47 Preface أَو يَأخُذَهُم عَلىٰ تَخَوُّفٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُم لَرَءوفٌ رَحيمٌYusuf AliOr that He may not call them to account by a process of slow wastage -1 for thy Lord is indeed full of kindness and mercy.(4) Or, as often happens, the punishment comes slowly and imperceptibly, the power of the enemies of God being wasted gradually, until it is extinguished. This happened to the Meccans during the eight years of the Prophet’s exile. The conquest of Mecca was bloodless, because the power of the enemy had gradually vanished. The Prophet was thus able to show the unexampled generosity and clemency which he showed on that occasion, for two of God’s attributes are expressed in the titles “Full of kindness” (Ra'uf) and “Full of mercy” (Raḥīm).