ALLAH (SWT)'S MESSENGERS ARE OF DIFFERENT RANKS.

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ {2:253}

[Q2:253] Tilkar Rusulu faddalnaa ba'dahum 'alaa ba'd; minhum man kallamal laahu wa rafa'a ba'dahum darajaat; wa aatainaa 'Eesab na Maryamal baiyinaati wa ayyadnaahu bi Roohil Qudus; wa law shaaa'al laahu maqtatalal lazeena mimba'dihim mim ba'di maa jaaa'athumul baiyinaatu wa laakinikh talafoo faminhum man aamana wa minhum man kafar; wa law shaaa'al laahu maq tataloo wa laakinnallaaha yaf'alu maa yureed. 
[Q2:253] We have made some of these messengers to excel the others among them are they to whom ALLAH (SWT) spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Isa son of Marium, and strengthened him with the holy spirit. And if ALLAH (SWT) had pleased, those after them would not have fought one with another after clear arguments had come to them, but they disagreed; so there were some of them who believed and others who denied; and if ALLAH (SWT) had pleased they would not have fought one with another, but ALLAH (SWT) brings about what He intends.

[Q2:253] Rasul-rasul Kami lebihkan sebahagian daripada mereka atas sebahagian yang lain (dengan kelebihan-kelebihan yang tertentu). Di antara mereka ada yang ALLAH (SwT) berkata-kata dengannya, dan ditinggikanNya (pangkat) sebahagian daripada mereka beberapa darjat kelebihan. Dan Kami berikan Nabi Isa ibni Maryam beberapa keterangan kebenaran (mukjizat), serta Kami kuatkan dia dengan Ruhul-Qudus (Jibril). Dan sekiranya ALLAH (SwT) menghendaki nescaya orang-orang yang datang kemudian daripada Rasul-rasul itu tidak berbunuh-bunuhan sesudah datang kepada mereka keterangan-keterangan (yang dibawa oleh Rasul mereka). Tetapi mereka bertelingkah, maka timbulah di antara mereka: orang yang beriman, dan orang yang kafir. Dan kalaulah ALLAH (SwT) menghendaki tentulah mereka tidak berbunuh-bunuhan; tetapi ALLAH (SwT) melakukan apa yang dikehendakiNya.

ALTHOUGH ALL THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH (SWT) ARE EQUALLY TRUTHFUL AND HOLY, BUT IN THE SAME WAY THAT SOME SIGNS ARE CLEARER AND CONTAIN DEEPER MESSAGES THAN OTHERS, SO ALLAH (SWT)'S MESSENGERS ARE OF DIFFERENT RANKS.

Ü  The particular mention of Musa and Isa is to point out their distinguished positions as the reformers. *Musa was directly addressed by ALLAH (SWT), and *Isa was assisted by the ruhul qudus (the holy spirit).

BOTH THESE PROPHETS of ALLAH (SWT) **glorified the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) AND gave to the people the glad tidings of his arrival. Refer to the text of the Bible (Deut 18: 5, 18, 19; Acts 3: 22 to 25; John 14: 16, 17; John 16: 7 to 14) mentioned in the commentary of al Baqarah 2:40.

Ø  It would be a false and contradictory statement if it was said that the above-noted verses of the Old and the New Testaments refer to Jesus, because Isa himself, like Musa, gave the news of the advent of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in John 14: 16, 17 and John 16: 7 to 14.

In addition to the guiding statements of the two distinguished prophets of ALLAH (SWT) - *Musa to whom ALLAH (SWT) spoke, AND *Isa to whom He gave clear miracles and strengthened with the holy spirit. There are several verses in the Qur’an,

Ä  According to which *the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) occupies the highest place in the company of all the prophets of ALLAH (SWT). *He is the superior-most messenger of ALLAH (SWT). *The glory of the divinity of the Lord manifests, reflects and radiates in him to maximum perfection. *Endowed with perfection, he was sent as a "mercy unto the worlds" (Anbia 21:107). The other prophets were sent to guide a particular people in a particular place (Matthew 10: 5 and 6), THEREFORE, in view of their limited mission, they are not on the level of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) who was sent to guide and discipline the whole mankind for all times (Saba 34:28).

      AS THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) IS THE BEST OF ALL THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH (SWT), A DISTINGUISHED GROUP AMONG HIS FOLLOWERS HAS BEEN RAISED UP BY ALLAH (SWT) ASKHAYRA UMMATIN, THE BEST OF ALL THE PEOPLE (see commentary of verse 3:110 of Ali Imran).

©  To understand kalamallaku (ALLAH (SWT) spoke) it is necessary to refer to verse 26:51 of al Shura:

"It is not to any mortal (man) that ALLAH (SWT) should speak to him except by inspiration or through (from behind) a veil,"

       ALLAH (SWT) does not speak in the sense attributed to the created beings who use the mouth and the tongue to produce sound. The veil can be anything which can be caused to produce sound.

This verse implies that a large number of messengers were sent by ALLAH (SWT). He made some of these messengers to excel others, and some of them He exalted in rank. In the end He sent the best of them all, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), to guide mankind on the right path and prevent the people of the world, in all times, from going astray in the direction of Shaytan, their avowed enemy.

THERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION. IT IS NOT THE PLAN OF THE ALMIGHTY THAT GUIDANCE SHOULD BE IMPOSED UPON ANY INDIVIDUAL OR COMMUNITY. THERE IS COMPLETE FREEDOM TO ANY PERSON WHO WANTS TO GO ASTRAY. ALLAH (SWT) DOES NOT KEEP ANY ONE ON THE RIGHT PATH UNDER DURESS IF HE HIMSELF, THROUGH REASON AND INTELLIGENCE, DOES NOT MAKE WILLING EFFORTS TO WALK ON THE RIGHT PATH.

Ø  The followers of the prophets, including the followers of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), [1]fought one another, [2]went astray and followed the path of the devil as soon as the divinely commissioned guides, with clear signs and arguments, had left them.

IF ALLAH (SWT) HAD WILLED, THIS STRAYING COULD BE STOPPED. *He brings about what He wills. *He could guide the people without the agency of the prophets, BUT He has given freedom to man to use reason and intelligence to distinguish between good and evil AND MAKE EFFORTS to do good and earn reward, or MAKE MISCHIEF and collect punishment. The door of guidance is kept open for those who sincerely seek the true direction. “As for those who strive in Us, We certainly show them our paths.” (Ankabut 29:69).

»    TO FULFIL THIS PROMISE, the merciful Lord has established the divine institution of imamat as soon as the risalat came to an end - Ali ibne Abi Talib is the first AND Muhammad al Mahdi, the living Imam, is the last of the twelve divinely commissioned and infallible holy guide-leaders.

*To keep himself on the right path, man has been asked to seek ALLAH (SWT)'s help by reciting al Fatihah in every salat. See the commentary of verses 1:5 to 7 of al Fatihah.

*The guidance has been made known. Now whosoever goes right, it is only for the good of his own soul that he goes right, AND whosoever errs, errs only to hurt himself. EACH SOUL EARNS ONLY ON ITS OWN ACCOUNT.

v  According to the following verses, man has been given an independent free will to act:

BAQARAH 2:48; AN-AM 6:165; HIJR 15:42; BANI ISRAIL 17:7 and 15; ANKABUT 29:6; FATIR 35:17; ZUMAR 39:7; HA MIM 41:46; DAHR 76:2

The individual differences in the prophets of ALLAH (SWT) are on account of [*] the level of intelligence AND [*] the needs of the people amongst whom they were sent, to show them what was right and what was wrong. THE MANNER OF RECEIVING THE INSPIRATION FROM ALLAH (SWT) AND THE NATURE AND LIMITATION OF EVERY PROPHET'S MISSION WERE DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABILITY OF THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND GRASP THE MESSAGE.

THE LAST MESSAGE OF ALLAH (SWT) WAS *PERFECT, *COMPLETE, *FINAL AND *CONCLUSIVE. THEREFORE, the prophet who was chosen to deliver the final message was the most superior of all the prophets. **HE WAS NOT ONLY THE LAST PROPHET BUT ALSO **THE FOREMOST IN TOTAL SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF ALLAH (SWT).

*Musa was honoured with the divine speech, *Isa with the holy spirit, *Ibrahim with shuhud (vision), BUT the *Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) had the distinction of receiving the divine inspiration and revelation through all the mediums - see verse 8:43 of al Anfal and verse 17:60 of Bani Israil for vision in dreams, verse 17:1 of Bani Israil for vision in wakefulness; verses 26:192 to 195 of al Shu-ara, verse 42:52 of al Shura for the holy spirit; verses 53:1 to 16 of al Najm and verses 55:1 to 4 of al Rahman for direct instructions.

THIS VERSE CLEARLY STATES THAT THE DISCORD AND STRIFE AMONG THE FOLLOWERS OF THE PROPHETS IS DUE TO BELIEF (IMAN) AND DISBELIEF (KUFR), THEREFORE, the apologetic attempt of some of the theologians to justify the dissension and conflict between the various religions OR the sects of each religion as the outcome of ijtihad or ‘discretion’ is based upon conjecture, and therefore, untenable.’

ACCORDING TO QUR’AN, such differences between the people of the scriptures is due to their rebellious attitude against the clearly manifested will and command of ALLAH (SWT). See verse 3:19 of Ali Imran and verses 42:13 of 14 of al Shura.

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WRONGDOING RESTS WITH THE MAN; AND WHATEVER GOOD HE DOES IS FROM ALLAH (SWT).

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(2:253) Of these Messengers (whom We sent for the guidance of mankind), We raised some above the others in rank. Among them was one with whom Allah Himself had direct talks. There were others whom He raised high in rank in other ways. Likewise We gave clear signs to Jesus, son of Mary, and supported him with the Holy Spirit. Had Allah so willed the people who had seen clear signs would not have fought against one another after the Prophets. But (it was not Allah's will to prevent people forcibly from differences: so) they disagreed; then some of them accepted the Truth and others rejected it. If Allah had so willed they would have never fought against one another, but Allah does whatever He pleases (to fulfil His designs. *275

*275. The main cause of the differences which arose after people had received true knowledge through the Prophets, and which were even aggravated into feuds and wars, IS NOT THAT GOD WAS HELPLESS, AND LACKED THE POWER to put an end to the fighting. Had He willed so, no one would have had the power to defy the teachings of the Prophets, to take the course of disbelief and rebellion against Him, and to spread mischief and corruption in His world. BUT IT WAS NOT HIS WILL TO DEPRIVE HUMAN BEINGS OF THEIR FREE-WILL AND CHOICE, AND TO COMPEL THEM TO FOLLOW A PARTICULAR COURSE. HE HAS CREATED HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH IN ORDER TO TEST THEM AND HENCE ENDOWED THEM WITH THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE FROM THE VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF BELIEF AND ACTION.
God did not appoint the Prophets as policemen to force people to faith and obedience. He sent them, instead, with reasonable arguments and clear signs in order to invite people to righteousness. HENCE the cause of all the differences and wranglings and fighting which took place was that people, in exercising the free-will granted to them by God, followed divergent courses. IN SHORT, PEOPLE FOLLOW DIVERGENT WAYS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF GOD'S OMNIPOTENT WILL THAT MEN SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE. It would be a grave misunderstanding to hold that people follow different paths because God failed to persuade people to follow the path which He wanted them to choose.