Show mercy down here and it comes from above
The rule is stated twice, once as a name and once as an instruction.
The words
الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ
Ar-rāḥimūna yarḥamuhumu-r-Raḥmān. Irḥamū ahla-l-arḍi yarḥamkum man fi-s-samāʾ
The merciful are shown mercy by the Merciful. Have mercy on those on earth and the One above will have mercy on you.
Where this comes from
Ahl al-arḍ is everyone on the ground. It is not narrowed to believers, or to people you like, or to people. Whatever mercy you want coming down is described here as being paid out first, sideways.
The full narration
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you. Musaddad did not say: The client of 'Adb Allah b. 'Amr. He said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said
Source
Sunan Abī Dāwūd · 4941
- Al-Albani: Sahih
- Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih
- Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih Lighairihi
- Zubair Ali Zai: Isnaad Hasan