The Universality of his Mercy

besides, we can benefit from allah's, the almighty, saying: "we sent you not (oh muhammad), but as a mercy for all creatures." (al anbiaa': 107), that the mercy of prophet muhammad (pbuh) is a universal, a general, and a wide mercy. it is not the mercy that is built upon races, or colors, or schools.. it is a mercy to all people, it is general and mere. it is also not a mercy for arabs without foreigners or for muslims without others, or for the east without the west… but, it is a mercy for all mankind.

concerning his (pbuh) mercy, laura vicia vaglieri says: "the quranic verse, which refers to the universality of islam, describing it as the religion that allah, the almighty, revealed to his prophet (pbuh) as (a mercy for all creatures), is a direct call to the whole world. this is a clear proof that muhammad (pbuh) felt, in complete conviction, that his message would exceed the limits of the arabic nation. he also felt that he ought to inform the new (word) to nations of different races that speak different languages" [1].

abu mousa reported the he heard the prophet (pbuh) saying: "you will not be believers until you are merciful". the companions of the prophet (pbuh) said: oh! messenger of allah, we are all merciful! he (pbuh) replied: "i don't mean your mercy towards each other only, but towards all people..all people" [2].

 therefore, it is the mercy for all people. the prophet (pbuh) makes it one of the conditions of faith. so, one will not be considered as merciful until he has mercy upon all people in general.

narrated by anas ibn malek, the messenger of allah (pbuh) said: "i swear by allah, he, the almighty does not put his mercy except on a merciful one". the companions said: "oh! messenger of allah, we are all merciful". he (pbuh) said:" i don't mean your mercy towards each other, but towards all mankind" [3].

abdullah ibn amr narrated that the messenger of allah (pbuh) said:" allah's mercy will be upon the most merciful of people. so, show mercy upon all creatures on earth to gain the mercy of the creator." [4].

so people's mercy must exceed human beings to reach animals. the believer must have mercy upon animals, and he should know that he is responsible in front of allah in the way he is dealing with animals [5].

in addition to this, mercy for all creatures on earth is a condition to obtain the mercy of allah, as mentioned in the prophet's saying:" show mercy upon all creatures on earth to gain the mercy of the creator ".

that is why the prophet's mercy was humanitarian and general. it included muslims and non-muslims, believers and disbelievers, arabs and  non-arabs, easterns and non-easterns, africans and europeans, the old and the young, men and women, humans and non-humans, animals, birds, and non-living things. so, he (pbuh) considers all humans as one family, which have one god, one father (adam), and one land, as he (pbuh) said:

"oh! people, your god is one, your father is one. there is neither superiority of an arab on a non-arab, nor of a non-arab on an arab, nor of a white on a black, nor of a black on a white except by piety" [6].

 that is why prophet muhammad (pbuh) was a mercy for all nations in general, and to his nation in specific. he had to care for all their matters, and to fear about them from allah's torture on the day of judgment. he had hot emotions concerning this matter. once he (pbuh) read allah's words in the quran said by jesus christ (pbuh): "if you do punish them, they are your servants: if you do forgive them, you are the exalted in power, the wise." al ma'ida: 118), then the spring of mercy was over flown, the prophet's heart was shaken and he asked allah in submission: "oh allah!, my nation…my nation..!", and he cried. soon after, gabriel –the angle-came trying to calm him down and to ease his fears about his nation. gabriel said to the prophet:" allah, the almighty, tells you:" you will be satisfied; we won't let you down" [7].

besides, he (pbuh) was a mercy for non-muslims, even to the most evil people. he (pbuh) used to be merciful towards the evil people, to the extent that the disbeliever thinks that he is right!

so, contemplate on amr ibn al-as's (may allah be pleased with him) words:" the messenger of allah (pbuh) used to be kind in his words with the most evil people. he (pbuh) used to be kind with me, which made me think that i am right" [8].

non-muslims benefited from the prophet's (pbuh) mercy; allah, the almighty, used to destroy the disbelieving nations, as a result of their disobedience of their prophets. on the other side, after that prophet muhammad (pbuh) was given prophethood, allah, the almighty, stopped destroying the disbelieving nations. so, the disbelievers benefited from his prophethood, as they became safe from torture and destruction. that was a worldly blessing for the disbelievers. concerning this, allah, the almighty, addresses his prophet (pbuh) saying:" but allah was not going to send them a penalty while you were among them; nor was he going to send it while they could ask for pardon" {al anfal: 33}

try to contemplate on the value and the status of the prophet (pbuh) with allah: the previous verse means that allah, the almighty, will not punish and destroy the disbelievers, as long as you, prophet muhammad, live among them, and as long as people follow your way [9].

 he (pbuh) also was a mercy to the hypocrites. because of him, the hypocrites didn't receive punishment during their lives. they used to enter the masjed (mosque), mix with muslims, and they benefited from all the rights that muslims enjoyed. the messenger of allah (pbuh) never unmasked them, or disclosed the secrets of their hypocrisy, though he (pbuh) knew what was going inside their inner selves. he (pbuh) informed huthaifa (may allah be pleased with him) about them. that is why, omar ibn al khattab (may allah be pleased with him) used to watch huthaifa. whenever he saw huthaifa not praying on a dead man, he (omar) used to do like him [11], without any din or libeling the dead hypocrite.

despite, islam did not disclose their secrets. they stayed among muslims, and their mere disbelief became at least a doubt. they were not deprived from the enjoyments of life. that is because he who believes that one day he will die and become nothing, will never enjoy his life. on the other side, if his disbelief becomes a doubt, he says to his self:" there may be a life after death". at that time, his life will not be completely dark. from this perspective, the messenger of allah (pbuh) was a mercy to them [12].

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[1] laura vicia vaglieri : defending islam, p. 24-25

[2] narrated by al hakem in al mustadrak, no. 7418, and narrated by at tabarani, and al albani in saheeh at targheeb wa at tarheeb
[3] authentic hadith – narrated by abu yaaly al mousely 4145, and by al albany in the autentic series, no. 167

[4] authentic hadith – narrated by al houmaidi, no. 619, and by ahmad, no.6206, and by al albani in the authentic series, no.925

[5] see: yusuf al qaradawi: faith and life, 283

[6] authentic hadith – narrated by ahmad, no.22391, and by at tabarani in al moagam al awsat, no.4905, and by al bayhaqey, no. 4921, and by al albani in the authentic series, no. 2700

[7] authentic hadith – narrated by muslim, chapter (the prayers of the prophet (pbuh) for his nation, and his crying out of fear about them), no. 301

[8] well hadith – narrated by at termithi in ash shamael al muhammadeya (295), and by al albani in mokhtasar ash shamael al muhammadeya

[9] see: muhhamad fateh allah collin: the eternal light, muhammad (pbuh), the pride of humanity, 69/2

[10] al bukhari, the credit of the prophet's companions, 20; ibn al atheer: asad al ghaba 468/1

[11] ibn al atheer: asad al ghaba 468/1

[12] see: muhammad fateh allah collin: the eternal light, muhammad (pbuh), the pride of humanity,69/2