And when that which was required by the station of Prophethood was completed; and there were among them Messengers; and sometimes a stubborn person would say: "The affair of the Messengers is not like the affair of the Prophets in revelation;" he means by saying - in addition to what you estimate - of the meaning of "We revealed": "We sent whom We willed from those whom We narrated to you here; to whom We willed from the people -: ﴿and Messengers﴾; meaning: other than these; ﴿We have narrated them﴾; meaning: We recited their mention; ﴿to you﴾; and since the narration to him was not exhaustive of the past time; he said: ﴿before﴾; meaning: before the revelation of this verse; ﴿and Messengers We did not narrate to you﴾; meaning: until now. And when the intended meaning was that there is no difference between the Prophet and the Messenger in revelation; he alerted to that by His saying: ﴿And Allah spoke﴾; meaning: He who possesses all perfection; for He does what He wills; there is no command for anyone with Him; ﴿Moses, a speaking﴾; meaning: gradually; little by little; according to the interests; without the intermediary of an angel; so there is no difference in revelation between what was through an intermediary and what was without an intermediary; and the meaning is that if you were only refraining from believing in some of the Prophets for confirmation; to know that He did with him what He did with Moses - blessings and peace be upon him -; of honor; you would not believe in Abraham; and Isaac; and Jacob; and the tribes; and Aaron; and others; for he was specifically honored with speaking over them; so why did you make the coming with what Moses - blessings and peace be upon him - brought a condition for believing in some of the Prophets; without others? And if you made the condition the coming with the Book as a whole from the heavens; claiming that he had that; without the speaking; and other than that; from what was made for him; that would be - on the estimate of submission as a descent - an arbitrary ruling; and a preference without a reason; while the Torah also - as has been previously clarified - is like this Qur'an in its being revealed in stages; according to the events; as indicated by His saying "speaking"; and nothing was written from it as a whole except the two tablets which were placed in the Ark of the Covenant; as some Surahs of the Qur'an were revealed as a whole; like Surah "Al-An'am"; and there is no evidence in the descent of Moses - blessings and peace be upon him - with them from Mount Sinai that they were written as a proof of their descent from the heavens; and much of its texts indicate that; the clearest of which is that He (the Exalted) prohibited them from working on the Sabbath; after their being brought out from the sea; at the time of the descent of the manna - as clarified in the second book of them - and He did not clarify how to deal with the sinner in it except after a long time; as evidenced by what is in the fourth book of it; in the story of the wandering: (And the Children of Israel remained in the wilderness; and they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day; and those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses; and Aaron; and to the whole congregation; and they imprisoned him; because it had not been revealed to Moses how to deal with him; and the Lord said to Moses: This man shall be put to death; he shall be stoned with stones outside the camp; and the whole congregation stoned him with stones; and he died - as the Lord commanded Moses); and among them is that He commanded them - as clarified in the second book - to erect the Tabernacle of meeting to which they would pray; and Moses would hear the words from it; then after a period of time He commanded them - as clarified in the fourth book - to increase in it; and among them is that He wrote for him the tablets on the mountain: the two tablets which he broke in anger from their taking the calf; then two tablets in exchange for them; then when the Tabernacle of meeting was erected; He - glorified and exalted is He - would speak to him from it; and most of their rulings were legislated by the words that were in the Tabernacle of meeting - as is clearly evident in the Torah; and among them is what he said in the last of the fifth book; which is its last: So when Moses completed the writing of the verses of this Torah in the book; and finished it; he commanded the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord; and said to them: Take this book of the laws and put it (in the innermost part of the Ark of the Covenant of your Lord); in a side of its sides; to be there as a witness; for I have known your stubbornness; and the hardness of your hearts; and what you will turn to; and how could that be when you have angered the Lord; while I am alive with you? So after my death it is more likely that you will do that; let the elders of your tribes gather to me; and your scribes; so that I may recite to them these words; and let me bear witness against them the heavens and the earth; for you are corrupting after my death; you are deviating from the path which I command you; a great evil in the last days if you do the wickedness before the Lord; and anger Him with the works of your hands; and Moses - before the congregation of the Children of Israel - said: Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words from my mouth - and he said many words in their condemnation; I will mention it if Allah wills (the Exalted); in "Al-Ma'idah"; at the time of...

﴿Whom Allah has cursed and upon whom He has angered﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 60]; then he said: Allah says: 'Did they anger Me along with the strangers by their idols? And did they anger Me when they slaughtered for the devils?' - and he continued to speak from the words of Allah; which are among the best of the Torah; until he said: 'When Musa completed all these verses for the Children of Israel, he said to them: Come with your hearts to these words; then he said: And the Lord spoke to Musa that day; and said: (p-510) 'Ascend to the mountain of the Hebrews; this is the mountain of Nebo which is in the land of Moab; opposite Jericho; and look at the land of Canaan which has been given to the Children of Israel as an inheritance' - and after that he mentioned a long speech; in all of it for whoever reflects upon it, there is much that is apparent in that; rather it is clear; and in the story of Nuh and Ibrahim - blessings and peace be upon them - there is what is clear that the revelation to them was gradual - as has been mentioned about them in the story of Ibrahim - peace be upon him - in 'Al-Baqarah'; and it will come, if Allah (the Exalted) wills; in the mention of the scholars; in 'Al-A'raf'; and in the story of Nuh - blessings and peace be upon him - in the Surah of 'Hud'; and Allah is the Grantor of success; and He began - glorified is He - in this verse with Nuh - blessings and peace be upon him - the first of those with determination; and the possessors of the laws in existence; and he is among the earliest of the prophets; and his time in antiquity is such that none knows its extent in reality except Allah (the Exalted); then he followed with the second of them in existence; and he is Ibrahim - blessings and peace be upon him -; then he mentioned his children in their order; and the tribes may be intended to mean the children of Yaqub - blessings and peace be upon him - themselves; and their clans; and the meaning then would be: and the prophets of the tribes; and it would be what is utilized in its reality; and its metaphor; and it would encompass all the prophets of the Children of Israel; then he specified some of those who entered from them in general; so he began with the last of them in sending; (p-511) and he is 'Isa - blessings and peace be upon him - who is one of the two prophets of the People of the Two Books; and he concluded the verse with one of the companions of the books from them; and he is his grandfather who is well-known in relation to him; for the Jews say to 'Isa - blessings and peace be upon him -: O son of Dawud; because his mother is in his lineage; and he concluded the verse with the first of the two prophets of the People of the Two Books; Musa - blessings and peace be upon him -; who is the last of the prophets built upon Islam; so he transferred it to those who belong to his followers; and he placed his brother Harun - blessings and peace be upon him - between two of the people of affliction; Ayyub; and Yunus; and two of the people of kings - and one of them is the owner of a book - and they are Sulayman and Dawud; and all of that is an indication that there is no difference in the manner of revelation being gradual to the prophets; whether they are from those who preceded them; or those who followed them; whether they are from the Children of Israel; or from others; and whether among them are those who were given kingship; and those who were not given it; and those who brought a book; and those who did not bring it; and among the subtleties of this arrangement is that the specific ones mentioned in the first verse; after their entry into the general; are eleven names; the tribes are one of them; and the well-known ones with books and scriptures among them are three: Ibrahim; and 'Isa; and Dawud; and each of them occurred sixth to his companion; and it is the count in which the creation was; so perhaps that is an indication that Allah does not like haste; for just as He did not hasten in the creation of the creation; so likewise (p-512) He did not hasten in the sending down of the books by which they are sustained; and their existence; in one go; rather He sent them down gradually; in accordance with their interests; and to establish their foundations; and among the subtleties is that He (the Exalted) began with those mentioned; and concluded with two of the possessors of determination; both of whom perished those who opposed him as one soul through temptation; as a warning to those who mislead the people of Islam with falsehood; claiming that they are followers; and He placed between them and the rest of those named the generality of the prophets and messengers; and perhaps he is the last of the messengers; to be understood that whoever is referred to is a messenger; and because the rank of prophethood is before the rank of messengership; meaning that it is more general than it.

And when he listed the names of those who entered into the generality, he began with the most honorable among them; then with those closest to this noble Prophet; for the closest are those arranged according to the order of existence; indicating that he established by this in revelation the tradition of his forefathers; and their brothers; and their descendants; and Allah knows best.