When we praise God with the term Rahman [All-Merciful], we are in fact saying that God’s mercy is shown to everything in the world. Thus, the term Rahman describes One who possesses universal mercy. So, what is God’s universal mercy? God is merciful to all the creatures in the world. This includes His mercy in creating them. He has created them, and this is mercy that God bestows on all of His creation. There is also the mercy He shows them through His general guidance, “He said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it’” (Qur’an 20:50). The Almighty God guides everything in a certain way. He guides trees toward growth and perfection. He guides seeds toward sprouting, nourishment, growth, and bearing fruit. The same is true about animals and even about inanimate objects.
Imam Khamenei
March 13, 1991
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