Allah (swt) continues the topic of His honouring of Prophet Abraham Al-Khalil (PBUH):
(… وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ) (And We gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob …): Allah (swt) blessed him with his sons Isaac and Ishmael. However, why does He say in this verse: (And We gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)?
The answer: This is because, Jacob is the son of Isaac, i.e., Prophet Abraham’s grandson, who from him came the Prophets of the Children of Israel. Most of the Prophets who came after Prophet Abraham were from the lineage of Isaac and not Ishmael. Whereas the Prophet Ishmael was favoured with one Prophet from his lineage, Prophet Muhammad (saws). However, the Prophets who will be mentioned here are all from the lineage of Prophet Jacob the son of Prophet Isaaq.
(… كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا… ) (…all [of them] We guided.…): Isaaq (PBUH) was a Prophet, and so was Jacob (PBUH). However, so that no one would think that guidance was limited only to them and that it began from Prophet Abraham and his sons Isaaq and then Jacob, Allah (swt) says:
(… وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ… ) (…And Noah, We guided before;…): Meaning, from before too, We have sent other Prophets with Our guidance and Our messages, who had in their forefront Prophet Noah (PBUH).
Why did Allah (swt) begin from Prophet Noah (PBUH)?
This is because, all of humanity had almost been destroyed in the flood, save for Prophet Noah (PBUH) and those who had been saved with him. So, they are the ones the Quran speaks of with regards to guidance.
(… وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ… ) (…and among his descendants,…): Are Prophets Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job) , Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron), of the descendants of Prophet Abraham or of Prophet Noah?
The answer: In practice, all of them are of the same lineage, as Prophet Abraham (PBUH) was of the descendants of Prophet Noah (PBUH). However, since linguistically, the pronoun refers to the noun most recently mentioned, it means that in this verse, they are described to be of the descendants of Prophet Noah.
(… دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ… ) (…David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron.…): What convenes all these Prophets?
Prophet Dawud and Sulaiman were kings and in addition to Prophethood, they also had authority and power. Prophet Ayyub went through a great trial and had the utmost patience. Prophet Yusuf had both descriptions; he was trialed but subsequently gained authority, as Allah (swt) tells us regarding his saying:
قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَآئِنِ الأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ
(Joseph proposed, “Put me in charge of the store-houses of the land, for I am truly reliable and adept) (Yusuf: 55)
Prophet Musa and Harun came with the messages, and Prophet Musa (PBUH) had the Torah with him. These Prophets where from the lineage of Prophet Ya’qub (Jacob) (PBUH).
( وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ… ) (…Thus do We reward the doers of good): These Prophets were among the Prophets, who are all among the doers of good who are those who have Ihsan, which is ‘to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, know that He is looking at you’. They have fulfilled the peak of guidance and consistence that Islam enjoins.