And when there was a mention of many messengers in this surah, and he concluded these verses by stating that he ﷺ is one of them, the soul yearned to know their conditions in virtue. Are they equal in it or are they distinguished? So he indicated the high status of all in his saying: ﴿Those are the messengers﴾ with the tool of distance, informing of the distance of their ranks and the elevation of their stations, and that they are in a place that cannot be attained and a rank that cannot be aspired to. Al-Harali made the expression with 'those' which is a feminine indicator, rather than 'those' which is a masculine indicator, as a prelude and indication of what will be mentioned later regarding the differences among the nations after their prophets. He said: The grammarians say it is an indication of the group of the feminine, and it is in Arabic for a second group in rank, because the feminine takes the second from the primary that corresponds to it in meaning and counters it in approach. He said: And from the tongue of the Arabs and the indication of the establishment of its words, that the meaning whenever it is intended to be elevated is released from the sign of the second in rank and its indication. And whenever it is intended to be lowered, it is constrained by the sign of the second and its indication. Then he said: So within this indication for those who are discerning, there is a hint at what the verse contains of the news descending from the rank of stability and permanence to the rank of difference and interruption. Just as when the mention was occurring in a place of elevation in the verse of Al-An'am, it was said: ﴿Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance﴾ [Al-An'am: 90]. And when the matter of difference and interruption is not surprising in a place of deficiency and complication, it prepared this occurrence after the messengers by stating that it is not from that and that it is from the occurrence after the manifestation of preference and the conveying of clear signs for what He wills of His matter. Then he followed this indication with a statement of it or by resuming his saying: ﴿We have preferred some of them over others﴾ meaning by specifying with merits that have not been gathered for others after we have preferred all with the message.

And when most of the Surah is about the Children of Israel, and most of that is about the followers of Musa, blessings and peace be upon him, it began by describing him and then mentioned 'Isa, blessings and peace be upon him, because he is the abrogator of his Shari'ah and the last of their prophets. He said, clarifying what was summarized of that preference, beginning with the degree of speech, for it is among the greatest degrees, directing the saying to the manifestation of the essence with all of its attributes, for it is more fitting for the comprehensive speech. "Among them are those whom Allah spoke to," meaning without an intermediary, due to His majesty, like Musa, Muhammad, and Adam, blessings be upon them. "And He raised some of them," and he means Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, over others. Among the benefits of the ambiguity is the inference by the evidence so that it is clearer and more deserving of preservation. That inference can be said to indicate that He, glorified and exalted is He, has encompassed them with preference by the message first, then clarified that He preferred some of them over others. All of that is elevation; if this were merely an elevation, it would be repetition, so it must be understood that it is an elevation above them. And He omitted the superiority here as an honor for the messengers, contrary to what is in Az-Zukhruf. He said, specifying some of what the preference necessitated: "Degrees," meaning great ones by the general call and the remaining miracles; and the many followers over long periods of time, without alteration or distortion, and by abrogating his Shari'ah for all Shari'ahs, and by being a mercy to the worlds, and his nation being the best nation brought forth for mankind, and by being the seal of the prophets whom He, glorified and exalted is He, sent at the time of difference, as bearers of good news and warners, and He sent down with them the Book, so there is no prophet after him who abrogates his Shari'ah. Rather, the prophet who abrogates the Shari'ah of Musa, blessings and peace be upon him, comes affirming his Shari'ah, renewing what has been forgotten of it, as was the case with the prophets of the Children of Israel who were between him and Musa, blessings and peace be upon them. And when a person’s virtue cannot be discerned except by his effects, and the signs of Musa and 'Isa, blessings and peace be upon them, were more than the signs of those who preceded them, He specified them for mention as a reference to that. Thus, there was a manifestation of the virtue of our prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, for there is no comparison between what any of the prophets were given and what he was given. And his ambiguity indicates that from the perspective that it is a reference to the ambiguity in appearance and clarity as his mention, for what is described by it does not turn away except to him.

And when the people were standing with the senses except for the rare individual, and there was for 'Isa blessings and peace be upon him from the repetition of the tangible signs, such as bringing the dead to life and healing, what was not for anyone else. And with that, most of them turned back after his ascension, blessings and peace be upon him. He means by saying this to direct the words to the manifestation of greatness as a warning to those who disbelieved after they saw or heard those great signs: ﴿And We gave﴾ with what we have of greatness by the ability over everything of creation and formation as we will, and besides that, ﴿'Isa﴾ and he attributed him to his mother as an indication that he has no father. He said: ﴿the son of Mary﴾ meaning the one whom We created from her without the intermediary of a male at all. ﴿The clear signs﴾ from bringing the dead to life and others. Al-Harali said: And the clear sign is what its proof appears in nature, knowledge, and reason, such that there is no escape from witnessing its existence. And that is in what Allah, glorified and exalted is He, manifested through him from bringing the dead to life and death, which is among the highest signs of Allah. For indeed, everything that appears in creation and descends in command is from the signs of Allah. What was closer to what Allah, exalted is He, has chosen for Himself is higher and more magnificent, and what was among what occurs through His creation is more concealed and obscure except for those whom Allah has alerted their hearts for insight in it. ﴿And We supported him﴾ meaning with our overwhelming greatness ﴿with the Spirit of Holiness﴾ in informing him of the mention of what He, exalted is He, made between him and 'Isa, blessings and peace be upon him, in his being. Thus, his actions flowed through the intermediary of the Spirit as He, glorified and exalted is He, said: ﴿So We sent to her Our Spirit﴾ [Mary: 17]. Thus was his action with his support; and in that, there is a preliminary comparison between him and Musa, blessings and peace be upon them, where the affair of Musa was from the beginning of the matter of speaking, which is the ultimate removal of the intermediary. And the affair of 'Isa, blessings and peace be upon him, was from the beginning of the matter of bringing to life, which is the ultimate action of the doers. This has ended.

Mention of something from the Gospel of his clear signs, wisdom, and verses.

Matthew said: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt becomes unsalty, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled by people.

And Luqa said: Good is the salt, for if it becomes corrupt, with what will it be salted! It is not fit for the earth nor for the dung heap, but outside. Whoever has two ears to hear, let him hear. And Matta said: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but they put it on a stand and it gives light to all who are in the house. So let your light shine before people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. I tell you that heaven and earth will pass away, but one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Then he said: And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven! Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. And Marqus said: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. And Matta said: For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. And Luqa said: And He was praying in a certain place. When He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. So He said to them: When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven! Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Then He said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'? And he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you.' I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

{"translation": "And Matthew said: And when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, for they make their faces gloomy and change them to show the people their fasting. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. And when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that it does not appear to the people that you are fasting. And Luke said: Which of you has a servant who plows or tends sheep? When he comes in from the field, does he say to him at once: Come and sit down? Or does he not say to him: Prepare something for me to eat and gird yourself and serve me until I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink? Is that servant to be thanked because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done everything that you were commanded, say: We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty. And he also said: And one of the crowd said to him: Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him: Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you? And he said to them: Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable, saying: The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself: What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said: I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him: Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. And Matthew said: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. And Luke said: Sell your possessions and give to the needy; provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. And Matthew said: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he

{"translation": "And in your eye is a plank, O hypocrite! First remove the plank from your eye, and then you will see to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Do not give the sacred to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces. (p-16) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! And whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.\n\nLuke said: And the passing away of heaven and earth is easier than one letter of the Law to fail; and he also said to them a parable: that men ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said: There was a judge in a city who did not fear Allah, glorified and exalted is He, nor regard man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself: Though I do not fear Allah, glorified and exalted is He, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me! Then the Lord, glorified and exalted is He, said: Hear what the unjust judge said. (p-17) And shall not Allah avenge His elect who cry out to Him day and night? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.\n\nAnd Matthew said: Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles

(p-18) And Matthew said: And every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says: O Lord! O Lord! will enter the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of the One who is in the heavens, that is His command. Many will say to Me on that day: O Lord! O Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and perform many miracles in Your name! Then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity.

And Luke said: And one said to Him: O Lord! Few are those who are saved! He said: Strive to enter through the narrow door, for I tell you that many will seek to enter and will not be able. When the master of the house rises and shuts the door, then you will begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying: O Lord! O Lord! Open for us. He will answer: I do not know you, from where you are. And you will say: We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets. But He will say: I do not know you, from where you are. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there.

Matthew said: Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And Luke said: He built a house and dug and laid the foundation on the rock. When the rain descended, the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, it did not fall, for its foundation was solid on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine (p-19) and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. When the rain descended, the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, it fell, and great was its fall. And when Joshua had finished these words, all were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes.

And in it, there is that which is prohibited to be uttered in our law, the term of father and lord, and it will come in the family of 'Imran what will cure the sick in the interpretation of such a thing regarding the confirmation of its correctness. And all that has been reported about the description of the prophets as liars refers to the one who falsely claims prophethood.

And when it has been established that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, sent messengers and revealed with them books, and that they struggled and were touched by hardship and adversity and were shaken until they gathered the people upon the truth, and that their followers differed after the clear proofs had come to them, it is something that directs the soul to question the reason for their differing. So it was clarified that it is His will, glorified and exalted is He, and nothing else, indicating that He is the chosen doer. Thus, the decree was: If Allah, glorified and exalted is He, had willed, He would have made them equal among the messengers in virtue, and if He had willed, He would have made their followers equal in accepting what they brought, so that no two would differ concerning it. However, He did not will that, so they differed concerning it while witnessing the clear proofs. And He turned to His saying as a consolation for His Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, directing the saying to the expression of majesty, indicating that the differing, with the indication of reason, shows that there is no good in it, a witness to the Creator with all the attributes of majesty and beauty. "And if Allah had willed," meaning the One to whom belongs all matters. Al-Harali said: It is a comprehensive Qur'anic word that bears witness to Allah alone and removes from the establishment anything else, it has ended.

"What they fought" means they did not engage in fighting, although it is disliked by souls. "Those after them" refers to their agreement on what they departed from their Prophet regarding guidance. Al-Harali said: He mentioned the fighting that occurs only after the trial of the statement, after the trial of the conditions with grudges and animosities after the loss of safety, after the loss of affection, after the loss of the love that unites the community with their Prophet, it has ended. "After the clear proofs had come to them" means through the hands of their messengers. Al-Harali said: It indicates that the means and causes do not necessitate their effects except by the enforcement of the word of Allah in them. It has ended.

"But they differed" because He, glorified and exalted is He, did not will their agreement upon guidance. "So among them" means that it resulted from their differing that there were among them "some who believed" meaning they remained steadfast on what their Prophet departed from according to what the clear proofs called for, so their belief was this, the true belief, because it is deeper in the matter of the unseen. "And among them were some who disbelieved" straying from it or out of stubbornness.

And when there were among the people some whom Allah had blinded their hearts, so they attributed the actions of the chosen ones among the creation to them independently, Allah, the Exalted, informed that all is by His creation, affirming what has passed from that, reiterating the mention of the greatest name, indicating the greatness of the state in the matter of the fighting, revealing to those who engaged in it in delusion from the most disgraceful traits: "And if Allah had willed," the One who has no equal, "they would not have fought" after their differing in faith and disbelief. And He repeated the greatest name for the sake of emphasizing the greatness of the station. "But Allah," meaning with His majesty and the glory of His perfection, willed their fighting, for He "does what He wills." So they differed and fought by His will, contrary to their natures and what contradicts what they have of knowledge and wisdom.