Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When God completed the creation He wrote the following which is with Him above His Throne, ‘My mercy has taken precedence over my anger’.” A version says, “Has prevailed over my anger.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
The Divine Decree of Mercy
This profound hadith from Mishkat al-Masabih (2364) reveals the fundamental nature of Allah's relationship with creation. The writing mentioned is not physical ink on parchment, but rather refers to the eternal decree in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) that establishes mercy as Allah's primary attribute.
Precedence of Divine Mercy
The phrase "My mercy has taken precedence over My anger" indicates that Allah's mercy encompasses all things and precedes His wrath. Scholars explain that this precedence is both temporal - mercy was decreed before creation - and qualitative - mercy is more comprehensive and dominant.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali comments that this hadith gives hope to sinners while warning the righteous against complacency. The mercy is available to all, but one must seek it through obedience and repentance.
Scholarly Interpretations
Al-Qurtubi explains that this divine writing serves as a constant reminder to angels and creation of Allah's essential nature. The location "above His Throne" signifies the supreme importance of this decree in the divine administration.
The variant "has prevailed over my anger" emphasizes the overwhelming nature of divine mercy. Al-Nawawi notes that this doesn't negate divine justice, but rather shows that mercy is Allah's default disposition toward creation.
Practical Implications
This teaching should inspire hope and encourage believers to constantly turn to Allah, knowing that His mercy is vast and readily available. It also teaches Muslims to embody this mercy in their dealings with others, reflecting divine attributes in human conduct.