Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 86

({وَ كُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعٰلَمِيْنَ:}) That is, He granted superiority over all the people of their respective times.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

86. And Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot—each one of them [87.1] We favored above the worlds.

[87۔ 1] In this verse, it is stated that all these prophets (i.e., the 18 prophets mentioned in these verses) were all righteous people, and in the next verse, it is stated that each one of them was given superiority over all the nations of the world. From these explicit statements of the Noble Quran, the perfect infallibility of the prophets is established. In other words, all these prophets were free from error, whereas the Bible presents the biographies of many of these prophets in a tarnished manner. [تفصيل كے ليے ديكهئے سورة كي آيت نمبر 48 كا حاشيه نمبر 54] At this point, Allah Almighty has mentioned eighteen prophets and messengers together, and in the Quran, a total of twenty-seven prophets and messengers are mentioned. Among them, the prophethood of Sayyiduna Luqmanؑ is disputed, and those prophets who are not mentioned here are: Sayyiduna Adam, Idris, Hud, Salih, Shu‘ayb, Dhu’l-Kifl, ‘Uzayr (peace be upon them), and Muhammad, the Messenger of Allahﷺ. As for the eighteen prophets mentioned here, it is appropriate to briefly record their life events in chronological order.

(1) Sayyiduna Nuhؑ:

Your age was one thousand years. Your prophethood was three thousand to three and a half thousand years before Christ. The area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq was the center of your preaching. Your people were idol worshippers and worshipped five idols: Wadd, Suwa‘, Yaghuth, Ya‘uq, and Nasr. They were so stubborn and obstinate in this matter that as a result of your nine hundred and fifty years of preaching, only forty people believed. Eventually, you became disheartened and prayed against them. Allah Almighty commanded you to build a great ship and gave you instructions for its construction. When the ship was ready, you ordered all the believers to board it. In addition, a pair of every animal was also placed in the ship. After that, springs of water began to gush from the earth, and continuous and torrential rain fell from the sky. So much water accumulated on the earth that even the mountains were submerged. Your disobedient son, Yam, was also drowned in this flood before your eyes. The water kept rising for six months, then began to recede. The rain stopped. The earth began to absorb the water, and the sun and winds started to dry it. The ship settled on Mount Judi. After forty days, when the earth dried, all the people safely disembarked from the ship. After the flood, you lived for 350 years and continued preaching.

(2) Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ:

Your age was 175 years. The period of your prophethood is between two thousand and twenty-one hundred years before Christ. Your people were idol worshippers and star worshippers. Your father Azar was the chief priest and administrator of the royal idol house on behalf of Nimrod, the king of Iraq. He was also an idol carver and seller. You first began preaching to your father in very gentle words. He mentioned Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ to Nimrod, who summoned you to his court. Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ established the argument against Nimrod and defeated him in debate, so your father became even more opposed, because accepting Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ’s words would have cost him his position and destroyed his livelihood. Therefore, he even said to Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ, “Get out of my house, or I will stone you.” After your father, you began forbidding your people from idol worship, and once, finding an opportunity, you broke their idols. The people became enraged and threw you into a great fire, but Allah saved you completely. Eventually, you migrated with Sayyiduna Lutؑ towards Palestine, and then migrated from there to Egypt. There, royal officials took your wife Sarah, which caused the king much distress. In the end, he made Hajarah the maidservant of Lady Sarah and sent her with her. From this Hajarah, Sayyiduna Isma‘ilؑ was born. By Allah’s command, you settled this mother and son near the Holy Ka‘bah. When Sayyiduna Isma‘ilؑ grew up, the matter of his sacrifice arose. Both father and son passed this test. Then both of them performed the duty of rebuilding the Ka‘bah. Throughout his life, you faced the most severe trials from Allah. You passed all of them, so Allah made you His friend (Khalil) and the leader and guide for all mankind for all time.

(3) Sayyiduna Lutؑ:

He was the cousin of Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ. At the time of migration from Iraq, he was with Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ. Later, when he was granted prophethood, Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ sent him for preaching towards the east of Jordan. The city of Sodom and the surrounding towns of ‘Amorah around the Dead Sea or the Sea of Lut were the area of his preaching. His people, in addition to polytheism and other immoralities, were involved in sodomy and were even the inventors of this evil act. Despite Lutؑ’s admonition, these people did not desist from their deeds; rather, they threatened Sayyiduna Lutؑ and the few Muslims with expulsion from their city. Eventually, angels descended to bring Allah’s wrath upon this nation. Sayyiduna Jibrilؑ uprooted their towns, lifted them on his wings, raised them high, and then threw them down. Then a rain of stones was sent from above. Thus, this region of land sank four hundred kilometers below sea level, and water came over it. This body of water is called the Dead Sea, the Sea of Death, or the Drowned Land of Lut.

(4) Sayyiduna Isma‘ilؑ:

He was the elder son of Sayyiduna Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah, born from Hajarah during their stay in Egypt. By Allah’s command, Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ settled this mother and son in the barren land of Makkah. Allah Almighty caused the spring of Zamzam to flow there. You were raised by the tribe of Jurhum. When you reached maturity, the great test of sacrifice occurred. You succeeded in this and earned the title “Dhabihullah” (the Sacrificed of Allah). Afterwards, you, with your father Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ, rebuilt the Ka‘bah and were appointed to its service. You married among the Jurhum, and this area became the center of your preaching. Your age was 137 years.

(5) Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ:

He was the second son of Sayyiduna Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah, born from Lady Sarah according to the glad tidings of the angels. At that time, Lady Sarah was about ninety years old, and Sayyiduna Ibrahimؑ was over a hundred. The region of Palestine was the center of your preaching, and the service of Bayt al-Maqdis was entrusted to you. Except for the Last Prophet, all other Israelite prophets were from your descendants, and you were buried in the same region beside your father Sayyiduna Ibrahim. Your age was 180 years.

(6) Sayyiduna Ya‘qubؑ:

He was the son of Sayyiduna Ishaqؑ. He was sent towards the region of Canaan. Later, he migrated to Qadan. Your other name is Israel. You loved your son Yusuf very much. Allah tested you in this matter. Thus, you bore the grief of Sayyiduna Yusufؑ’s disappearance with great patience and endurance. In old age, at Sayyiduna Yusufؑ’s invitation, you settled in Egypt. But your body, according to your will, was brought back to Quds Khalil and buried beside Sayyiduna Ishaq and Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon them). You lived to the age of 147 years.

(7) Sayyiduna Yusufؑ:

He was born to Sayyiduna Ya‘qub in Canaan. The story of his life is well known. At the age of 17, you were thrown into a well, spent about seven years in the house of the Aziz of Egypt, then seven years in prison. Afterwards, you became the chief administrator of Egypt, and after eight years, during the days of prosperity following the famine, you called your parents and all your family to you. The period of separation from your respected father was 23 years. You were both a prophet and a king. You died in Egypt at the age of 110, and willed that whenever the Israelites returned to their homeland Canaan, your body should be taken there and reburied. Thus, when Sayyiduna Musaؑ led the Israelites out of Egypt, he took your coffin from your grave and buried it with your ancestors in Mashhad Khalil.

(8) Sayyiduna Ayyubؑ:

The period of your prophethood is fifteen hundred years before Christ. You were famous for your wealth and land. At the age of seventy, you were granted prophethood. Then a period of trial from Allah came upon you, and you lost everything. You became so ill that everyone except one wife abandoned you. You showed such unparalleled patience and steadfastness in this illness and the loss of wealth that it became proverbial. According to authentic reports, your period of trial was 13 years. When you succeeded in this test, Allah Almighty removed your illness and granted you twice as much wealth as before, and also gave you the title “the Patient.” You died at the age of 140 years.

(9, 10) Sayyiduna Musa and Harun (peace be upon them):

Sayyiduna Musaؑ was the first messenger to whom a book was given and an independent law was granted. He was very majestic. He was raised in a most miraculous way in Pharaoh’s house and at his expense, during the time when Pharaoh of Egypt used to have the newborn sons of the Israelites killed. Sayyiduna Ya‘qubؑ and his descendants, who had settled in Egypt during the reign of Sayyiduna Yusufؑ, had now reached into the millions and were living a subjugated and oppressed life. The period between Sayyiduna Yusuf and Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon them) is about four hundred years. The mission of Sayyiduna Musaؑ was to free them from Pharaoh’s slavery and return them to their homeland Palestine, where they would settle as rulers. But centuries of slavery had made the Israelites so cowardly that they would often argue with Sayyiduna Musaؑ. To fulfill this difficult responsibility, Sayyiduna Musaؑ prayed to Allah that his elder brother Sayyiduna Harun be granted prophethood as well and sent with him as a helper to Pharaoh, and Allah Almighty accepted this request of Sayyiduna Musaؑ. Enduring Pharaoh’s oppression had become second nature to the Israelites. The people of Egypt worshipped cows and bulls. This practice also became ingrained among the Israelites. Eventually, Allah Almighty delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh and drowned all the Pharaoh’s people in the sea. The next stage was to wage jihad and conquer the region of Syria and Palestine. But due to their traditional cowardice, this nation flatly refused to fight. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness of Tih for 40 years. In this land of Tih, both brothers, Sayyiduna Harun and Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon them), passed away. Before his death, Sayyiduna Musa appointed Yusha‘ bin Nun as his successor. This same Yusha‘ was the companion of Sayyiduna Musaؑ during his meeting with Sayyiduna Khidr. Under his leadership, Allah Almighty granted the Israelites power over the promised land, and they first conquered the region of Jericho. During the 40 years, the old cowardly generation of Israelites died out, and the new generation was trained in the hardships of desert life, so the new generation became brave and conquered the promised land through jihad.

(11) Sayyiduna Ilyasؑ:

Ilyas and Ilyasin are the same name, just as Tur Sina and ﴿طُوْرِ سينِيْنَ﴾ are the same name. The center of your preaching was Baalbek. Your people worshipped an idol named Baal. The literal meaning of Baal is master, lord, chief, and husband. Thus, this idol was their special deity or great deity. From Babylon to Egypt, Baal worship was widespread throughout the Middle East. When the Israelites returned from Egypt, they too became afflicted with this disease of Baal worship. There was also an altar in the name of Baal on which sacrifices were offered. You admonished these people greatly, but they did not desist from their polytheistic practices. Allah Almighty imposed a tyrant ruler over them, and Sayyiduna Ilyasؑ migrated and settled in Bayt al-Maqdis.

(12) Al-Yasa‘ؑ:

He was the deputy and successor of Sayyiduna Ilyasؑ. Later, he was also granted prophethood. The region of Syria was the center of your preaching.

(13) Sayyiduna Dawudؑ:

He was the youngest among his brothers, of short stature, and an expert archer and marksman. He fought as a soldier in Talut’s army. He placed a stone in his sling and struck Jalut, killing him, and the kingdom of the Israelites came into their hands. Sayyiduna Dawudؑ was appointed to a prominent position and married Talut’s daughter. After Talut’s death, he became an independent king and was also granted prophethood. The Zabur was revealed to you. You were so melodious that when you recited praises, the entire atmosphere would be filled with ecstasy. Iron and copper would become as soft as wax in your hands. Some people do not consider this a miracle but say that you were highly skilled in working iron and copper. Making armor with your own hands was your means of livelihood. During his life, you laid the foundation of Bayt al-Maqdis, which was later completed by Sayyiduna Sulaymanؑ. You died at the age of seventy. Your era is from 1015 BC to 945 BC.

(14) Sayyiduna Sulaymanؑ:

He was the son of Sayyiduna Dawudؑ. He was both a prophet and a king. Among the Israelites, no king had your grandeur. You ruled over jinn and birds as well. You understood the language of animals, commanded them, and made use of them. The wind was also under your command. You could travel a month’s journey by air in a few hours. The Queen of Sheba became Muslim through your efforts. You completed Bayt al-Maqdis in a most magnificent manner.

(15) Sayyiduna Yunusؑ:

Your period of prophethood is the ninth century before Christ. You were sent to the people of Nineveh. When your people rejected your message, you, on your own, warned them that punishment would come after forty days. When this period was about to end and you saw no sign of punishment, you fled and became the prey of a great fish. You continued to recite praises in the belly of the fish. Eventually, Allah delivered you from this difficulty, and the fish cast you out safe and sound on the shore. When you regained some strength, Allah Almighty sent you again to the same people, the people of Nineveh. On the other hand, when Sayyiduna Yunus fled, Allah fulfilled your word. When the people of Nineveh saw signs of punishment at the appointed time, they all came out into the open fields with their families, pleaded before Allah, and sincerely repented, so Allah lifted the punishment from them. In the established practice of Allah, this is the only exception where a coming punishment was averted. When Sayyiduna Yunusؑ returned to this people, they were already softened, so your preaching proved very effective.

(16) Sayyiduna Zakariyyaؑ:

He was the husband of her maternal aunt of Lady Maryam bint ‘Imran (the mother of ‘Isaؑ). Thus, Sayyiduna Zakariyyaؑ became the guardian and caretaker of Lady Maryam. Since Sayyiduna ‘Isaؑ was born without a father purely by Allah’s power, the Jews accused Zakariyyaؑ of (God forbid) adultery with Lady Maryam and tried to kill him. You admonished them greatly, but they did not desist. Eventually, some devilish people martyred you.

(17) Sayyiduna Yahyaؑ:

He was the son of the guardian of Maryam, Sayyiduna Zakariyyaؑ. Sayyiduna Zakariyyaؑ had grown old but was childless. Seeing out-of-season fruits with Lady Maryam, he spontaneously exclaimed, “O Allah, if You grant me an out-of-season fruit, i.e., a son, what wonder is that!” Allah Almighty accepted your prayer, gave the glad tidings of a child, and Himself named him Yahya. You were granted prophethood in childhood. You were the maternal cousin of Sayyiduna ‘Isaؑ. You were very soft-hearted and always wept out of fear of Allah and accountability in the Hereafter. At that time, a Jewish ruler, Dhu Nawas, had your head cut off to please and satisfy the demand of a dancer.

(18) Sayyiduna ‘Isaؑ:

He was born without a father by Allah’s word. His title is “Ruhullah” (Spirit of Allah). On his mother’s side, his lineage goes back to Sayyiduna Sulaymanؑ in the 26th generation. He is the last and law-bearing prophet among the Israelites. He was granted prophethood in childhood, and the Injil was revealed to him. He was born in Nazareth. He spoke in the cradle to establish his mother’s innocence, but the Jews did not desist from slander. He was a very eloquent speaker and handsome; no one dared to accuse or slander him to his face. He was also granted some astonishing miracles. As his honor and fame increased, the Jews became more envious and incited the king to arrest and crucify him. But Allah Almighty, at the very moment, raised ‘Isaؑ bodily to the heavens (at that time he was 33 years old), and the informer’s face was made to resemble Sayyiduna ‘Isa, so he was crucified and received the punishment for his deed. He will descend in the last era, kill the Dajjal, marry, have children, and then die a natural death. In this surah, after mentioning the prophets, Allah Almighty said that all of them were good people. In this way, a perpetual certificate of good character was granted to the prophets, whereas the Bible maligns the character of great prophets and points out various faults in them, for example:
1.
Accusations Against the Prophets by the Jews:

Sayyiduna Nuhؑ drank wine, became intoxicated and senseless, so that his entire nakedness was exposed, and his sons covered him. [پيدائش باب 9]
2. Sayyiduna Lutؑ drank wine and committed adultery with both his daughters, and this happened twice. [پيدائش باب 19]
3. Sayyiduna Ya‘qubؑ wrapped the skins of goat kids on his hands and lied, and to deceive his father Ishaqؑ, called himself Esau. [پيدائش باب 27]
4. Shechem, son of Hamor, committed adultery with Sayyiduna Ya‘qubؑ’s daughter Dinah, and the sons of Ya‘qub deceived him, saying, “If you and all your people are circumcised, we will marry Dinah to you.” So they did so, and these sons of the prophet, finding an opportunity, mercilessly killed him and all his innocent people, looted their wealth and possessions, and enslaved their wives and children. But Sayyiduna Ya‘qub did not forbid them, nor did he even show his displeasure at this disgraceful act. [پيدائش باب 34]
5. At the request of the Israelites, in the absence of Musaؑ, Harunؑ made an idol from jewelry and made all the Israelites worship it and ordered sacrifices for it. [كتاب خروج باب 32]
6. Sayyiduna Dawudؑ climbed onto his roof. By chance, he saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, bathing and became infatuated with her. He sent for her and committed adultery with her, as a result of which she became pregnant. Then, through a scheme, he had her husband killed. For this, the prophet Nathan severely rebuked Dawud. [سموئيل كي دوسري كتاب باب 11]
7. Sayyiduna Sulaymanؑ, despite strict prohibition, married Moabite and Ammonite and other idolatrous women. His carnal desires became so excessive that he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and then became so enamored and subservient to women that he became involved in idol worship and the construction of idol houses, and at the end of his life, even bade farewell to faith. [كتاب اول سلاطين باب 11]
8. It is proven from the Quran that the Jews, instead of teaching and studying the divine book, became wholly absorbed in magic and spells. The worst part was that they considered Sayyiduna Sulaymanؑ a great magician and believed that his kingdom and rise were due to magic, and this detail has already been mentioned in the footnote to verse 102 of Surah al-Baqarah.
9. The vile language used by the Jews regarding Sayyiduna ‘Isa and Lady Maryam the Truthful is not even appropriate to mention, and the Christians themselves admit these things. The Jews also said that according to the glad tidings, if ‘Isaؑ were a true prophet, he would not have been killed, whereas he was killed.