Mercy is one of the central attributes of God in Islam, often referred to as the Most Merciful and Compassionate, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as a mercy to the worlds. Islam strongly encourages Muslims to show mercy and compassion towards others, including non-Muslims, and heavily promotes charity and kindness to the poor and needy. Forgiveness and pardoning others, even when they wrong you, is considered a virtue and a sign of mercy. Even in times of war, Islam calls for the protection of civilians and not destroying property unnecessarily. The concept of mercy in Islam extends to include compassion for animals and the natural environment as well.