سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 164
وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ وَكَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا ﴿164﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, - and to Mûsâ (Moses) Allâh spoke directly.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَرُسُلًۭا
warusulan
And Messengers
قَدْ
qad
surely
قَصَصْنَـٰهُمْ
qaṣaṣnāhum
We (have) mentioned them
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
مِن
min
from
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
وَرُسُلًۭا
warusulan
and Messengers
لَّمْ
lam
not
نَقْصُصْهُمْ
naqṣuṣ'hum
We (have) mentioned them
عَلَيْكَ ۚ
ʿalayka
to you
وَكَلَّمَ
wakallama
And spoke
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
(to) Musa
تَكْلِيمًۭا
taklīman
(in a) conversation
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 164) ➊ {وَ رُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ :} The number of those messengers whose noble names and incidents have been mentioned in the Noble Qur’an is twenty-four (24) or twenty-five (25): Adam, Idris, Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Ayyub, Shu’ayb, Musa, Harun, Yunus, Dawud, Sulayman, Ilyas, Al-Yasa’, Zakariya, Yahya, ‘Isa, Dhul-Kifl (according to most commentators), and Muhammad, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all.
➋ {وَ رُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ:} As for the number of those prophets and messengers whose names have not been mentioned in the Qur’an, Allah Almighty knows best. In one hadith, which is very famous, it is stated as one hundred and twenty-four thousand, and in another hadith, eight thousand, but there is discussion regarding these hadiths.
➌ {وَ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ مُوْسٰى تَكْلِيْمًا:} That is, Allah Almighty granted Musa (Moses) the honor of direct speech, which was not given to anyone else. See also Surah Al-Baqarah (2:253). Then, if this honor of Musa (Moses) does not become a cause of reproach for other prophets, how can the one-time revelation of the Torah be a cause of reproach for other prophets? (Razi)
➍ From this verse, it is also established that Allah speaks. Those who, being influenced by Greek philosophy, deny the speech of Allah Almighty—what answer will they give on the Day of Judgment to those verses and hadiths in which the speech of Allah Almighty is mentioned in clear words? These servants of Allah have made Allah, in their view, even more incapable than a human, i.e., mute, and consider this to be a virtue of Allah Almighty. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, used to demand from such people to show anywhere in the Qur’an or hadith that the Qur’an is not the speech of Allah but rather a creation, but neither at that time could their opponents show this, nor can anyone show it now.
➋ {وَ رُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ:} As for the number of those prophets and messengers whose names have not been mentioned in the Qur’an, Allah Almighty knows best. In one hadith, which is very famous, it is stated as one hundred and twenty-four thousand, and in another hadith, eight thousand, but there is discussion regarding these hadiths.
➌ {وَ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ مُوْسٰى تَكْلِيْمًا:} That is, Allah Almighty granted Musa (Moses) the honor of direct speech, which was not given to anyone else. See also Surah Al-Baqarah (2:253). Then, if this honor of Musa (Moses) does not become a cause of reproach for other prophets, how can the one-time revelation of the Torah be a cause of reproach for other prophets? (Razi)
➍ From this verse, it is also established that Allah speaks. Those who, being influenced by Greek philosophy, deny the speech of Allah Almighty—what answer will they give on the Day of Judgment to those verses and hadiths in which the speech of Allah Almighty is mentioned in clear words? These servants of Allah have made Allah, in their view, even more incapable than a human, i.e., mute, and consider this to be a virtue of Allah Almighty. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, used to demand from such people to show anywhere in the Qur’an or hadith that the Qur’an is not the speech of Allah but rather a creation, but neither at that time could their opponents show this, nor can anyone show it now.
