He reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has a hundred, mercies of which He has sent down one among jinn and men, animals and creeping things. By it they are kind to one another, by it they show mercy to one another, and by it the wild beast is kind to its young. But God has kept back ninety-nine mercies by which He will show mercy to His servants on the day of resurrection.” (Bukhari and Muslim). A version by Muslim from Salman has something similar, at the end of which he said, “When the day of resurrection comes He will complete them with this one.”
Commentary on the Divine Mercies
This profound hadith from the esteemed collections of Bukhari and Muslim, also referenced in Mishkat al-Masabih 2365, 2366, reveals the vast ocean of Allah's mercy. The numerical mention of one hundred mercies is not to be understood in literal limitation, but rather as an indication of the boundless nature of divine compassion that transcends human quantification.
The single mercy apportioned to creation manifests as the innate compassion found throughout the natural order - the tenderness of a mother for her child, the protective instincts of animals, and the mutual kindness among humans. This worldly mercy is but a droplet from the celestial ocean, yet it suffices to maintain harmony in creation.
The reservation of ninety-nine mercies for the Day of Judgment demonstrates Allah's ultimate wisdom and generosity. These reserved mercies will envelop the believers, transforming the terror of the Resurrection into an occasion of divine embrace. As Salman's version clarifies, the complete manifestation of mercy will occur when this worldly mercy joins the heavenly ninety-nine, forming the perfect hundred that will encompass the faithful.
This teaching should instill in the believer both hope and responsibility - hope in Allah's overwhelming mercy that far exceeds His wrath, and responsibility to reflect that single mercy in our dealings with all creation, thereby becoming worthy recipients of the complete divine compassion on the Final Day.