Answering Questions Through The Holy Qur'an: Are all Prophets of Islam equal? Who is the best Prophet?

Are all Prophets of Islam equal? Who is the best Prophet?

2:285 The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers. "We make no distinction between any of His Messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the destination."

(According to the context, the Believers make no distinction between any of the Messengers in regard to believing in them and obeying them, while Verse 2:253 says that God preferred some of them over others (“Among them were those with whom God spoke” (2:253); Jesus was supported with the Holy Spirit (2:253), etc.), so there is no contradiction between these two Verses, because the duty of the believer is to believe and obey, regardless of the fact that God (not you) preferred some of them over others)(Allah knows best)

2:253 These Messengers, We preferred some of them over others. Among them were those with whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and We supported him with the Holy Spirit. And if Allah had willed, those after them would not have fought each other after clear proofs came to them. But they differed, some of them believed and some denied. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends.

(Verse 2:253 does not say that Believers had any preference in regard to obeying or believing in the Messengers, so it does not contradict Verse 2:285)(Allah knows best)

3:80 And he will not order you to take the Angels, and the Prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you (have become) Muslims?

(The non-Muslims who raised this question, (“are all Prophets of Islam equal?”), they say “Prophets”, while the Verses they mentioned say “Messengers”)(See the link below about the differences between a Messenger and a Prophet)(Allah knows best)

2:136 Say, "We have believed in Allah and what is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the descendants, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And to Him we are submissive."

3:84 Say, "We believed in Allah and what is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the descendants and what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the Prophets from their Lord. We do not make distinction between any of them and to Him we are submissive/Muslims.

6:84 And We bestowed to him Isaac and Jacob, all We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and of his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. And thus We reward the good-doers. 6:85 And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - all (were) of the righteous. 6:86 And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot, and all We preferred over the worlds. 6:87 And from their fathers and their descendants and their brothers - and We chose them and We guided them to a straight path.

(There is no contradiction between Verses 2:253 and 6:84, because, in particular, God preferred some of “these Messengers” over others, but in general, all were preferred over the worlds)(Allah knows best)

4:150 Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and they wish to differentiate between Allah and His Messengers and they say, "We believe in some and we disbelieve in others." And they wish to take a way (in) between that. 4:151 Truly, those - they (are) the disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. 4:152 And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and they do not differentiate between (any) one of them, those - soon He will give them their reward. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

(Some non-Muslims wrongly say that one is preferred over other according to the number of times it is mentioned in the Qur’an Itself. Christians want Jesus to be the best, they say that Jesus is mentioned 25 times, while Muhammad/Ahmad is mentioned 5 times, but the number of times is irrelevant, because, for example, “Pharaoh” is a disbeliever, and he is mentioned 74 times. And Moses is the Prophet mentioned most in the Qur’an: 136 times)(Allah knows best)

63:1 When the hypocrites come to you, they say, "We testify that you are surely the Messenger of Allah." And Allah knows that you are surely His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are surely liars. 63:2 They take their oaths (as) a cover, so they turn away from the Way of Allah. Indeed, evil is what they used to do. 63:3 That is because they believed, then they disbelieved; so their hearts were sealed, so they do not understand.

(In regard to why Muslims only mention one Messenger, “Muhammad”, in “Shahada” (aka “testimony”) - Muhammad is the last Prophet (33:40), and the Qur’an confirms previous Scriptures (3:3), so by testifying that you believe in him, it implies that you believe in all previous Prophets. Anyway, for example, in the case of Christians converting to Islam, sometimes they are asked to mention both, Jesus and Muhammad, in their testimony, which implies that they believe that Jesus is a Messenger of God, so that they do not longer believe that Jesus is God or the son of God)(Allah knows best)

57:19 And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers, they (are) the truthful, and the martyrs (are) with their Lord. For them (is) their reward and their light. But those who disbelieve and deny Our Verses, those (are the) companions (of) the Hellfire.

38:45 And remember Our slaves Ibrahim/(Abraham), and Ishaq/(Isaac), and Yaqoob/(Jacob), (the) possessors (of) strength and vision. 38:46 Indeed, We [We] chose them for an exclusive (quality); remembrance (of) the Home. 38:47 And indeed, they (are) to Us, from the chosen ones, the best. 38:48 And remember Ishmael and Elisha and Dhul-kifl, and all are from the best.