By referring to the book lecturing on aspects of mercy towards human beings in the person of

Muhammad (PBUH), written by Prof.Dr.Zaid Omar Abdullah Al-Eis and translated by

Dr.Zouheir Samhouri. This book consists of nine lectures, where the eight lecture will be
reviewed We have not sent thee but as a mercy to all the worlds.
This lecture was based on the verse from the Holy Quran, namely, We have not sent thee
but as a mercy to all the worlds (Al-Anbiyaa, 107) in order for us to contemplate the
merciful manifestations of the Prophet, pbuh, in his dealing with all the categories of people
he came in contact with, be they friends, enemies, young or old, male or female, animal or
bird. There were some proposed meanings of this verse; some of them confined his mercy to
his followers, in particular, and say that refers to the believers only. On the other hand were
the opinion that the Prophet, pbuh, was a mercy and guidance in himself. Those who adopted
it have benefited, while those who turned away from him have not benefited from this mercy.
In general the word mercy was applied to all the creatures to which the term world applied,
though some of them had restricted the meaning of the term to mankind. However, the
consensus was that it applied to all living creatures. Here is the mercy of Prophet, pbuh,
towards the unbelievers,
The first aspect: the presence of the Prophet, pbuh, in their midst has prevented the sending
down of the punishment of eradication, as happened to some nations before them, such as the
people of Aad, Thamood, and Lot.
The second aspect: the Prophet, pbuh, strongly refused to invoke Gods punishment on the
believers.
The third aspect: the Prophet, pbuh, did not treat them on a reciprocal basis. They had
tortured him and his companions, but he did not torture them.

The fourth aspect: the Prophet, pbuh, had done his best to avoid clashing with them.
The fifth aspect: the appreciation of all the unbelievers of the mercy of the Prophet, pbuh, and
his pity on them, as evidenced by the way he treated them.
The hypocrites were a category of people who were living in medina with the Prophet, pbuh.
They pretended to believe in his message but hanged on their disbelief inwardly. Following
are some instances of Prophets mercy towards hypocrites,
First instance: the Prophet, pbuh, did not expose them to the public, although he knew their
names, but he concealed their identity, in order to spare such relatives from embarrassment.
The second instance: the Prophet did not kill any of them, although they deserved to be
killed. So he left them alone and treated them as Muslims.
The third instance: He used to rebuke the hypocrites without specifying any of them. He
merely warned against the evil of hypocrisy and read the Quranic verses that warn them
against the grievous torture that awaits them.
Another category who benefited from the mercy of the Prophet, pbuh, is the people of the
book, i.e. the Jews and the Christians. Such mercy can be illustrated in the following
manifestations,
Firstly: the Prophet Muhammad SAW has given them a privilege.
Secondly: the Prophet, pbuh established justice to all people who lived under his protection.
Thirdly: the Prophet Muhammad always treated the people of the book excellently and
protected them from being exposed to any harm.

Fourthly: Prophet, pbuh, integrated the people of the book, which was the objectives of the
Quran, in the community, through permitting Muslims to marry their women, socialize with
them, and eat their food.
Fifthly: the Prophet Muhammad SAW has explained to the people of the book the distortion
and changes that had occurred in their religion.
Sixthly: the Prophet SAW had protected the Jews and Christians possessions; their lives,
their places of worship and even their food and drinks.
There is a beautiful sayings stated by Prophet, pbuh to his companions, He who does not
show mercy will not be shown mercy and have mercy on those earth and He who is in
heaven will have a mercy on you.
Prophet Muhammad SAW, indeed his mercy was for all the creatures in this world. His
mission was to guide people into right path and to show them the beauty way of life as stated
comprehensively in Holy Quran. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad, pbuh never mistreated
and cursed the people even though they tortured him before. As a result, the exercise of
Prophet Muhammads mercy was evident in the successive conversion to Islam of thousands
of unbelievers, and all the people of Mecca embraced Islam.
To illustrate another cases showing the merciful of Prophet Muhammad SAW, towards
hypocrites, the attempt by Abdullah bin Salool (the leader of those hypocrites) to defame the
honor of the Prophet SAW, by accusing his wife, Aisha committing adultery. This accusation
resulted in a revelation that proved the lie of this slander and the innocence of Prophets
beloved wife: Numerous among you are those who would accuse others of unchastely; deem
it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is a good thing for you (Al-Nuur, 11).

Moving to the history on how the Muslims treat Christians which did not violate from the
way taught by the Prophet Muhammad SAW. The Muslims have treated them with
forgiveness, mercy and tolerance; on the contrary the Christians have treated Muslims with
absolute cruelty in many cases such as in Spain, the Inquisition Courts and the Crusades. All
these treatments confirmed the Gods statement in verse Al-Ambiyaa-107).
Dr. Adam stated that I would not be far from the truth if I say that the practice of mercy
towards other than humans is a form of gradual education that implants this quality of mercy
towards other than humans is a form of gradual education that implants this quality of mercy
in the character of human beings. Thus, it is not easy for a person to simply divest himself of
some qualities that preclude the exercise of mercy towards his brothers in humanity, such as
selfishness, the desire of vengeance and hating those who harm him. It is as though mercy
towards animals is a means and an end at the same time. (p.192)
Referring to what Prophet, pbuh said to his companions He who does not show mercy will
not be shown mercy and Have mercy on those on earth and He who is in heaven will have
mercy on you. From such statements, the general and universal mercy is required to benefit
from the mercy of Allah. The inhabitants of the earth meant by the Prophet Muhammad SAW
are those who are close, friends and foes, young and old, males and females, animals and
birds, none of them will receive Allahs mercy unless they practice love for all of them.
Specifically, Prophet, pbuh has shown us the best example against forms of sport in which
animals are a part and subjected to injury. To illustrate, bull-fighting is prohibited (haram),
cock-fighting is also considered haram, and taking animals and birds as targets to be shot at
is outlawed. To elaborate this teaching in an example, Abdullah bin Omar passed by some
people who were targeting a bird to which they aim their arrows. Knowing that, he said to
those people that God curses those who do such things and the Messenger of God, pbuh, has
cursed those who take any living creature as target.

As Dr. Adam said to His audiences, My admiration for this approach has increased when I
read what psychologists have said that a person who sees pictures of animal torturing or the
scenes of cruelly and killing will develop a cruel heart and a daring in his character that
makes such scenes seem natural and ordinary, and will no longer be inclined to be merciful or
tolerant towards others. (p.194)
In contemporary terms, it can be said that the Prophet Muhammad SAW has investigated to
legislations issue that provides for the elimination of each behaviour which is an arbitrary to
mercy, in all its forms and manifestation and in all fields of life.
There is a saying, that behind every great man, there is a woman. Many claimed that they did
not look the woman in question behind a great man. Many who overestimated women and
considered them as none in the society compared to men. In fact, they are considered nothing
but devices for babies production. Based on the aforementioned statements, they almost form
an impression or image that woman had no place in the life of great men. As if women do not
deserve greatness.
On the other hand, throughout the life of Prophet Muhammad SAW, women have been placed
in prominent place in his life and interests, even in crucial situations. Moreover, woman
herself has felt that she is placed in a special position in the life of Prophet Muhammad
SAW . Furthermore, conferred on her by her nearest folks.
Furthermore, a woman came to the Prophet Muhammad SAW complaining her husbands
way of treating her, while another went complaining about her father, and a third about her
brother, a fourth about her relative. These indicate the trust and belief that have been put in
Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, to listen to their problems and sympathize with them and have
mercy on them. To elaborate, below are some examples;

Once, Jamila bint Salool waited for the Prophet, pbuh after the subh prayer near his house.
When he saw her, he asked her what was her problem, and she answered that she could bear
to live with her husband, even though she had nothing against his character and his religious
devotion. She said that she did not love him. So Prophet, pbuh asked why she did not love
him. She told that, I was looking through the window and I saw him coming with four other
men and found him the shortest, the darkest, and the ugliest. Then, I hated him. Prophet
Muhammad SAW did not say anything but asked her whether she would be willing to give
back the orchard her husband had given as the dower and she replied she would. After that,
the Prophet asked him to divorce her.
If we contemplate on this episode, we will be questioning what is strange about this woman.
She even did not complain her problem to her family. Probably Jamila had looked around her
and no one she was daring to tell and talk to except Prophet Muhammad SAW. He was as she
expected. He did not reprimand her. Also he did not even persuade her to change her mind
being separated from her husband Thabet. He just referred to her husbands right to regain the
dower he had given her by mercy towards him, as it is not fair that her husband should lose
his wife as well as the dower he had given her. Based on the story above, the Prophet, pbuh
has had mercy on her and appreciated her feelings, at the same time he also felt with the
husband and told him about his wifes problem but Prophet, pbuh did not report to Thabet
what his wife had told to him so that her feelings will not be hurt . After that Rasulullah told
him to divorce her and take bake his orchard. Thabet just complied to what Prophet, pbuh
said. Thus, Prophets mercy was above all considerations in this matter.
Another woman who came to the Prophet was Khansaa bint Khudham. She complained about
her father, who arranged the marriage for her to someone she did not love with, which the
Prophet, pbuh declared the marriage as invalid straight away. The reason behind the annulling
of Prophet towards the marriage was that he has confirmed the age of enslavement of girls by

their fathers or others was over for good. Another reason was that he could imagine how her
life would be with a husband she did not love.
In addition, there was a woman named Hind bint Otbah came to the Prophet SAW telling
about the extreme greed of her husband Abu Sufyan also he did not give enough living for
her and her son. The Prophet then said to her take from his money what is enough for you
and for your son, without his permission. The merciful of Prophet, pbuh can be seen from
this situation, which he would not tolerate to leave a woman living together with her son
under the protection of miserly and terribly husband.
The fourth woman was Um Kulthoom bint Oqbah who ran away from her people because her
folks were unbelievers who were harassing her while she was a Muslim. She left Mecca and
went to Medina right after the Prophet SAW signed the treaty with Quraish, the treaty
contained that the Prophet shall return those who come from Quraish as Muslims to Mecca.
Once, when Um kulthoom came to the Prophet, pbuh as a Muslim, he did not return her to
Mecca, as stated in the verse of the Quran and if you have ascertained that they are
believers, do not send them back to the deniers of the truth (Al-Mumtahanah, 10).

To Um Hani, the cousin of the Prophet SAW and the sister of Ali bin Abu Taleb, she went to
the Prophet complaining the matter of her brother Ali, who took no account of her when he
wanted to kill two of her husbands relatives who had asked her protection and entered her
house, at the time of the entering Mecca. She had closed the door of her dwelling to stop him
from killing them. She had come running to the Prophet saying things in anger tone, this son
of my mother wants to kill those who have sought my protection. The Prophet SAW replied,
We give protection to whom you have given your protection. This was an example on how

the Prophet, pbuh treated the woman tenderly which she had never had throughout her life
history.
In fact, Prophet Muhammad SAW began his gentle treatment with his own family and he
encouraged his companions to do as what he did. Such his statements are the following: The
best, the best, among you is the best to his family, and I am the best of you towards my own
family. As reported by Prophets wife Aisha that he had never hit a woman in his whole life.
As a result, it is a message of mercy values that Prophet SAW reminds to every husband,
father, indeed to every man and to all human beings.
Furthermore, the Prophet has advised men to be tender and gentle with their wives and to
play with them so that he said that everything that is not within the scope of the
remembrance of God is amusement and fun, unless it is one of four things, of which he
mentioned mans amusement with his wife. To illustrate of his noble instructions to the
men; they are encouraged to not enter the house of their wives all of a sudden after returning
from a trip. As reported by Abdullah bin Omar that the Prophet, pbuh said Do not knock at
the door of women at night. Prophet used to send indications informing their wives that their
husbands were back. He and his companions used to go the mosque to pray for a moment and
after that they would go their houses. As their wives heard and listened that their husbands
had returned, they would be hurry to prepare themselves to welcome their lovely husbands.
This is an attitude and practice showing a mercy and kindness that should be emulated and
followed. As told by Prophets wife, Aisha On a trip in which I accompanied the Prophet,
pbuh, at a time when I was still very young and thin, he told his companions to go ahead of
him then proposed to me to race him, which I did and was ahead of him. But when I grew up
and became fatter and forgot all about the racing, I accompanied him on another trip. He told
his companions to go ahead of him and then proposed that I race him, which I did and he was
ahead of me, upon which he had laugh saying, Tit for tat.

Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad SAW regarded women as half the world because they to
be the counterparts of men. Another description drawn by him was that women as vials that
are fragile, reflects his tenderness and kindness towards his women.
In fact, polygamy was common in the norms of Prophet Muhammads society, which the
number of wives a man can marry is not limited. Afterward Islam restricted the number to
four only, while Prophet Muhammad, God allowed him to marry more than four wives in
order to keep the older practice for many logical and reasonable considerations. To elaborate
more, the Prophet has married only one wife, Khadijah until he had reached fifty. This wife
passed away at the age of 65. After that he married another woman, Sawda who was an old
widow and not endowed with beauty. Prophet, pbuh married her for three years, with many
considerations, some of them; he married her because her husband had died and if she
remained lonely, no one will support her.
Men should reflect to what Prophet, pbuh did on treating women, whether as wives, mothers,
daughters, or sisters.
As a conlusion, this book is highly recommended to all, men and women. This book
presented the mercifulness of Prophet Muhammad SAW in dealing with all categories of
people he interacted with. He was the best example we should imitate in every aspects of our
everyday lives.

REFERENCE:
Abdullah Al-Eis. (1428 H). Lecturing on aspects of mercy towards human beings in the
person of Muhammad PBUH. King Saudi University.