How Is the Prophet (PBUH) a Mercy to the Worlds, to Believers and Disbelievers Alike?
ما معنى قوله تعالى:" وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ"؟ وكيف كان رحمة للعالمين مؤمنهم وكافرهم؟
( O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, and a deliverer of good news, and a warner, and a caller to ˹the Way of˺ Allah by His command, and a beacon of light.)
The meaning of the verse: Allah has made Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a mercy to the worlds, that is, He sent him as a mercy to them all. Whoever accepted this mercy and was grateful for this blessing was happy in this world and the hereafter, and whoever rejected and denied it lost this world and the hereafter, as Allah Almighty says:
( Have you not seen those ˹disbelievers˺ who meet Allah’s favours with ingratitude and lead their own people to their doom?)
When he (ﷺ) was told: “Invoke a curse upon the polytheists,” he said: “I have not been sent as one who curses; I have been sent only as a mercy.” And in the other hadith: “I am only a mercy given as a gift.”
Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Any man of my community whom I insulted in my anger or cursed with a curse: I am only a man from the children of Adam, I get angry as they get angry, and He sent me only as a mercy to the worlds, so make it a blessing upon him on the Day of Resurrection.”
Note: The earlier published Arabic wording left out “of my community” (من أمتي) and read “as you get angry”. In Imam Ahmad’s narration, quoted by Ibn Kathir, and in Sunan Abi Dawud (4659, graded sahih by al-Albani), the wording is as above, so it was corrected.
But how can it be a mercy to the believer and the disbeliever? The answer is that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day will receive mercy in this world and the Hereafter, and whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger will be spared the swallowing by the earth and the pelting from the sky that befell earlier nations.
From a second angle: it is a mercy for everyone: but the believers accepted this mercy and benefited from it in this world and the hereafter, but the disbelievers rejected it, and this rejection does not mean that it is not a mercy for them. As an example: This medicine cures a certain disease, and if the patient does not use it, it does not cease to be a cure for that disease.
From a third angle: the whole world has benefited from the message of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and while his followers have attained the dignity of this world and the hereafter - as mentioned above - yet his enemies are divided into three categories:
a. Those who fought him: they are the ones who showed him enmity and raised weapons in his face. Their killing was hastened, and their death is better for them than their life, because their life would only add to the severity of their punishment in the hereafter; misery has been written for them, so hastening their death is better for them than long lives in disbelief.
b. The covenanters, who have a covenant with him. These lived in the world under his shade, his covenant and his protection, and were not wronged in anything, which is contrary to the ancient and modern civilizations who, if they won wars, destroyed everyone who was not their ally.
c. The hypocrites: they are those who show faith in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while their hearts are full of disbelief. By showing faith in him, their blood, wealth and families were protected and respected, and the rulings of the Muslims, in inheritance and other matters, applied to them.
One of the manifestations of this mercy is that whenever he had to choose between two things he would choose the easier of them, as long as it was not sinful; and if it was sinful, he was the furthest of people from it (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as narrated by ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
This indicates that he is a mercy for all creation and that his honorable personality (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is a mercy, and his law (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is a mercy, for all creation, and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a safety for the people of the earth during his life, as the Almighty said: “ But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst.” and since his life (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not eternal, but he is like all other human beings, he leaves this worldly life and goes to Allah the Almighty, Allah made for the people of the earth another safety: “Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.”
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذِيراً * وَدَاعِياً إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجاً مُنِيراً
معنى الآية: إن الله قد جعل محمدا ﷺ رحمة للعالمين أي أرسله رحمة لهم كلهم، فمن قبل هذه الرحمة وشكر هذه النعمة سعد في الدنيا والآخرة، ومن ردها وجحدها خسر الدنيا والآخرة، كما قال تعالى: “ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ“.
ولما قيل له ﷺ: “ادع على المشركين”، قال: “إني لم أبعث لعانا وإنما بعثت رحمة“، وفي الحديث الآخر: “إنما أنا رحمة مهداة”.
وروى الإمام أحمد أنه ﷺ قال: “أيما رجل من أمتي سببته سبة في غضبي أو لعنته لعنة، فإنما أنا رجل من ولد آدم، أغضب كما يغضبون، وإنما بعثني رحمة للعالمين، فاجعلها صلاة عليه يوم القيامة”.
ملاحظة: جاء في النص المنشور سابقا: (أيما رجل سببته في غضبي أو لعنته لعنة، فإنما أنا رجل من ولد آدم، أغضب كما تغضبون وإنما بعثني الله رحمة للعالمين)، والذي في رواية الإمام أحمد التي نقلها ابن كثير، وفي سنن أبي داود (4659) وصححه الألباني: (أيما رجل من أمتي سببته سبة في غضبي أو لعنته لعنة، فإنما أنا رجل من ولد آدم، أغضب كما يغضبون، وإنما بعثني رحمة للعالمين)، فصُحح.
أما كيف يكون رحمة للمؤمن والكافر؟ فالجواب: عن ابن عباس-رضي الله عنهما- قال: من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر كتب له الرحمة في الدنيا والآخرة، ومن لم يؤمن بالله ورسوله عوفي مما أصاب الأمم من الخسف والقذف.
ومن وجه ثانٍ: أنه رحمة لكل أحد: لكن المؤمنون قبلوا هذه الرحمة فانتفعوا بها في الدنيا والآخرة، أما الكفار فقد ردوها، وهذا الرد الذي حصل من الكفار لا يعني أنه ليس برحمة لهم، كما يقال: هذا دواء لهذا المرض فإذا لم يستعمله المريض لم يخرج عن أن يكون دواء لذلك المرض.
ومن وجه ثالث: إن عموم العالمين حصل لهم النفع برسالته ﷺ، أما أتباعه فنالوا به كرامة الدنيا والآخرة-كما تقدم-، وأما أعداؤه فهم على ثلاثة أقسام:
أ. المحاربون له: وهم الذين أظهروا العداوة له ورفعوا السلاح في وجهه، فهؤلاء عجل قتلهم، وموتهم خير لهم من حياتهم؛ لأن حياتهم زيادة لهم في تغليظ العذاب عليهم في الدار الآخرة، وهم قد كتب عليهم الشقاء فتعجيل موتهم خير لهم من طول أعمارهم في الكفر.
ب. المعاهدون، وهم الذين بينهم وبينه عهد، فهؤلاء عاشوا في الدنيا تحت ظله وعهده وذمته، ولم يظلموا شيئًا، وذلك مغاير للحضارات القديمة والحديثة التي إن انتصرت في الحروب أهلكت كل من لم يكن معها.
ت. المنافقون: وهم الذين يظهرون الإيمان بمحمد ﷺ، وبواطنهم مملوءة بالكفر، فهؤلاء حصل لهم بإظهار الإيمان به حقن دمائهم وأموالهم وأهلهم واحترامها، وجريان أحكام المسلمين عليهم في التوارث وغيره
ومن مظاهر هذه الرحمة أنه كان لا يخير بين أمرين إلا اختار أيسرهما ما لم يكن إثمًا، فإن كان إثما كان أبعد الناس منه ﷺ، كما روت ذلك عائشة-رضي الله عنها-.
هذا يفيد أنه رحمة للخلق جميعًا، وأنه هو بشخصه الكريم وجنابه الشريف ﷺ رحمة، وشريعته ﷺ رحمة، للخلق جميعًا، وهو ﷺ أمان لأهل الأرض في حياته، كما قال تعالى: “وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ” ولما كانت حياته ﷺ ليست دائمة، بل هو كسائر البشر، يترك الدنيا ويذهب إلى الله -عز وجل-، جعل الله لأهل الأرض أمانًا آخر هو في قوله تعالى: “وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ”.
1. Ibn Abbas's Classical Exegesis of Universal Mercy | تفسير ابن عباس لمعنى الرحمة الشاملة للعالمين
Ibn Kathir asks what mercy those who disbelieve receive, and answers with the words of Ibn Abbas, reported by Ibn Jarir: whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, mercy is written for him in this world and the Hereafter, and whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger is spared what befell the earlier nations, being swallowed by the earth and pelted from the sky.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (سورة الأنبياء: 107)
قال ابن كثير: فإن قيل: فأي رحمة حصلت لمن كفر به؟ فالجواب ما رواه أبو جعفر ابن جرير عن ابن عباس قال: من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر كتب له الرحمة في الدنيا والآخرة، ومن لم يؤمن بالله ورسوله عوفي مما أصاب الأمم من الخسف والقذف.
2. Divine Shielding of Disbelievers from Instant Destruction | رفع عذاب الاستئصال عن المكذبين كرامة للنبي
Allah says: “But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst.” (8:33). When Ibn Abd Yalil, of the people of Ta'if, rejected him, the angel of the mountains offered to bring al-Akhshabayn, the two mountains, down upon them, and he said: “Rather, I hope that Allah will bring from their descendants people who will worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3231).
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ (سورة الأنفال: 33)
قال تعالى: {وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ} (الأنفال 8: 33)، ولما رده ابن عبد ياليل من أهل الطائف عرض عليه ملك الجبال أن يطبق عليهم الأخشبين، فقال ﷺ: «بل أرجو أن يخرج الله من أصلابهم من يعبد الله وحده لا يشرك به شيئا» (صحيح البخاري 3231).
3. A Beacon of Light | سراجا منيرا
Allah describes him as “a witness, and a deliverer of good news, and a warner, and a caller to ˹the Way of˺ Allah by His command, and a beacon of light” (33:45-46). Ibn Kathir explains “a beacon of light”: the truth he brought is as plain as the sun in its rising and its light, denied only by the obstinate.
وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّـهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا (سورة الأحزاب: 46)
وصفه ربه سبحانه بأنه داع إليه بإذنه وسراج منير (الأحزاب 33: 45-46)، قال ابن كثير في قوله: (وسراجا منيرا): أي وأمرك ظاهر فيما جئت به من الحق، كالشمس في إشراقها وإضاءتها، لا يجحدها إلا معاند.
4. Mercy Extending to Animals | امتداد الرحمة النبوية إلى الحيوان
His mercy reached animals too. He said: “Allah has prescribed excellence in everything: when you kill, kill well, and when you slaughter, slaughter well; let one of you sharpen his blade and spare his animal suffering” (Sahih Muslim 1955). He told of a man whom Allah forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363), and when some companions took a bird's two chicks, he said: “Who has distressed this one by taking her young? Return her young to her” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2675, graded sahih by al-Albani).
شملت رحمته ﷺ الحيوان، فقال: «إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شيء، فإذا قتلتم فأحسنوا القتلة، وإذا ذبحتم فأحسنوا الذبح، وليحد أحدكم شفرته، فليرح ذبيحته» (صحيح مسلم 1955)، وأخبر عن رجل غفر الله له لأنه سقى كلبا يلهث من العطش (صحيح البخاري 2363)، ولما أخذ بعض الصحابة فرخي حمرة قال: «من فجع هذه بولدها؟ ردوا ولدها إليها» (سنن أبي داود 2675، وصححه الألباني).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How was Prophet Muhammad a mercy to disbelievers?
Ibn Abbas said that those who do not believe are spared what struck earlier nations, being swallowed by the earth and pelted from the sky (reported by Ibn Jarir, quoted by Ibn Kathir on 21:107).
What did the Prophet reply when the angel offered to crush the people of Ta'if?
He said he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him (Sahih al-Bukhari 3231).
What does "Sirajan Muniran" mean in Surah Al-Ahzab?
A beacon of light: Ibn Kathir explains that the truth he brought is as plain as the sun, denied only by the obstinate (33:46).
Did the Prophet's teachings include kindness toward animals?
Yes. He commanded slaughtering well and sharpening the blade (Sahih Muslim 1955), told of a man Allah forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363), and ordered a bird's chicks returned to her (Sunan Abi Dawud 2675).