Quran Garden

Session 271

Chapter 2

Verse 253

Those are the messengers - We preferred some above others. God spoke to some; others He raised many degrees in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will. (Chapter 2: Verse 253)

A Messenger is the one who is charged with delivering a message.  The message is speech that has a specific goal.  God used the plural ‘Those Messengers’ to alert you that no matter how many different prophets and messengers were sent, they were all from One God carrying the same core message.  

Allah is reminding our beloved Prophet Muhammad of the prophets and messengers who are mentioned in the Quran.  Earlier verses in this chapter spoke of Adam, Abraham, Ishmael, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all).  Take note that this reminder comes right after the verse that said to Muhammad:  

These are the revelations of God which We recite to you with the truth, and you indeed are one of the messengers.  (2:252)

So our beloved Prophet Muhammad belongs to a long procession of prophets and messengers.  But there is a distinction between the prophets: Each has his status and degree in virtue.  They are all messengers of God, but the Almighty has preferred some over others.  

What is preference? Preference is to distinguish someone.  Some people claim that this amounts to "favoritism."  We answer that you must understand that there is a difference between preference and favoritism.  Favoritism is a result of personal desire and whim, while preference is based on knowledge and wisdom.  Let’s clarify the difference with an example.  Say that you had to choose a person to be your store manager.  First, you would list the qualifications of the ideal candidate for this important job.  Second, you would look through the applicants’ resumes, and choose a number of applicants that meet your criteria.  Lastly, you would interview the short list of candidates, and use your knowledge and wisdom to pick the best person for the position.  This is preference.  But if you choose a person to manage the store because he is your cousin –although he is not the best applicant- then you are following your whim, and that is favoritism.

Here is another example, say that you own a speedboat.  Then, you and your son went for a ride with a sailor in charge of driving the boat.  A few minutes into the trip, your son wanted to drive the boat, so he sat in the driver’s seat.  Suddenly, you spot a big wave coming your way.  You would rush to pull your child from the driver’s seat and ask the sailor to take over.  You would do this even if your child is crying and insisting that he wants to drive.  Does this mean that you are favoring the driver? Of course not; had it been favoritism, you would allow your son to keep driving, but you preferred the sailor out of wisdom because he has the special skills needed to navigate the rough sea. 

This brings us back to the verse.  All of God’s actions are actions of flawless wisdom and complete knowledge.  God has no whim, desire, nor does He look for personal benefit.  We are all God’s creation, and we are all the same to Him.  Thus, when He Almighty grants someone a bounty or a virtue, it is through His wisdom.

God says: ‘Those are the messengers - We preferred some above others. God spoke to some; others He raised many degrees in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.’  When you hear the phrase ‘God spoke to some,’ Moses, peace be upon him, comes to mind.  He was blessed with the amazing honor of speaking with Allah.  Some people imagine that God’s speech is a voice that requires vocal cords and so on.  We answer: No, you should not measure God against your knowledge.  Always take matters concerning God within the context of "there is nothing whatever like Him." We take every description of God exactly how He intended it, and we do not attribute it to our understanding, or compare it to our attributes as humans. 

God also mentions the virtues He blessed Prophet Jesus with: ‘We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.’  Whenever Prophet Jesus is mentioned in the Quran, Allah reaffirms that he was supported with the Holy Spirit, the Archangel Gabriel.  This is because of the great challenges Jesus faced from day one.  God says:

She pointed at him. They said, ‘How can we converse with an infant?’ He said: ‘I am a servant of God. He has granted me the Scripture; made me a prophet; made me blessed wherever I may be. He commanded me to pray, to give alms as long as I live, to cherish my mother. He did not make me domineering or graceless. Peace was on me the day I was born and will be on me the day I die, and the day I am raised to life again.’ (19:29,33)

From the day Jesus was born, he and his mother faced accusations and hostilities.  Prophet Jesus was sent to a people who were immersed in materialism.  Their hearts were far from spirituality, and they did not believe in the unseen.  Such people necessitated a messenger whose entire life revolved around the unseen in order to turn their hearts and minds to the Lord.  

He, unlike any other human being, was born to a mother and no father.  God Almighty kept the Holy Spirit in his company at all times for protection and support.  The challenges continued until his enemies conspired to capture and kill him.  It was through the archangel Gabriel that Jesus, peace be upon him, was rescued and raised to the heavens.  God says:

and because they disbelieved and uttered a terrible slander against Mary, and said, ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only doubt: they certainly did not kill him- God raised him up to Himself. God is almighty and wise.

(4:156-158)