Are Some Messengers Superior to Others?
Al-Allāmah ʿAbd al-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād
Allāh—the Most High—said:
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ
“Those Messengers! We preferred some to others; to some of them Allāh spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour); and to Īsá (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), We gave clear proofs and evidences, and supported him with Rūḥ al-Qudus [Jibrāīl (Gabriel)].”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:253)
This verse proves that some messengers have been preferred over others. Similar to this is the statement of Allāh—the Exalted in Might:
وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا
“We have preferred some of the Prophets above others, and to Dāwūd (David) We gave the Zabūr (Psalms).”
(Al-Isrāʾ, 17:55)
As for the prohibition of showing preference to one messenger over another in the ḥadīth: “Do not show preference or elevate some prophets over others”1 and in another narration: “Do not show preference or elevate me over Mūsá”2, these may be interpreted as statements that were made before Allāh revealed this preference to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Or it may be interpreted as the prohibition pertaining only to preference that is shown in relation to one’s nation, borne only from tribalism, which is congruent with the circumstance of this ḥadīth. This statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was made in reference to an altercation between one of the companions and a Jewish man in which they insulted and fought with one another. Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه) said: “The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was once approached by a Jewish man whilst sitting, who said: “O Abū al-Qāsim! A man among your companions slapped my face”. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied: “Who?” The man replied: “A man from among the Anṣār”. He said: “Summon him here”. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked him: “Did you strike him?” The man replied: “I heard him in the market swearing saying: “By the One who has chosen Mūsá over all mankind”. So, I replied to him saying: “O despicable one! Has he even been chosen over Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?!” I was so overcome with anger that I slapped his face. So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Do not show preference or elevate some prophets over others”.
Among the prophets are those who have been taken as a khalīl (close, intimate friend) by Allāh. This is Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام), as Allāh—the Exalted in Might—said:
وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا
“And Allāh did take Ibrāhīm (Abraham) as a Khalīl (an intimate friend).”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:125)
Just as our Prophet Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was also taken by Allāh as a khalīl, as he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stated: “I declare myself innocent before Allāh that I should ever take one among you as my khalīl. For Allāh has taken me as His khalīl in the same way that He has taken Ibrāhīm as a khalīl”.3
And among them are those with whom Allāh has spoken to like Mūsá (عليه السلام). Allāh—the Exalted in Might—said:
وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا
“And to Mūsá (Moses) Allāh spoke directly.”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:164)
And He also said:
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ
“And when Mūsa ́ (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him.”
(Al-Aʿrāf, 7:143)
Likewise, Allāh spoke directly to our Prophet Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) on the night (of Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj) wherein he was raised to Him.
The best of the prophets are the Ulū al-ʿAzm (the Messengers of Strong Will). They are: our Prophet Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Musá and ʿIsá, all of whom have been mentioned together in the statement of Allāh—the Exalted in Might:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ
“And (remember) when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), and from Nūḥ (Noah), Ibrāhīm (Abraham), Mūsá (Moses), and ʿĪsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary).”
(Al-Aḥzāb, 33:7)
Just as they are all mentioned together in His statement:
شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ
“He (Allāh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islām) which He ordained for Nūḥ (Noah), and that which We have inspired in you (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), and that which We ordained for Ibrāhīm (Abraham), Mūsá (Moses) and ʿĪsá (Jesus).”
(Shūrá, 42:13)
Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله) said in the tafsīr of the verse:
فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ
“Therefore be patient (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) as did the Messengers of strong will”
(Al-Aḥqāf, 46:35)
“The scholars have differed regarding the number of these Ulū al-ʿAzm. There are several opinions, although the most famous of them is that they are: Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Mūsá, ʿĪsá, and the seal of all the prophets Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Their names are mentioned among all the other prophets in two verses: one in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb and the other in Shūrá. There is also a possibility that the Ulū al-ʿAzm refers to all the Messengers in which case the word ‘min’ (or ‘from among’) in the verse is meant to clarify a type or variety of something [or ‘Bayān al-Jins’ in Arabic].”
Our Shaykh, Muḥammad Amīn al-Shanqīṭī (رحمه الله) said in his book ‘Aḍwāʾ al-Bayān’: “Know that according to the opinion that espouses that the ‘Ulū al-ʿAzm’refers to all the Messengers, the word ‘min’ here is meant as a general clarification of type [i.e., all Messengers without specifically applying it to any one among them]. It is most apparent that this opinion is contrary to that which is correct in this issue, as evidenced by other verses of the Qurʾān, like the saying of the Most High:
فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ
“So wait with patience for the decision of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish.”
(Nūn, 68:48)
In this verse, Allāh—the Exalted, the High—commands His Prophet to have patience, and to refrain from emulating Yūnus (عليه السلام) who was the Companion of the Fish4 mentioned here. Similar to this is His saying:
وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا
“And indeed We made a covenant with Ādam before, but he forgot, and We found on his part no firm willpower.”
(Ṭāhá, 20:115)
These two verses prove that the Ulū al-ʿAzm mentioned in the verse whose patience the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was commanded to emulate are not all messengers. And with Allāh belongs true knowledge.”
Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله) also said in explanation of the verse in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: “Narrated from Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) who said: “The best, choicest people among the children of Ādam are: Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Mūsá, ʿĪsá, and Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And the best of all of them is Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)” This ḥadīth is Mawqūf (statement made by a companion), among its narrators is Ḥamzah [al-Zayyāt] who has been ascribed to weakness.” The narrators of this chain are all from the men who narrated the aḥadīth of al-Bukhārī and Muslim save for Ḥamzah who is among the narrators of Muslim only, concerning whom Ibn Ḥajar said: “Truthful and ascetic, despite falling into error at times.” This narration is considered mawqūf (statement of a companion) which may be given the ruling of that which is elevated to the speech of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله) also said in the tafsīr of the aforementioned verse in Surah al-Isrāʾ: “There is no difference of opinion that the messengers are superior to the rest of the prophets, and that the Ulū al-ʿAzm are the best of the messengers, and that they are mentioned in conjunction with one another in two verses of the Qurʾān”, then he said: “There is also no difference of opinion regarding Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) being the best of all of them, after him is Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام), then Mūsá, in accordance with the most famous opinion. This position and its evidence has been expounded upon in another place. And with Allāh belongs true guidance.”
Endnotes:
[1] Authentic: narrated by al-Bukhārī: 2412 and Muslim: 6156.
[2] Authentic: narrated by al-Bukhārī: 6411 and Muslim: 6153.
[3] Authentic: narrated by Muslim: 1188.
[4] Translator’s note: Regarding this title, Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn said: “(Yūnus) was only swallowed by this large fish, but not chewed. For if he had been, he would have been crushed and killed. Instead, Allāh—the Most High—subjugated this fish such that it only swallowed him, allowing him to reside in its belly for a time unharmed…Yūnus (عليه السلام) was swallowed by a large fish in a circumstance wherein he was deserving of blame for abandoning his people out of anger and frustration without first receiving permission from his Lord—the Exalted in Might—to do so…For it was obligatory for him to have patience with his plight.” See Tafsīr Ibn ʿUthaymīn: al-Ṣāffāṭ: 298.
Source: Kunūz al-Qurʾān al-Karīim: 187-189
Translated by: Riyāḍ al-Kanadī
