this first. Secondly: this ḥadīth contains two blessed statements: the first is "Show mercy to those on the earth," and its supporting evidence is very numerous from a group of Companions. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī included them in his session referred to there when he documented the ḥadīth, and it was recently published with verification by the esteemed brother Abū ʿAbd Allāh Maḥmūd ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥaddād. Refer to its index of ḥadīths to find their names and the references to their ḥadīths from it, and some of them are agreed upon by the two Shaykhs, including Usāmah ibn Zayd, which is documented in "Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz" (163-164) with the wording: "Allāh only shows mercy to those of His servants who are merciful." The other statement: "May He who is in the heaven show you mercy." It is authentic as previously mentioned, and the esteemed brother referred to earlier has elaborated on it. It is the one that unsettled that false claimant and left him defeated, even breaking his back; because the word "in" in it has the same meaning as in the first statement, obviously; that is, "above." Only a stubborn person would argue against this, as it confirms that this word has the same meaning in His saying: "Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven" (Sūrah al-Mulk, 67:16); meaning: above the heaven; that is, above the Throne. This is how the scholars of the Salaf and Khalaf interpreted it, including Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in "al-Tamhīd," and al-Bayhaqī in his two books: "al-Asmāʾ" and "al-Iʿtiqād." That false claimant knows this truth but obstinately denies it, invalidating the authentic ḥadīth to call this interpretation a distortion, and calls his negation of the meaning of the noble verse an interpretation based on the principle: "She accused me of her ailment and slipped away," saying (p. 65): "The One of greatness, exaltation, and majesty, and He is Allāh, the Exalted..." He confirms this negation in another place (p. 139), and adds to it, saying—may his mouth be silenced—"and the verse is interpreted by the anthropomorphists as (He who is above the heaven)..."!