Mercy to mankind

[Mohamed Saif]

Assalamun Alaikum dear brothers

The Quran describes the Prophet as being a Mercy to the whole of mankind. So once a Christian friend of mine asked me that if he was a Mercy why didn't he forgive adulterers instead of stoning them. Didn't the Prophet have the right to forgive sin?

[AMuslimDude213]

he was a Mercy to all Mankind,he was also very Just,what Allah gave him,he would listen and he would have to follow that,in fact he didn't stone all adulterers,Adulterers who repented to Allah would be forgiven,he forgave everyone who repented except the ones who would hurt innocents and do all sorts of evil.

[AhmadFarooq]

"Didn't the Prophet have the right to forgive sin?"

What is the evidence for such a claim? The only Muslims I have personally seen believing that the Prophet had the right to forgive sins are those who argue in support of the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy in all situations. This is done in order to prove that the individuals committing apostasy or blasphemy during the Prophet's time were forgiven because of the Prophet and not because they were forgivable offences in Sharia'.

Is there any reference of adulterers being forgiven?

[Sama]

[Mohamed Saif]

Assalamun Alaikum

Thank you for that wonderful answer. My friend here told that Christ had the authority to forgive any sin and quoted that "The Son of Man has the authority to forgive sin". Since Prophet Muhammad is a Mercy to mankind, didn't he have the authority to forgive sin?

[AhmadFarooq]

Scholars broadly categorise sins into two groups, sins against God and sins against man. Some particular scholars - in my personal experience only those who support the alleged unforgivable nature of blasphemy and apostasy - claim that the Prophet had the right to forgive sins against God. I personally haven't come across a direct statement from the Prophet mentioning such. I don't see how "Mercy to mankind" should imply any "authority to forgive sin".

[Mohamed Saif]

Assalamun alaikum dear brother Ahmed

Then what does "Mercy to Mankind" mean?

[AhmadFarooq]

W/slam,

From what I know, "mercy to mankind" also translated as "mercy for all the worlds" doesn't have any legal implications so exegesis writers haven't formally defined the term.

You can read one commentary for it on page 236 of the following link:
https://ia802707.us.archive.org/2/items/maarifulquran-english-pdf/MaarifulquranEnglishPdf-Vol6-Page184-243ByMuftiShafiUsmaniRah.

[Dr Tazeen]

Wa alaikum assalam wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuh...

We drs sometimes go for removing the whole organ or the limb, if someone is suffering from malignant cancer, the cancer which spreads...

This is mercy for that man and that body...The life is saved, the person would not suffer from further pain and distress, the body is saved from the malignant deposits...(sec carcinoma)

Similarly, when there is a sin , which would destroy the whole society and takes many lives,if it prevails in that society,it should be wiped off at once...

This is mercy too

[Mohamed Saif]

Assalamun alaikum

That was a wonderful answer