Islām is always in the news these days. Whilst some people make the effort to try and understand for themselves what Islām is all about, for the majority of people, ignorance and misunderstandings dictate their attitudes to this major world religion. This is a shame, for when one starts to look beyond the headlines and gets acquainted with the real Islām and its Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu 'alayhi wasallam, a truly balanced, compassionate and merciful set of teachings is revealed.

Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh has been serving the Muslim community of the UK for almost two decades now, and one of the consistent themes underlying his teachings has been compassion and consideration for others. That Islām teaches tolerance and mercy is beyond doubt; countless verses of the Qur'ān, sayings of the Prophet sallallāhu 'alayhi wasallam and examples of our pious predecessors testify to this fact. The respected Shaykh has lectured at length on this topic and explained, through authentic sources, how Muslims and mercy are inseparable.

It proved difficult to bring together all Shaykh's teachings on this important topic due to the abundance of material available. It was therefore decided that this small, easy to read booklet be prepared to serve as an introduction to the subject and an invitation for all - Muslims and non-Muslims - to increase their understanding of the Message of Mercy.