Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 253
| ۞ تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ |
| Transliteration | : | tilka ar- rusul fad.d.alnaa bacd. -hum calaa bacd. min -hum man kallama 'allaah wa- rafaca bacd. -hum darajaat wa- 'aataynaa cesaa ibn maryam al- bayyinaat wa- 'ayyadnaa -hu bi- roh. al- qudus wa- law shaa'a 'allaah maa iqtatala 'alladhena min bacda -hum min bacdi maa jaa'at -hum al- bayyinaat wa- laakin ikhtalafo fa- min -hum man 'aamana wa- min -hum man kafara wa- law shaa'a 'allaah maa iqtatalo wa- laakin 'allaah yafcal maa yured |
| Pickthall | : | Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit. And if Allah had so willed it, those who followed after them would not have fought one with another after the clear proofs had come unto them. But they differed, some of them believing and some disbelieving. And if Allah had so willed it, they would not have fought one with another; but Allah doeth what He will. |
| Asad | : | Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others: among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher.243 And We vouchsafed unto Jesus, the son of Mary, all evidence of the truth, and strengthened him with holy inspiration.244 And if God had so willed, they who succeeded those [apostles] would not have contended with one another after all evidence of the truth had come to them; but [as it was,] they did take to divergent views, and some of them attained to faith, while some of them came to deny the truth. Yet if God had so willed, they would not have contended with one another: but God does whatever He wills.245 |
| Malik | : | JUZ : 3 These are the Rasools (which We have sent for the guidance of mankind). We have exalted some above others. To some Allah spoke directly; others He raised high in ranks; to Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryem (Mary) We gave clear Signs and supported him with the Holy Spirit. If Allah wished the people who received the clear signs would not have fought against each other; but they disputed as a result, there were some who believed while others rejected. Yet If Allah wanted, they would not have fought each other; but Allah does what He intends. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Those apostles We endowed with gifts some above others: to one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honor); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. If Allah had so willed succeeding generations would not have fought among each other after clear (Signs) had come to them but they (chose) to wrangle some believing and others rejecting. If Allah had so willed they would not have fought each other; but Allah fulfilleth His plan. 289 290 291 292 293 |
Note - 243This appears to be an allusion to Muhammad inasmuch as he
was the Last Prophet and the bearer of a universal
message applicable to all people and to all times. By
"such as were spoken to by God" Moses is meant (see the
last sentence of 4:164).
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Note - 244The mention, in this context, of Jesus by name is
intended to stress the fact of his having been a prophet,
and to refute the claims of those who deify him. For an
explanation of the term ruh al-qudus (rendered by me as
"holy inspiration"), (see note [71] on verse {87} of this
surah).
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Note - 245Once again - as in verse {213} above - the Qur'an alludes
to the inevitability of dissension among human beings: in
other words, it is the will of God that their way to the
truth should be marked by conflicts and trial by error.
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Note - 289Different gifts and different modes of procedure are
prescribed to God's Apostles in different ages, and
perhaps their degrees are different though it is not for
us mortals, with our imperfect knowledge to make any
difference between one and another of God's Apostles (ii.
136). As this winds up the argument about fighting,
three illustrations are given from the past, how it
affected God's Messengers. To Moses God spoke in clouds
of glory; he led his men for forty years through the
wilderness, mainly fighting against the unbelief of his
own people; he organised them to fight with the sword for
Palestine, but was raised to God's mercy before his
enterprise ripened, and it fell to Joshua to carry out
his plan. David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen
by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior of his time,
became a king, and waged successful wars, being also a
prophet, a poet, and a musician. Jesus was "strengthened
with the holy spirit": he was given no weapons to fight
and his mission was of a more limited character. In
Muhammad's mission these and other characters were
combined. Gentler than Jesus, he organised on a vaster
scale than Moses and from Medina he ruled and gave laws,
and the Qur-an has a vaster scope than the Psalms of
David.
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Note - 290Moses: see note above.
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Note - 291There is a two-fold sense: they were raised to high posts
of honour, and they rose by degrees. I take the
reference to be to David.
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Note - 292Cf. ii 87. See n. 401 to iii. 62.
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Note - 293If some power of choice was to be given to man, his
selfishness inevitably caused divisions. It must not be
supposed that it frustrates God's Plan. He carries it
out as He will.
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This appears to be an allusion to Muhammad inasmuch as he was the Last Prophet and the bearer of a universal message applicable to all people and to all times. By "such as were spoken to by God" Moses is meant (see the last sentence of 4:164). |
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The mention, in this context, of Jesus by name is intended to stress the fact of his having been a prophet, and to refute the claims of those who deify him. For an explanation of the term ruh al-qudus (rendered by me as "holy inspiration"), (see note [71] on verse {87} of this surah). |
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Different gifts and different modes of procedure are prescribed to God's Apostles in different ages, and perhaps their degrees are different though it is not for us mortals, with our imperfect knowledge to make any difference between one and another of God's Apostles (ii. 136). As this winds up the argument about fighting, three illustrations are given from the past, how it affected God's Messengers. To Moses God spoke in clouds of glory; he led his men for forty years through the wilderness, mainly fighting against the unbelief of his own people; he organised them to fight with the sword for Palestine, but was raised to God's mercy before his enterprise ripened, and it fell to Joshua to carry out his plan. David, though a mere shepherd boy, was chosen by God. He overthrew the greatest warrior of his time, became a king, and waged successful wars, being also a prophet, a poet, and a musician. Jesus was "strengthened with the holy spirit": he was given no weapons to fight and his mission was of a more limited character. In Muhammad's mission these and other characters were combined. Gentler than Jesus, he organised on a vaster scale than Moses and from Medina he ruled and gave laws, and the Qur-an has a vaster scope than the Psalms of David. |
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There is a two-fold sense: they were raised to high posts of honour, and they rose by degrees. I take the reference to be to David. |
