this; rather, they say that He, glorified be He, does what He does for a wise purpose known to Him, glorified and exalted be He. His servants, or some of them, may know whatever He discloses to them of His wisdom, or they may not know it. His acts of general scope serve a general wisdom and mercy, such as His sending Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), concerning whom He Most High says:
“We have sent you only as a mercy to the worlds.”
His sending him was among the greatest blessings bestowed upon creation, embodying the Creator’s supreme wisdom and His mercy towards His servants. As He Most High says:
“Allah has certainly bestowed a great favour upon the believers by raising among them a Messenger from their own midst, reciting His verses to them, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom.”
He Most High also says:
“Thus We have tested some of them through others, so that they may say, ‘Are these the ones Allah has favoured from among us?’ Does Allah not know best those who are grateful?”
And He says:
“Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? Whoever turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful.”
He Most High also says:
“Have you not seen those who exchanged Allah’s favour for disbelief?”
They said: “This refers to Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).”
If someone says, “Yet some people were harmed by his message, such as those among the polytheists and the People of the Book who rejected him,” there are two answers to this.
The first is that he benefited them as far as possible. He reduced the evil they would have committed had it not been for the message, by presenting the proofs and signs that shook what was in their hearts, and through jihad and the jizyah tax, which frightened and humbled them until their evil diminished. Those of them whom he killed died before they could live longer in disbelief and thereby increase in it. This therefore diminished their evil. The messengers—may Allah’s blessings be upon them—