(I know very little of the Qur'an, but a decent amount about the Christian Bible, so consider my expertise to be in general theology)

I assume the mercy comes in by the fact that Allah/God gives us a chance to have eternal salvation. We unfortunately threw away so many of the chances we were given by eating of the forbidden fruit and murdering Jesus and repeatedly showing our sinful nature, but God still loves us. He has not destroyed us, could that not be considered the ultimate act of mercy by an all powerful creator? He is giving us all a chance to prove we are good, is that not generous? 

I don't believe so. I think destroying this earth would be a form mercy. Our world is full of starving people, sick babies, wars, theft and pain and problems that can't be solved without Allah's intervention. But Allah doesn't intervene anymore. I don't need to grieve this earth if it's completely destructed. I will not miss it.

Why create and test creatures? Well that is a much more difficult question. God is not human, and thus he doesn't use human logic. I could humanize God by talking about the desire to create and the desire to love and the desire to be loved, but that is humanizing. We can't know how the Creator thinks and as such, I don't think that question holds much merit.

I disagree. I think it's a good question. We can speculate the answer and maybe if there is an afterlife, we will know who was right.

What you are saying made interested in knowing the traits of Allah mentioned in Islamic teahcings. I did a small investigation just now and it seems that Allah gets angry. Allah forgives. Allah calls himself/herself PATIENT. Allah admits to having these human traits and you can find more mentioned in the quran. Allah doesn't shy away from describing himself repeatedly with terms humans understand to let us know that his human side is unmatched by his creatures, which makes him a non human and his traits not so understandable yet he reveals them to us without a care if we understand them or not. So why do you think we can't handle his other non human sides that he hasn't revealed?

Allah also describes himself as beautiful, which is weird, because beauty is subjective. Who told him he is beautful? A mirror? he is beautiful to whom? 

We are not beasts. Beasts are forgiven for their nature, we are given knowledge and wisdom and the ability to choose between right and wrong. We are not naturally good or evil, we make the choice of who to be. And yet, we are still forgiven for our sins when we make the wrong choice. God understands that we will make mistakes and we will sin, that is why he forgives us if we truly repent. Is that not also mercy?

Yes. That's mercy. In Islam, however, Allah promises hell for eternity for some of his creatures, which is stupid to be honest. Whatever bad deeds I do in 70 years or shouldn't grant me hell for eternity, that's just cruel, especially for a flawed weak creature as myself. Whatever pain I inflicted on Allah's creatures in this life (under Allah's own very eyes) can be inflicted back in the afterlife. Hypothetically speaking, I tortured and killed 100 people. Allah should Toture and kill me 100 times, and a few times more in the afterlife if he likes. Now that would be somewhatl fair. But toturing me for eternity? Come on.

Allah is merciful sometimes, yes. But that's not what I am arguing. I am simply dismissing the title Allah gives for himself "The most merciful" title. Allah is simply not the most merciful.

You understand that LurkerJ. I think, you quite interested to understand Islam instead of just blindly bashing islam... so i'll entertain your question.

All of the creation is servant of Allah (zakir naik use the word Muslim), however, they wont get benefit to the heaven. Only freewill creation will be rewarded to be in heaven (thats why Human accept the challenge), and risking to be into hell. There is 2 kind of freewill creation that will go to Heaven and Hell... they are Human and Jinn. Human made from sand (which adam made from) and Jinn made from fire (Iblis (not sure what it is in english), syaitan (devil) etc is Jinn) and they both will be judge either to go into the Heaven and Hell. Other creation will not go to either of this.

What I want is a good apologist answer.

Cirio explained the idea better than I did.

Answers and truths are not supposed to be given to us on a silver plate. You think god should to be merciful the whole time, and he is. but that mercy is being "held" for those who deserve it until it is time of judgment. Otherwise, it would go against the whole concept of testing who is worthy. God redeems sins for people as God never reject those who seek forgiveness.

Again, Allah can be merciful in your perspective. You seem to believe that creating us just to test us (and praise Allah all day during the rest) and rewarding or punishing us in the afterlife is a form of mercy. I say a greater form of mercy would be not creating us at all. That way non of us would end up in hell for eternity, non of us would suffer in this life or the after. So again, Allah isn't the most merciful.

Moreover, what are the sick new borns that are fated to die being tested for? What bad deeds deserve punishments for eternity? Name the most evil man in history and I'd come up with a suitable punishment that may last for a very long time but definitely not for eternity. Eternal punishment contradicts "the most merciful" claim.

" And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know."

After that he quotes the quran and the Surah mentioned is shown on the screen. I didn't understand what he exactly said.http://quran.com/33/72 is this the same Surah and he was paraphrasing? "Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertake to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant." Who is the man referred to here ? All humans?

Yes, the word "man" also means human. the meaning of Surah that humanity as a whole accpeted to bear the burden.

I don't understand this one bit. As far as I know I am a human and I don't remember being asked. Is there a subtext I am not getting here?

The "indeed ignorant" humanity, which is a creation of Allah, is promised eternal hell in some cases despite the fact that they are ignorant by nature. Eternal punishmet is especially unfair with humans because we are flawed weak beings. I am not convinced Allah is just or merciful.

Mahdi can't perform miracle. He just a leader that unite the muslim. Dajjal is the one can perform miracle. I think u need to refer back to your source and confirm either u really mean Mahdi or Dajjal as antichrist. As i told you, Muslim (including Mahdi) love Jesis Christ and we agree with mirace given to him by Allah (raise the dead etc). Here is some reference the miracle of Jesus in Quran that i copied below. The different between Muslim and Christian merely on either Jesus is God. Jesus himself in the bible never claim he is he god. The church interpretation is the one claiming Jesus is the god. I heard multiple Christian scholar agree with that statement (in debate) but they claim Jesus use different way to hint his follower that he is god. I don't want to hurt any christian feeling here, because Quran ask Muslim to talk to the people of book (jew and christian) about similarities and not differences. Ali-Imran 3:64 "Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah ." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."

Miracle of Jesus in Quran:

“…and We made her (Mary) and her son (Jesus) a sign for the worlds.” (Quran 21:91)

“And We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear miracles” (Quran 2:87)

“When the disciples said: O Jesus, son of Mary!  Is your Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven?  He said: Observe your duty to God, if ye are true believers.  They said: We desire to eat of it and our hearts be at rest, and that We may know that you have spoken truth to us, and that We may be witnesses thereof.  Jesus, son of Mary, said: 'O God, our Lord, send down for us a Table laden with food out of heaven, that shall be for us a recurring festival, the first and last of us, and a miracle from You.  And provide us our sustenance, for You are the best of providers!” (Quran 5:112-114)

“He shall speak to people while still in the cradle, and in manhood, and he shall be from the righteous.” (Quran 3:46)

“I am indeed a slave of God.  He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet, and He has made me blessed wherever I may be.  And He has enjoined upon me prayers, and to pay the alms, as long as I live and (He has made me) kind to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed.  And may Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and on the Day I shall be raised to life.” (Quran 19:30-33)

“I create for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with God’s permission.” (Quran 3:49)

“I also heal the blind and the leper.” (Quran 3:49)

“…and I bring to life the dead, by the permission of God.” (Quran 3:49)

“I inform you too of what things you eat, and what you store up in your houses.  Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.” (Quran 3:49)