Combining the lack of distinction between the messengers with the preference of some over others
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner says: How do we reconcile the saying of Allah the Exalted,[Al-Baqarah 2:285], with the saying of Allah, [Al-Baqarah 2:253]?
Answer:
Distinction does not lie in preference. Some of the messengers are better than others, and this is not a matter of distinction. Distinction is believing in some of them and disbelieving in some of them. That is what distinction is: to believe in some and disbelieve in some.[An-Nisa 4:150-151] So the distinction between the messengers is by believing in some of them and disbelieving in some of them, as the Jews and the Christians did. As for believing in all of them, there is no distinction in that, and preferring some over others based on the evidence is not a distinction. Rather, it is Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, who preferred some of them over others. [Al-Baqarah 2:253] These are the excellences that Allah granted to some of them over others.
So the best of the messengers are the two friends of Allah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and Ibrahim, and the best of the two friends is Muhammad. So Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of the messengers absolutely. Yes. And there is no distinction between the messengers in this, but this is[Al-Hadid 57:21] Yes. What is the matter with you?
This questioner says: How do we reconcile the saying of Allah the Exalted,
We make no distinction between any of His messengers
لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِThose messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others.
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍAnswer:
Distinction does not lie in preference. Some of the messengers are better than others, and this is not a matter of distinction. Distinction is believing in some of them and disbelieving in some of them. That is what distinction is: to believe in some and disbelieve in some.
(150) Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between - (151) Those are the disbelievers, truly. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًاThose messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah 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.
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِSo the best of the messengers are the two friends of Allah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and Ibrahim, and the best of the two friends is Muhammad. So Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of the messengers absolutely. Yes. And there is no distinction between the messengers in this, but this is
the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.
فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-23-الوسطية عند أهل السنة والجماعة|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (53:00)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.