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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 253 (2:253)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

۞ تِلْكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ …

Quran 2:253 is ayah 253 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 3, on page 42 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:253
۞ تِلْكَٱلرُّسُلُفَضَّلْنَابَعْضَهُمْعَلَىٰبَعْضٍ ۘمِّنْهُممَّنكَلَّمَٱللَّهُ ۖوَرَفَعَبَعْضَهُمْدَرَجَٰتٍ ۚوَءَاتَيْنَاعِيسَىٱبْنَمَرْيَمَٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِوَأَيَّدْنَٰهُبِرُوحِٱلْقُدُسِ ۗوَلَوْشَآءَٱللَّهُمَاٱقْتَتَلَٱلَّذِينَمِنۢبَعْدِهِممِّنۢبَعْدِمَاجَآءَتْهُمُٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُوَلَٰكِنِٱخْتَلَفُوا۟فَمِنْهُممَّنْءَامَنَوَمِنْهُممَّنكَفَرَ ۚوَلَوْشَآءَٱللَّهُمَاٱقْتَتَلُوا۟وَلَٰكِنَّٱللَّهَيَفْعَلُمَايُرِيدُ٢٥٣
til'ka l-rusulu faḍḍalnā baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin min'hum man kallama l-lahu warafaʿa baʿḍahum darajātin waātaynā ʿīsā ib'na maryama l-bayināti wa-ayyadnāhu birūḥi l-qudusi walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatala alladhīna min baʿdihim min baʿdi mā jāathumu l-bayinātu walākini ikh'talafū famin'hum man āmana wamin'hum man kafara walaw shāa l-lahu mā iq'tatalū walākinna l-laha yafʿalu mā yurīdu

Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allāh spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit [i.e., Gabriel]. If Allāh had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allāh had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allāh does what He intends.(253)

Word by word

  1. ۞ تِلْكَtil'kaThese
  2. ٱلرُّسُلُl-rusulu(are) the Messengers
  3. فَضَّلْنَاfaḍḍalnāWe (have) preferred
  4. بَعْضَهُمْbaʿḍahumsome of them
  5. عَلَىٰʿalāover
  6. بَعْضٍ ۘbaʿḍinothers
  7. مِّنْهُمmin'humAmong them
  8. مَّنman(were those with) whom
  9. كَلَّمَkallamaspoke
  10. ٱللَّهُ ۖl-lahuAllah
  11. وَرَفَعَwarafaʿaand He raised
  12. بَعْضَهُمْbaʿḍahumsome of them
  13. دَرَجَٰتٍ ۚdarajātin(in) degrees
  14. وَءَاتَيْنَاwaātaynāAnd We gave
  15. عِيسَىʿīsāIsa
  16. ٱبْنَib'nason
  17. مَرْيَمَmaryama(of) Maryam
  18. ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِl-bayinātithe clear proofs
  19. وَأَيَّدْنَٰهُwa-ayyadnāhuand We supported him
  20. بِرُوحِbirūḥiwith Spirit
  21. ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗl-qudusi[the] Holy
  22. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  23. شَآءَshāa(had) willed
  24. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  25. مَاmānot
  26. ٱقْتَتَلَiq'tatala(would have) fought each other
  27. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  28. مِنۢmin(came) from
  29. بَعْدِهِمbaʿdihimafter them
  30. مِّنۢminfrom
  31. بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
  32. مَاmā[what]
  33. جَآءَتْهُمُjāathumucame to them
  34. ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُl-bayinātuthe clear proofs
  35. وَلَٰكِنِwalākini[And] but
  36. ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ikh'talafūthey differed
  37. فَمِنْهُمfamin'hum[so] of them
  38. مَّنْman(are some) who
  39. ءَامَنَāmanabelieved
  40. وَمِنْهُمwamin'humand of them
  41. مَّنman(are some) who
  42. كَفَرَ ۚkafaradenied
  43. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  44. شَآءَshāa(had) willed
  45. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  46. مَاmānot
  47. ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟iq'tatalūthey (would have) fought each other
  48. وَلَٰكِنَّwalākinna[and] but
  49. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  50. يَفْعَلُyafʿaludoes
  51. مَاmāwhat
  52. يُرِيدُyurīduHe intends

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:253

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah Honored Some Prophets Above Others

Allah states that He has honored some Prophets to others. For instance, Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا

(And indeed, We have preferred some of the Prophets above others, and to Dawud We gave the Zabur (Psalms)) 17:55.

In the Ayah above, Allah said,

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ

(Those Messengers! We preferred some of them to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly)) meaning, Musa and Muhammad , and also Adam according to a Hadith recorded in Sahih Ibn Hibban from Abu Dharr.

وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَـتٍ

(Others He raised to degrees (of honor)) as is evident in the Hadith about the Isra' journey, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw the Prophets in the various heavens according to their rank with Allah.

If somebody asks about the collective meaning of this Ayah and the Hadith that the Two Sahihs collected from Abu Hurayrah which states, "Once, a Muslim man and a Jew had an argument and the Jew said, `No, by Him Who gave Musa superiority over all human beings!' Hearing him, the Muslim man raised his hand and slapped the Jew on his face and said, `Over Muhammad too, O evil one!' The Jew went to the Prophet and complained to him and the Prophet said,

«لَا تُفَضِّلُونِي عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصْعَقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يُفِيقُ، فَأَجِدُ مُوسَى بَاطِشًا بِقَائِمَةِ الْعَرْشِ، فَلَا أَدْرِي أَفَاقَ قَبْلِي أَمْ جُوزِيَ بِصَعْقَةِ الطُّورِ؟ فَلَا تُفَضِّلُونِي عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاء»

(Don't give me superiority above the Prophets, for the people will become unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first to be resurrected to see Musa holding on to the pillar of Allah's Throne. I will not know whether the unconsciousness Musa suffered on the Day of the Trumpet sufficed for him, or if he got up before me. So, do not give me superiority above the Prophets.) In another narration, the Prophet said, (Do not give superiority to some Prophets above others.)

The answer to this question is that this Hadith prohibits preferring some Prophets above others in cases of dispute and argument, such as the incident mentioned in the Hadith. The Hadith indicates that it is not up to creation to decide which Prophet is better, for this is Allah's decision. The creation is only required to submit to, obey and believe in Allah's decision.

Allah's statement,

وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَـتِ

(And We gave `Isa, the son of Maryam, clear signs) refers to the proofs and unequivocal evidences that testify to the truth that `Isa delivered to the Children of Israel, thus testifying that he was Allah's servant and His Messenger to them.

وَأَيَّدْنَـهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

(And supported him with Ruh-il-Qudus) meaning Allah aided `Isa with Jibil, peace be upon him. Allah then said,

وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ وَلَـكِنِ اخْتَلَفُواْ فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُواْ

(If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Verses of Allah had come to them, but they differed ـ some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another.) meaning all this happened by Allah's decree, and this is why He said next,

وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ

(But Allah does what He wills.)

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah