Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:55

"And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth..."

This is a rebuttal to the people of Mecca regarding their denial and dismissal of the idea that the orphan of Abu Talib could be a prophet, or that the destitute and hungry—such as Suhayb, Bilal, Khabbab, and others—could be his companions, rather than their own elite and tribal leaders. It means: Your Lord is most knowing of those in the heavens and the earth, their conditions, their worth, and what each of them deserves.

"And We have favored some of the prophets over others..."

This is an allusion to the superiority of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

"And We gave David the Zabur (Psalms)."

This indicates the nature of his (the Prophet's) superiority, which is that he is the Seal of the Prophets and his nation is the best of nations. This is written in the Zabur of David. Allah the Almighty says: "And We have written in the Zabur after the Reminder that the land will be inherited by My righteous servants" (Al-Anbiya: 105), and they are Muhammad and his nation.

If you ask: Why was the word Zabur not defined with the definite article (al-) here, as it was in the verse "And We have written in the Zabur" (Al-Anbiya: 105)?

I say: It is possible that Zabur and al-Zabur are like Abbas and al-Abbas, or Fadl and al-Fadl. It may also mean: "We gave David some of the Zubur," which are the scriptures. Or, it may mean that which was mentioned in the Zabur regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and it was called Zabur because it is a portion of the Zabur, just as a portion of the Quran is called "Quran."

"Say, 'Call upon those you have claimed besides Him, for they do not possess the power to remove adversity from you or to change it.' Those whom they invoke seek a means of access to their Lord, [striving] as to which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever something to be feared."