Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2411
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, "By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, "By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!" At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will. be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) has also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke."

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ قَزَعَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ اسْتَبَّ رَجُلاَنِ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، قَالَ الْمُسْلِمُ وَالَّذِي اصْطَفَى مُحَمَّدًا عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ، فَقَالَ الْيَهُودِيُّ وَالَّذِي اصْطَفَى مُوسَى عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ‏.‏ فَرَفَعَ الْمُسْلِمُ يَدَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَطَمَ وَجْهَ الْيَهُودِيِّ، فَذَهَبَ الْيَهُودِيُّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ وَأَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِ، فَدَعَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمُسْلِمَ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ لاَ تُخَيِّرُونِي عَلَى مُوسَى، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصْعَقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَأَصْعَقُ مَعَهُمْ، فَأَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يُفِيقُ، فَإِذَا مُوسَى بَاطِشٌ جَانِبَ الْعَرْشِ، فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَكَانَ فِيمَنْ صَعِقَ فَأَفَاقَ قَبْلِي، أَوْ كَانَ مِمَّنِ اسْتَثْنَى اللَّهُ ‏

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References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 44, Hadith 2
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 41, Hadith 594 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Giving preference to any of the Prophets of Allah over the others is exclusive to Allah, Exalted is He. No human being should give preference to any of the Prophets over the others without knowledge, or following his personal whims. Rather, the only allowable preference in this context is what is stated in the Quran and clarified in the Prophet’s sayings. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree.} [Quran 2:253]. In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that a Muslim man and a Jewish one quarreled and verbally abused one another. The Muslim man said, "By Him Who favored Muhammad ﷺ and gave him superiority over all people!” The Jewish man said, "By Him Who favored Moosaa and gave him superiority over all people!" At that, the Muslim slapped the Jew on the face, for his lie, based on his understanding of the general indication of the word ‘people’ to include Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as well (i.e., he understood that the Jewish man’s statement meant that Moosaa was given superiority over the Prophet ﷺ). It is established for a Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ is the best of all the Prophets of Allah! The Jew went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim person. The Prophet ﷺ sent for the Muslim and asked him about it, and he informed the Prophet ﷺ of the event. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not give me superiority over Moosaa;” meaning do not favor me over Moosaa in a way that leads to undermining his lofty status or leads to disputes and dissension. The Prophet ﷺ disliked favoring him over other Prophets of Allah out of his humbleness and to avoid potential disputes that would pave the way for Satan to sow seeds of discord among people. Thereafter, he ﷺ underlined the lofty status of Prophet Moosaa and stated that all people, including himself, will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, with the first blow of the Trumpet. He ﷺ will be the first to be resurrected with the second blow, and will see Prophet Moosaa standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah) with his hand. He ﷺ added: “I will not know whether Moosaa has also fallen unconscious and got up before me,” and this would be one of the evident merits of Prophet Moosaa, “or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills.} [Quran 39:68]. This would mean that Prophet Moosaa will be exempted from losing consciousness in that incident and it would be another virtue. The Throne of Allah, Exalted is He, is Allah's (First and) Greatest Creation; it has pillars and is carried by angels. Allah, Exalted is He, Rose above the Throne (in a manner that befits Him); He Says (what means): {The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.} [Quran 20:5]. It is noteworthy that the attributes of ʻUluww (highness) of Allah as well as His Istiwaa' (establishment) over the Throne are among the Attributes of His Actions, which relate to the Will of Allah and whose instances recur according to His will. None but Him knows how these attributes are (i.e., the manner in which Allah’s Attributes take form and their essence are only known to Him). Whatever occurs to one’s mind with regard to His Attributes, Allah, Exalted is He, isentirely different and far above it. The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Prophet Mossaa..
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