2:87

وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَقَفَّيۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ بِٱلرُّسُلِۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَا عِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَيَّدۡنَٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِۗ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولُۢ بِمَا لَا تَهۡوَىٰٓ أَنفُسُكُمُ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرۡتُمۡ فَفَرِيقٗا كَذَّبۡتُمۡ وَفَرِيقٗا تَقۡتُلُونَ

Walaqad atayna moosa alkitaba waqaffayna min baAAdihi bialrrusuli waatayna AAeesa ibna maryama albayyinati waayyadnahu biroohi alqudusi afakullama jaakum rasoolun bima la tahwa anfusukumu istakbartum fafareeqan kaththabtum wafareeqan taqtuloona

And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd indeed
  2. ءَاتَيۡنَاWe gave
  3. مُوسَىMusa
  4. ٱلۡكِتَٰبَthe Book
  5. وَقَفَّيۡنَاand We followed up
  6. مِنۢfrom
  7. بَعۡدِهِۦafter him
  8. بِٱلرُّسُلِۖwith [the] Messengers
  9. وَءَاتَيۡنَاAnd We gave
  10. عِيسَىIsa
  11. ٱبۡنَ(the) son
  12. مَرۡيَمَ(of) Maryam
  13. ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ[the] clear signs
  14. وَأَيَّدۡنَٰهُand We supported him
  15. بِرُوحِ(with)
  16. ٱلۡقُدُسِۗthe Holy Spirit
  17. أَفَكُلَّمَاIs it (not) so (that) whenever
  18. جَآءَكُمۡcame to you
  19. رَسُولُۢa Messenger
  20. بِمَاwith what
  21. لَا(does) not
  22. تَهۡوَىٰٓdesire
  23. أَنفُسُكُمُyourselves
  24. ٱسۡتَكۡبَرۡتُمۡyou acted arrogantly
  25. فَفَرِيقٗاSo a party
  26. كَذَّبۡتُمۡyou denied
  27. وَفَرِيقٗاand a party
  28. تَقۡتُلُونَyou kill (ed)
Al-Baqarah · 2:87Madinah

Whenever a messenger said what they did not want, they grew arrogant.

When truth collides with desire


A line of messengers
Musagiven the Torah
messengers after himone after another
Isa son of Maryamclear signs, Jibril
met with
denial and killing
The real reason
the proof was weak
it was not what they wanted

Allah gave Musa the Torah, then sent messengers after him, then Isa with clear signs, supported by the Holy Spirit, which Ibn Masud and others said is Jibril. Ibn Kathir: the messengers commanded what went against their desires, so they denied some and killed others.

A friend tells you, gently, that you are wrong about something. A doctor says what you do not want to hear. Your child points out your temper. The urge is to attack the messenger. The real question is whether it is true.

I reject it because it is not convincing.

Often I reject it because it is inconvenient, not because it is false.

Try this

Recall the last hard truth someone told you. Consider it again without defending yourself.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed, We gave Musa the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave 'Isa, the son of Maryam, clear signs and supported him with Ruh-il-Qudus. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you killed (87)

The Arrogance of the Jews who denied and killed Their Prophets

Allah described the insolence of Children of Israel, their rebelliousness, defiance and arrogance towards the Prophets, following their lusts and desires. Allah mentioned that He gave Musa the Book, the Tawrah, and that the Jews changed, distorted, and defied its commands, as well as altered its meanings.

Allah sent Messengers and Prophets after Musa who followed his law, as Allah stated,

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ

(Verily, We did reveal the Tawrah (to Musa), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests (too judged for the Jews by the Tawrah after those Prophets), for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto)(5:44). This is why Allah said here,

وَقَفَّيْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ

(And Qaffayna him with Messengers).

As-Suddi said that Abu Malik said that Qaffayna means, "Succeeded", while others said, "Followed". Both meanings are plausible, since Allah said,

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَىٰ

(Then We sent Our Messengers in succession)(23:44).

Thereafter, Allah sent the last Prophet among the Children of Israel, 'Isa the son of Mary, who was sent with some laws that differed with some in the Tawrah. This is why Allah also sent miracles to support 'Isa. These included bringing the dead back to life, forming the shape of birds from clay and blowing into them, afterwhich they became living birds by Allah's leave, healing the sick and foretelling the Unseen, as Ibn 'Abbas stated. Allah also aided him with Ruh Al-Qudus, and that refers to Jibril. All of these signs testified to the truthfulness of 'Isa and what he was sent with. Yet, the Children of Israel became more defiant and envious of him and did not want to differ with even one part of the Tawrah, as Allah said about 'Isa,

وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ 

(And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord)(3:50).

Hence, the Children of Israel treated the Prophets in the worst manner, rejecting some of them and killing some of them. All of this occurred because the Prophets used to command the Jews with what differed from their desires and opinions. The Prophets also upheld the rulings of the Tawrah that the Jews had changed, and this is why it was difficult for them to believe in these Prophets. Therefore, they rejected the Prophets and killed some of them. Allah said,

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not,you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you kill).

Jibril is Ruh Al-Qudus

The proof that Jibril is the Ruh Al-Qudus is the statement of Ibn Mas'ud in explanation of this Ayah. This is also the view of Ibn 'Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka'b, Isma'il bin Khalid, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi and Qatadah. Additionally, Allah said,

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ - عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

(Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down. Upon your heart (O Muhammad ﷺ) that you may be (one) of the warners)(26:193-194).

Al-Bukhari recorded 'A'ishah saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ erected a Minbar in the Masjid on which Hassan bin Thabit (the renowned poet) used to defend the Messenger of Allah (with his poems). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

اللَّهُمَّ أَيِّدْ حَسَّانَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ كَمَا نَافَحَ عَنْ نَبِيِّكَ

(O Allah! Aid Hassan with Ruh Al-Qudus, for he defended Your Prophet.)

Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith in his Sunan as did At-Tirmidhi who graded it Hasan Sahih. Further, Ibn Hibban recorded in his Sahih that Ibn Mas'ud said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّ رُوحَ الْقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّهُ لَنْ تَمُوتَ نَفْسٌ حَتَّى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا وَأَجَلَهَا، فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ

(Ruh Al-Qudus informed me that no soul shall die until it finishes its set provisions and term limit. Therefore, have Taqwa of Allah and seek your sustenance in the most suitable way.)

The Jews tried to kill the Prophet (ﷺ)

Az-Zamakhshari commented on Allah's statement,

فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ

(Some you disbelieved and some you kill), "Allah did not say 'killed' here, because the Jews would still try to kill the Prophet in the future, using poison and magic." During the illness that preceded his death, the Prophet ﷺ said,

مَا زَالَتْ أَكْلَةُ خَيْبَرَ تُعَاوِدُنِي، فَهذَا أَوَانُ انْقِطَاعِ أَبْهَرِي

(I kept feeling the effect of what I ate (from the poisoned sheep) during the day of Khaybar, until now, when it is the time that the aorta will be cut off (meaning when death is near).)

This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari and others