Variance of status between Prophets has nothing to do with prophethood
27-12-2012 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is there any contradiction between the following two verses (which mean): {Those messengers - some of them We Caused to exceed others.} and {We make no distinction between any of His messengers.}?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
First of all, there is absolutely no contradiction in the Noble Quran. The two verses mentioned above are from the Surah of Al-Baqarah and there is no contradiction between them in any way.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {If it had been from [any] other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction.} [Quran 4:82]
According to many scholars of Tafseer, the first verse means: "Allaah The Almighty Favored some of those Messengers mentioned in this Surah and in other Surahs over others in terms of circumstances, characteristics, supernatural abilities, divine care and the various miracles. There is no differentiation regarding prophethood itself; rather, the differentiation has to do with other matters that are separate from that. Hence, some of them were Messengers of firm resolve, some were taken as intimate Friends of Allaah, some of them were spoken to directly by Allaah and some were raised in status as mentioned in the other verse. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We Have Made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to Daawood (David) We Gave the book [of Psalms].} [Quran 17:55] Also, Allaah The Almighty Distinguished the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with Sending him to all human beings from the beginning of his prophethood to the moment when Allaah The Almighty Will Inherit the earth and whatever is on it.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {And We Have not Sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the Worlds.} [Quran 2:107]
· {And We Have not Sent you except comprehensively to mankind.} [Quran 34:28]
As for the second verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {We Make no distinction between any of His messengers.} [Quran 2:285], it means that we believe in them all (Messengers) and we are not like those whom Allaah The Almighty Censured and Promised to Punish. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allaah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between. Those are the disbelievers, truly. And We Have Prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.} [Quran 4:150-151]
For further information about this noble verse, we refer you to Fatwa no. 42031.
Allaah Knows best.