo! We have turned unto Thee. He said: I smite with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor-due, and those who believe Our revelations
The sentence that outruns every fear — 'My mercy encompasses all things.'
- Surah Al-An'am 6:12
قُل لِّمَن مَّا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قُل لِّلَّهِۚ كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَۚ لَيَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
Say: Unto whom belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth? Say: Unto Allah. He hath prescribed for Himself mercy, that He may bring you all together to the Day of Resurrection whereof there is no doubt. Those who ruin their souls will not believe
A rule Allah wrote for Himself — 'He has decreed upon Himself mercy.'
- Surah Al-An'am 6:54
وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَقُلۡ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَ أَنَّهُۥ مَنۡ عَمِلَ مِنكُمۡ سُوٓءَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةٖ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
And when those who believe in Our revelations come unto thee, say: Peace be unto you! Your Lord hath prescribed for Himself mercy, that whoso of you doeth evil through ignorance and repenteth afterward thereof and doeth right, (for him) lo! He is Forgiving, Merciful
The decree spelled out — whoever does wrong in ignorance, then repents and corrects, finds Him Forgiving and Merciful.
- Surah Al-Anbya 21:107
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples
The Prophet's job description in one line — sent only as a mercy to the worlds.
- Surah Yusuf 12:64
قَالَ هَلۡ ءَامَنُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبۡلُ فَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرٌ حَٰفِظٗاۖ وَهُوَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّـٰحِمِينَ
He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy
Yaqub's trust in loss — 'Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.'
- Surah Ghafir 40:7
ٱلَّذِينَ يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۖ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖ رَّحۡمَةٗ وَعِلۡمٗا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ
Those who bear the Throne, and all who are round about it, hymn the praises of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): Our Lord! Thou comprehendest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefor forgive those who repent and follow Thy way. Ward off from them the punishment of hell
Even the angels carrying the Throne pray it — 'Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge.'
- Surah Ar-Rum 30:50
فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِ رَحۡمَتِ ٱللَّهِ كَيۡفَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَآۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
Look, therefore, at the prints of Allah's mercy (in creation): how He quickeneth the earth after her death. Lo! He verily is the Quickener of the Dead, and He is Able to do all things
Mercy made visible — look at how He revives the dead earth; the same hand gives life to the dead.
- Surah Yunus 10:58
قُلۡ بِفَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَفۡرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ
Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard
The right response to mercy — in Allah's bounty and mercy 'let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.'
- Surah Al-Hijr 15:49
۞نَبِّئۡ عِبَادِيٓ أَنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Announce, (O Muhammad) unto My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful
A message Allah orders delivered to His servants — 'it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful.'
- Surah Ar-Rahman 55:1
ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ
The Beneficent
An entire surah opens with the name — Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful.
- Surah Ar-Rahman 55:2
عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ
Hath made known the Qur'an
The Most Merciful's first listed act — He taught the Quran.
Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani (public domain). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) — public domain.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Quran say about Allah's mercy?
That it 'encompasses all things' (7:156), that Allah 'has decreed upon Himself mercy' (6:12, 6:54), and that His Messenger was sent 'as a mercy to the worlds' (21:107). Every surah but one opens with His names the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Is Allah's mercy greater than His anger?
The Quran leans that way explicitly: mercy is what He decreed upon Himself (6:54), what encompasses all things (7:156), and what sinners are told never to despair of (39:53). Punishment is real, but mercy is the frame.
What do Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem mean?
Both come from rahmah, mercy: Ar-Rahman is the Most Merciful — mercy vast and universal — and Ar-Raheem the Especially Merciful — mercy particular and continuous. The Quran opens nearly every surah with both names together.
Sit with these ayahs, not just skim them
Read each verse in its surah, favorite the ones that hold you, and ask Noor about anything unclear — free to start.
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