Ad-Dukhan 44:32
The Smoke · Juz 25 · Page 497
وَلَقَدِ ٱخۡتَرۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٣٢
And We certainly chose them by knowledge over [all] the worlds.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 44:32
وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ And We chose them, with knowledge above all the worlds. (44:32)," This does not imply that the Children of Israel are superior to the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ ، because the verse means that the Children of Israel were given superiority over all the people of their time. This is just like the Qur'an has described the merit of Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) as being superior to the نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ "women of the worlds (3:42) which means that she was superior to the women of her time." It is also possible that the Children of Israel have some sort of superiority to all the people of all times and ages from a particular angle, but collectively the Ummah of the Final Messenger ﷺ holds the highest status. (See Ibn Kathir and other sources for details.)
عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ "with knowledge" means that every work of Allah has wisdom. Thus wisdom underlying Allah's knowledge dictated that they be granted superiority, and they were granted accordingly.
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44:19
وَأَن لَّا تَعۡلُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۖ إِنِّيٓ ءَاتِيكُم بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ١٩
And [saying], "Be not haughty with Allāh. Indeed, I have come to you with clear evidence.
44:20
وَإِنِّي عُذۡتُ بِرَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمۡ أَن تَرۡجُمُونِ ٢٠
And indeed, I have sought refuge in my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me.1
1 translator’s note
- To death. Or "lest you assault me [with your tongues or harm me otherwise]." ↩
44:21
وَإِن لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ لِي فَٱعۡتَزِلُونِ ٢١
But if you do not believe me, then leave me alone."
44:22
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوۡمٞ مُّجۡرِمُونَ ٢٢
And [finally] he called to his Lord that these were a criminal people.
44:23
فَأَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِي لَيۡلًا إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ ٢٣
[Allāh said], "Then set out with My servants by night. Indeed, you are to be pursued.
44:24
وَٱتۡرُكِ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ رَهۡوًاۖ إِنَّهُمۡ جُندٞ مُّغۡرَقُونَ ٢٤
And leave the sea in stillness.1 Indeed, they are an army to be drowned."
1 translator’s note
- After it has parted, in order that the soldiers of Pharaoh would follow the Children of Israel and be drowned. ↩
44:25
كَمۡ تَرَكُواْ مِن جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٖ ٢٥
How much they left behind of gardens and springs
44:26
وَزُرُوعٖ وَمَقَامٖ كَرِيمٖ ٢٦
And crops and noble sites
44:27
وَنَعۡمَةٖ كَانُواْ فِيهَا فَٰكِهِينَ ٢٧
And comfort wherein they were amused.
44:28
كَذَٰلِكَۖ وَأَوۡرَثۡنَٰهَا قَوۡمًا ءَاخَرِينَ ٢٨
Thus. And We caused to inherit it another people.
44:29
فَمَا بَكَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُنظَرِينَ ٢٩
And the heaven and earth wept not for them, nor were they reprieved.
44:30
وَلَقَدۡ نَجَّيۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡمُهِينِ ٣٠
And We certainly saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment -
44:31
مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَالِيٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ٣١
From Pharaoh. Indeed, he was a haughty one among the transgressors.
44:32
وَلَقَدِ ٱخۡتَرۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٣٢
And We certainly chose them by knowledge over [all] the worlds.
44:33
وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ مَا فِيهِ بَلَٰٓؤٞاْ مُّبِينٌ ٣٣
And We gave them of signs that in which there was a clear trial.
44:34
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَيَقُولُونَ ٣٤
Indeed, these [disbelievers] are saying,
44:35
إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّا مَوۡتَتُنَا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُنشَرِينَ ٣٥
"There is not but our first death, and we will not be resurrected.
44:36
فَأۡتُواْ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٣٦
Then bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
44:37
أَهُمۡ خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ قَوۡمُ تُبَّعٖ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٧
Are they better or the people of Tubbaʿ1 and those before them? We destroyed them, [for] indeed, they were criminals.
1 translator’s note
- The tribe of Saba’. ↩
44:38
وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ ٣٨
And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play.
44:39
مَا خَلَقۡنَٰهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩
We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know.