Was Uzair a prophet, and is he the one who passed by the village?

Question:
Peace be upon you. Is Uzair a prophet or not? And is he the one who passed by the village where the people were sitting on its roofs?

Answer:
Uzair was one of the scholars of the Children of Israel, and there is disagreement regarding him. Some said he was a prophet, and some said he was not a prophet. The correct view is that he was not a prophet, but rather one of the scholars of the Children of Israel. When the Torah was lost during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, who invaded the Jews and destroyed them, the Torah was lost. They did not find it except in the memory of the people of order (the righteous). He memorized it, which was a great distinction for him. Therefore, they believed he was a prophet. As for whether he is the one who passed by the village, Allah knows best. Allah did not mention this to us, or rather, the one who passed by the village, the one whose name was not mentioned. So why are we searching for his name?