NO, TO CURSING — Prophet: A Mercy To Mankind

towards them or He will punish them: they are wrongdoers. Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth belongs to God. He forgives whoever He pleases and punishes whoever He pleases. God is most forgiving and ever merciful. THE QURAN 3: 128-129 There are several other Hadith regarding the revelation of these verses. Imam Bukhari has reported that the Prophet of Islam would take the names of certain unbelievers and would pray against them. At this, God revealed the above mentioned verses after which the Prophet stopped cursing and praying against anybody. Imam Ahmad has reported another Hadith in this matter saying that, the Prophet of Islam would curse and pray for damnation against four men (amongst the unbelievers) after which God revealed this verse: ‘You have no say in this matter....’ The report goes on to say that God granted these four men pardon and guided them to the truth. Then all these people sought forgiveness from God (and became believers). 'God has not sent me as the invoker of curses and damnation but as a mercy to mankind.' Prophet Muhammad. From this Hadith we learn that it is quite possible that God may guide those very people who we consider enemies and for whose damnation we pray. They may well reform themselves and come under the mercy of God. We also know that the Prophet of Islam had assumed that these people were enemies and had prayed for their damnation but when he was forbidden from praying against others, he stopped immediately and completely renounced the practice of cursing and praying for the damnation of others. Instead the Prophet continued the propagation of the divine message to them. Those very people who were earlier the subject of his curses had become the object of the Prophet’s divine message. The result of this change was that the one who was considered an enemy, being influenced by the Prophet’s message, had now become a companion of the Prophet. After this the Prophet refrained from cursing anyone ever again. In another Hadith, Abu Huraira reported, some people said to God's