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.)
1 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 all, and whoever accepted this mercy and professed his gratitude, was happy in this world and the hereafter, and whoever turned it and ignored it loses this life and the hereafter. Allah Almighty says:
( Have you not seen those ˹disbelievers˺ who meet Allah’s favours with ingratitude and lead their own people to their doom?)
Abu Huraira reported it was said to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ): Invoke curse upon the polytheists, whereupon he said: I have not been sent as the invoker of the curse, but I have been sent as a mercy.”
3 Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet pbuh said: “If I abused any person of my people, or cursed him in my anger. I am one of the children of Adam: I become angry as they become angry. He (Allah) has sent me as a mercy for all worlds. (O Allah!) make them (Abuse or curse) blessing for them on the day of judgment!”
4. 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.
5 On the other hand: 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.
6 On the third hand, 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. Enemies who fought against him: They are the ones who showed enmity towards him and raised weapons in his face. For these, their death is better for them than to live, because their lives will be an increase in the torment on them in the hereafter, and they have been condemned to misery.
b. The covenanters, who have a covenant with him. These lived in the world under his shadow and covenant and did not oppress anyone, which is contrary to the ancient and modern civilizations who, if they won wars, destroyed everyone who was not their ally.
C Hypocrites: They are those who show faith in Muhammad peace be upon him, and they conceal their disbelief, but due to that they showed faith in him, their blood, money, and family were saved, and the Muslim laws on inheritance and others, therefore applied to them.
7 One of the manifestations of this mercy is that whenever he had to choose between two things he would always choose the simpler one, which was not sinful, and if it was sinful, then he was the furthest people from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as narrated by ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
8 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-Almighty-, Allah made for the people of the earth another safety: “( But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst. Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.)”
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 سببته في غضبي أو لعنته لعنة، فإنما أنا رجل من ولد آدم، أغضب كما تغضبون وإنما بعثني الله رحمة للعالمين، فاجعلها صلاة عليه يوم القيامة
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
Great companion Abdullah ibn Abbas explained that Muhammad's mercy extends to all humanity without exception. For those who believe in him, mercy is fulfilled both in this world and through eternal Paradise in the Hereafter; for those who disbelieve, they are protected from the catastrophic earthly exterminations (such as sinking into the earth, pelting stones, or floods) that erased previous rejecting nations.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (سورة الأنبياء: 107)
بين ترجمان القرآن عبد الله بن عباس أن الرحمة عامة للمؤمن والكافر: فمن آمن به تمت له الرحمة في الدنيا والآخرة بالهداية والجنة؛ ومن لم يؤمن عوفي مما أصاب الأمم المكذبة السابقة من عذاب الاستئصال كالخسف والمسخ والحجارة، وأُمهل في الدنيا.
2. Divine Shielding of Disbelievers from Instant Destruction | رفع عذاب الاستئصال عن المكذبين كرامة للنبي
Surah Al-Anfal underscores this shield: "And Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them." (8:33). Even when the people of Ta'if stoned him until his shoes were filled with blood, he refused the Angel of the Mountains' offer to crush them, saying instead that he hoped Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Allah alone.
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ (سورة الأنفال: 33)
أكد القرآن هذه الحصانة في قوله: {وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ}؛ وحين آذاه أهل الطائف ودميت قدماه الشريفتان وعرض عليه ملك الجبال إطباق الأخشبين عليهم، قال برحمة غامرة: "بل أرجو أن يخرج الله من أصلابهم من يعبد الله وحده لا يشرك به شيئاً".
3. An Illuminating Beacon for All Generations | سراجاً منيراً يبدد ظلمات الجهل والجور
Allah describes him as a "witness, deliverer of glad tidings, warner, caller to Allah by His permission, and an illuminating lamp" (33:45-46). He brought an ethical system that dismantled racism, safeguarded the rights of women and orphans, and established a framework of universal justice that emancipated human potential.
وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّـهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا (سورة الأحزاب: 46)
وصفه ربه بأنه {سِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا} أضاء دروب البشرية الحائرة؛ فحرر العقول من الخرافة، وأنقذ المرأة من الوأد والظلم، وكفل حقوق الأيتام والضعفاء، وأقام صرح المساواة الإنسانية التي لا تفرق بين عربي وأعجمي إلا بالتقوى.
4. Mercy Extending to Animals and the Environment | امتداد الرحمة النبوية للحيوان والبيئة والجماد
The Prophet's mercy was not confined to humans; he rebuked companions who took baby birds from their nest, commanded kindness when slaughtering livestock, told of a man whom Allah forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog, and warned against polluting water sources.
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ (سورة آل عمران: 159)
فاضت رحمته لتشمل الكائنات الحية كافة؛ فأنكر على من فجع طائراً بفراخه، وأمر بالإحسان عند ذبح البهائم وحد الشفرة، وبشر بمغفرة الله لمن سقى كلباً يلهث من العطش، ونهى عن تلويث المياه، ليرسم أسمى منظومة رحمة بيئية.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How was Prophet Muhammad a mercy to disbelievers?
By lifting the sudden, catastrophic destruction that struck earlier nations who rejected their prophets, giving them and their descendants time to find guidance.
What did the Prophet reply when the angel offered to crush the people of Ta'if?
He refused, stating that he hoped Allah would bring from their offspring people who worship Him alone.
What does "Sirajan Muniran" mean in Surah Al-Ahzab?
An illuminating lamp whose divine light dispels the darkness of ignorance, injustice, and idolatry.
Did the Prophet's teachings include kindness toward animals?
Yes, he strictly forbade cruelty to animals, mandated sharp blades for humane slaughter, and commended hydrating thirsty creatures.