Allah, the Exalted, says that these Prophets (were favored), but this does
not mean only these Prophets who were mentioned in this Surah. Rather, it is
referring to all of those who were Prophets. Allah merely changes the
implication of the discussion from specific individuals to the entire group of
Prophets.
[الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ
اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءادَمَ]
(they unto whom Allah bestowed His grace from among the Prophets, of the
offspring of Adam.) As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir both said, "That which is meant by
the offspring of Adam is Idris, and what is meant by the offspring of those
`whom We carried with Nuh' is Ibrahim, and what is meant by the offspring of
Ibrahim is Ishaq, Ya`qub and Isma`il, and what is meant by the offspring of
Isra`il is Musa, Harun, Zakariyya, Yayha and `Isa bin Maryam.'' Ibn Jarir said,
"And that is the distinction of their genealogies, even though Adam gathers all
of them (as their original father). This is because among them is he who was not
a descendant of those who were on the ship with Nuh, and he that is Idris. For
verily, he was the grandfather of Nuh.'' I say that this is the most apparent
meaning, which concludes that Idris is amongst the pillars of Nuh's ancestral
lineage. The view that this Ayah refers to the ancestral lineage of the
Prophets, is the fact that it is similar to Allah's statement in Surah Al-An`am,
[وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ
ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ إِنَّ
رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ - وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ كُلاًّ
هَدَيْنَا وَنُوحاً هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ
وَسُلَيْمَـنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى
الْمُحْسِنِينَ - وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِّنَ
الصَّـلِحِينَ - وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطاً وَكُلاًّ
فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَمِنْ ءابَائِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـتِهِمْ
وَإِخْوَنِهِمْ وَاجْتَبَيْنَـهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
]
(And that was our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people. We raise
whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. And We
bestowed upon him Ishaq and Ya`qub, each of them We guided; and before him We
guided Nuh, and among his progeny Dawud, Sulayman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa and Harun.
Thus do We reward the doers of good. And Zakariyya, and Yahya, and `Isa and
Ilyas, each one of them was of the righteous. And Isma`il and Al-Yasa` and Yunus
and Lut and each one of them We preferred above the `Alamin. And also some of
their fathers and their progeny and their brethern, We chose them, and We guided
them to the straight path.)[6:83-87] Until Allah's statement,
[أُوْلَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ]
(They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance.) [6: 90]
Allah, the Exalted, says,
[مِنْهُم مَّن
قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ]
(Of some of them We have related to you their story. And of some We have not
related to you their story.) [40:78] In Sahih Al-Bukhari it is reported from
Mujahid that he asked Ibn `Abbas, "Is there a prostration in Surah Sad'' Ibn
`Abbas replied, "Yes.'' Then he recited,
[أُوْلَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ]
(They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance.) [6:90] Ibn
`Abbas then said, "So your Prophet is one of those who have been commanded to
follow them. And he is of those who should be followed.'' -- referring to Dawud.
Allah, the Exalted, said in this noble Ayah,
[إِذَا تُتْلَى
عَلَيْهِمْ ءايَـتُ الرَّحْمَـنِ خَرُّواْ سُجَّداً وَبُكِيّاً]
(When the Ayah of the Most Gracious were recited unto them, they fell down
prostrate and weeping.) This means that when they heard the Words of Allah,
mentioning His proofs and evidences, they prostrated to their Lord in humility,
humbleness, praise and thanks for the great favors they were blessed with. The
word Bukiyan at the end of the Ayah means those who are crying, and it is the
plural of Baki. Due to this the scholars agree that it is legislated to
prostrate upon reading this Ayah, in following them and adhering to their manner
of worship.
[فَخَلَفَ مِن
بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُواْ الصَّلَـوةَ وَاتَّبَعُواْ الشَّهَوَتِ فَسَوْفَ
يَلْقُونَ غَيّاً - إِلاَّ مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَأُوْلَـئِكَ
يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ شَيْئاً ]
(59. Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have lost the Salah and
have followed lusts. So they will meet Ghaiy.) (60. Except those who repent and
believe, and work righteousness. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be
wronged in aught.)