21:107 Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)

ثم أثنى على رسوله، الذي جاء بالقرآن فقال: { وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ } فهو رحمته المهداة لعباده، فالمؤمنون به، قبلوا هذه الرحمة، وشكروها، وقاموا بها، وغيرهم كفرها، وبدلوا نعمة الله كفرا، وأبوا رحمة الله ونعمته.

وقوله " وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين " يخبر تعالى أن الله جعل محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم رحمة للعالمين أي أرسله رحمة لهم كلهم فمن قبل الرحمة وشكر هذه النعمة سعد في الدنيا والآخرة ومن ردها وجحدها خسر الدنيا والآخرة كما قال تعالى " ألم تر إلى الذين بدلوا نعمة الله كفرا وأحلوا قومهم دار البوار جهنم يصلونها وبئس القرار " وقال تعالى في صفة القرآن " قل هو للذين آمنوا هدى وشفاء والذين لا يؤمنون في آذانهم وقر وهو عليهم عمى أولئك ينادون من مكان بعيد " وقال مسلم في صحيحه حدثنا ابن أبي عمر حدثنا مروان الفزاري عن يزيد بن كيسان عن ابن أبي حازم عن أبي هريرة قال: قيل يا رسول الله أدع على المشركين قال " إني لم أبعث لعانا وإنما بعثت رحمة " انفرد بإخراجه مسلم وفي الحديث الآخر " إنما أنا رحمة مهداة " رواه عبدالله بن أبي عوانة وغيره عن وكيع عن الأعمش عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة مرفوعا قال إبراهيم الحربي وقد رواه غيره عن وكيع فلم يذكر أبا هريرة. وكذا قال البخاري وقد سئل عن هذا الحديث فقال كان عند حفص بن غياث مرسلا. قال الحافظ ابن عساكر وقد رواه مالك بن سعيد بن الخمس عن الأعمش عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة مرفوعا ثم ساقه من طريق أبي بكر بن المقري وأبي أحمد الحاكم كلاهما عن بكر ابن محمد بن إبراهيم الصوفي حدثنا إبراهيم بن سعيد الجوهري عن أبي أسامة عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد عن قيس بن أبي حازم عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله " إنما أنا رحمة مهداة " ثم أورده من طريق الصلت ابن مسعود عن سفيان بن عيينةعن مسعر عن سعيد بن خالد عن رجل عن ابن عمر قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " إن الله بعثني رحمة مهداة بعثت برفع قوم وخفض آخرين ". قال أبو القاسم الطبراني حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن نافع الطحان حدثنا أحمد بن صالح قال وجدت كلبا بالمدينة عن عبدالعزيز الدراوردي وإبراهيم بن محمد بن عمر ابن عبد الرحمن بن عبد العزيز بن عمرو بن عوف عن محمد بن صالح التمار عن ابن شهاب عن محمد بن جبير ابن مطعم عن أبيه قال: قال أبو جهل حين قدم مكة منصرفه عن خمره يا معشر قريش إن محمدا نزل يثرب وأرسل طلائعه وإنما يريد أن يصيب منكم شيئا فاحذروا أن تمروا طريقه أو مقاربوه فإنه كالأسد الضاري إنه حنق عليكم لأنكم نفيتموه نفي القردان عن المناسم والله إن له لسحرة ما رأيته قط ولا أحدا من أصحابه إلا رأيت معهم الشياطين وإنكم قد عرفتم عداوة ابني قيلة يعني الأوس والخزرج فهو عدو استعان بعدو فقال له مطعم بن عدي: يا أبا الحكم والله ما رأيت أحدا أصدق لسانا ولا أصدق موعدا من أخيكم الذي طردتم وإذ فعلتم الذي فعلتم فكونوا أكف الناس عنه قال أبو سفيان بن الحارث كونوا أشد ما كنتم عليه إن ابني قيلة إن ظفروا بكم لم يرقبوا فيكم إلًا ولا ذمة وإن أطعتموني ألجأتموهم حير كنانة أو تخرجوا محمدا من بين ظهرانيهم فيكون وحيدا مطرودا وأما ابنا قيلة فوالله ما هما وأهل دهلك في المذلة إلا سواء وسأكفيكم حدهم وقال: سأمنح جانبا مني غليظا على ما كان من قرب وبعد رجال الخزرجيــة أهل ذل إذا ما كان هزل بعد جـد فبلغ ذلك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال " والذي نفسي بيده لأقتلنهم ولأصلبنهم ولأهدينهم وهم كارهون إني رحمة بعثني الله ولا يتوفاني حتى يظهر الله دينه لي خمسة أسماء أنا محمد وأحمد وأنا الماحي الذي يمحو الله بي الكفر وأنا الحاشر الذي يحشر الناس على قدمي وأنا العاقب " وقال أحمد بن صالح أرجو أن يكون الحديث صحيحا. وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا معاوية بن عمرو حدثنا زائدة حدثني عمرو بن قيس عن عمرو بن أبي قرة الكندي قال كان حذيفة بالمدائن فكان يذكر أشياء قالها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فجاء حذيفة إلى سلمان فقال سلمان يا حذيفة إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خطب فقال " أيما رجل سببته في غضبي أو لعنته لعنة فإنما أنا رجل من ولد آدم أغضب كما تغضبون وإنما بعثني الله رحمة للعالمين فأجعلها صلاة عليه يوم القيامة" ورواه أبو داود عن أحمد بن يونس عن زائدة فإن قيل فأي رحمة حصلت لمن كفر به ؟ فالجواب ما رواه أبو جعفر بن جرير حدثنا إسحاق بن شاهين حدثنا إسحاق الأزرق عن المسعودي عن رجل يقال له سعيد عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس في قوله " وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين " قال من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر كتب له الرحمة في الدنيا والآخره ومن لم يؤمن بالله ورسوله عوفي مما أصاب الأمم من الخسف والقذف وهكذا رواه ابن أبي حاتم من حديث المسعودي عن أبي سعد وهو سعيد بن المرزبان البقال عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس فذكره بنحوه والله أعلم وقد رواه أبو القاسم الطبراني عن عبدان بن أحمد عن عيسى بن يونس الرملي عن أيوب بن سويد عن المسعودي عن حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن سعيد ابن جبير عن ابن عباس " وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين " قال من تبعه كان له رحمة في الدنيا والآخرة ومن لم يتبعه عوفي مما كان يبتلى به سائر الأمم من الخسف والمسخ والقذف.

The Earth will be inherited by the Righteous

Allah tells us of His decree for His righteous servants who are the blessed in this world and in the Hereafter, those who will inherit the earth in this world and in the Hereafter. As Allah says:

إِنَّ الأَرْضَ للَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَالْعَـقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

(Verily, the earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His servants; and the (blessed) end is for those who have Taqwa.) 7:128

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.) 40:51

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى الاْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِى ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ

(Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them) 24:55. Allah tells us that this is recorded in the Books of Divine Laws and Decrees, and that it will inevitably come to pass. Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِى الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ

(And indeed We have written in Az-Zabur after Adh-Dhikr) Al-A`mash said: "I asked Sa`id bin Jubayr about the Ayah:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِى الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ

(And indeed We have written in Az-Zabur after Adh-Dhikr). He said: `Az-Zabur means the Tawrah, the Injil and the Qur'an."' Mujahid said, "Az-Zabur means the Book." Ibn `Abbas, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "Az-Zabur is that which was revealed to Dawud, and Adh-Dhikr is the Tawrah." Mujahid said: "Az-Zabur means the Books which came after Adh-Dhikr, and Adh-Dhikr is the Mother of the Book (Umm Al-Kitab) which is with Allah." This was also the view of Zayd bin Aslam: "It is the First Book." Ath-Thawri said: "It is Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz."

أَنَّ الاٌّرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ الصَّـلِحُونَ

(that My righteous servants shall inherit the land.) Mujahid said, narrating from Ibn `Abbas, "This means, the land of Paradise." This was also the view of Abu `Aliyah, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha`bi, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Abu Salih, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Ath-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on them).

إِنَّ فِى هَـذَا لَبَلَـغاً لِّقَوْمٍ عَـبِدِينَ

(Verily, in this (the Qur'an) there is a plain Message for people who worship Allah.) means, `in this Qur'an which We have revealed to Our servant Muhammad , there is a plain Message which is beneficial and is sufficient for a people who worship Allah.' This refers to those who worship Allah in the manner which He has prescribed and which He loves and is pleased with, and they would rather obey Allah than follow the Shaytan or their own desires.

Muhammad ﷺ is a Mercy to the Worlds

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ

(And We have sent you not but as a mercy for the `Alamin.) Here Allah tells us that He has made Muhammad ﷺ a mercy to the `Alamin, i.e., He sent him as a mercy for all of them peoples, so whoever accepts this mercy and gives thanks for this blessing, will be happy in this world and in the Hereafter. But whoever rejects it and denies it, will lose out in this world and in the Hereafter, as Allah says:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ - جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ

(Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction Hell, in which they will burn, -- and what an evil place to settle in!) 14:28-29 And Allah says, describing the Qur'an:

قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ

(Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away.") 41:44 Muslim reports in his Sahih: Ibn Abi `Umar told us, Marwan Al-Fazari told us, from Yazid bin Kisan, from Ibn Abi Hazim that Abu Hurayrah said that it was said, "O Messenger of Allah, pray against the idolators." He said:

«إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ لَعَّانًا، وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ رَحْمَة»

(I was not sent as a curse, rather I was sent as a mercy.) This was recorded by Muslim. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amr bin Abi Qurrah Al-Kindi said: "Hudhayfah was in Al-Mada'in and he was mentioning things that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said. Hudhayfah came to Salman and Salman said: `O Hudhayfah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sometimes be angry and would speak accordingly, and would sometimes be pleased and would speak accordingly. I know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us and said:

«أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي سَبَبْتُهُ (سَبَّةً) فِي غَضَبِي أَوْ لَعَنْتُهُ لَعْنَةً، فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ وَلَدِ آدَمَ أَغْضَبُ كَمَا تَغْضَبُونَ، إِنَّمَا بَعَثَنِي اللهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ فَاجْعَلْهَا صَلَاةً عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

(Any man of my Ummah whom I have insulted or cursed when I was angry -- for I am a man from among the sons of Adam, and I get angry just as you do. But Allah has sent me as a Mercy to the Worlds, so I will make that my anger into blessings for him on the Day of Resurrection.") This was also recorded by Abu Dawud from Ahmad bin Yunus from Za'idah. It may be asked: what kind of mercy do those who disbelieve in him get The answer is what Abu Ja`far bin Jarir recorded from Ibn `Abbas concerning the Ayah:

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ

(And We have sent you not but as a mercy for the `Alamin. ) He said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, mercy will be decreed for him in this world and in the Hereafter; whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger, will be protected from that which happened to the nations of earthquakes and stoning."

We did not send you O Muhammad (s) except as a mercy that is to give mercy to all the worlds the worlds of mankind and jinn through you.

Commentary

وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَ‌حْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (And We have not. sent you but as mercy for all the worlds. - 21:107) عَالَمِينَ is plural of عَالَم which means 'world' and includes all creatures including humans, animals, plants, Jinns etc. In order to properly understand the meaning of the verse one should also understand that the true essence of the entire universe is the invocation of Allah Ta` ala and His worship. When this essence departs from this world and no one is left to worship Allah, everything in it will perish. In other words that is the day when Qiyamah would occur. When it is understood that the invocation and worship of Allah Ta` ala is the essence of all living things, then the reason for describing the Holy Prophet ﷺ as mercy to the Worlds becomes obvious because it is his teachings and the purity of his personal life alone which keep alive the worship of Allah Ta` ala until Qiyamah. That is why he declared "I am the blessing sent by Allah اَنَا رَحمَۃُ مُھدَاۃُ (Ibn ` Asakir quoting Abu Hurairah). Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar , has reported that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said اَنَا رَحمَۃُ مُھدَاۃُ بِرَفعِ قَومِ وَخفضِ آخرِینَ that is "I am the blessing sent by Allah so that I lift up the people (who obey Allah) and humble the other people (who disobey Allah). (Ibn Kathir)

It, therefore, follows that performing jihad against the unbelievers in order to lessen shirk and kufr (unbelief) and in the hope of reclaiming those who transgress the Divine Commands of Allah Ta` ala is an act of mercy.

We sent thee only as a mercy to the worlds. In the days of the interval between prophets, before MuṣṬafā the Arab was given his mission, the beauty of the submission had pulled its face behind the mask of exaltedness. They considered nature the effec- tor and originator. They had taken up a road whose end was nothing but blindness and misguidance. They considered intellect as God, they made nature its messenger, and they called the spheres the de- terminer. They made what intellect deemed beautiful their Shariah and they called what nature disliked “prohibited things.” They were busy with the celestial figures and guises and wasted their days with epicycles and falsifications. Suddenly the sun of the Muhammadan Shariah's good fortune appeared from the horizon of the unitary welcome: We sent thee only as a mercy to the worlds. Tubbaʿ, the king of Himyar, said to his diviner, “Do you find any kingdom whose kingdom is greater than mine?” The diviner said, “Yes, there is a prophet on the way whose kingdom will be greater than the kingdom of the world's folk. He will be a master, a paragon, a leader; on his forehead will be the light of prostration, on his eyebrows the light of humility, on his hair the light of beauty, in his eyes the light of heedfulness, in his face the light of mercy, between his shoulders the light of prophecy, in his heart the light of recognition, in his secret core the light of love, in his speech the light of wisdom, in his wisdom the light of jealousy, in his jealousy the light of the Presence. He will be pious and blessed, and aided by triumph. He is described in the Psalms, and his community is considered most excellent in the scriptures. He will dispel the darknesses with light. He is AḤmad the prophet. Blessed will be his community when he comes!” It has been sung, Surely the Messenger is a sword that brightens, Indian steel, a drawn sword of God. I have been told that God's Messenger threatened me, but pardon from God's Messenger is to be hoped. He was a man who came out from under the cloak of ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAbd al-MuṬṬalib. He passed by mortal loins, but he received help from the Unseen.