Transliteration:( Qul law kaana fil ardi malaaa 'ikatuny yamshoona mutma'in neena lanazzalnaa 'alaihim minas samaaa'i malakar Rasoolaa )
196. It should be remembered that some angels are found on the earth but they do not dwell there. Their true place is the invisible world, therefore "walking about in peace" is used here. The stay of angels on the earth is like how officers and police from different areas are assigned to another area for the purpose of surveillance. Thus there is no inconsistency in the verse, because the presence of angels on the earth is proven from Hadith Shareef.
197. This means that had the earth been inhabited by angels as is found in the case of human beings, then the prophet sent would have been an angel. Because prophets are sent for the purpose of propagation, only that person can preach to the people who is able to speak their language and understand their habits and customs, can understand their joys and sorrows. And this can only take place if the prophet is of their genesis or origin. It is rather surprising that these infidels were regarding the angels superior to human beings. For this reason they were saying, why had an angel not come as a prophet? In reality, a human being is superior to an angel. It is the angels who prostrated to man, and not vice versa.
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The tafsir of Surah Al-Isra verse 95 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Isra ayat 94 which provides the complete commentary from verse 94 through 95.
(17:95) Say: “Had angels been walking about in peace on the earth, We would surely have sent to them an angel from the heavens as Messenger.”[108]
108. This is to say that Messenger does not merely convey the message but is sent to reform human life in accordance with it. He has to apply the principles of the message to the circumstances of human beings and has himself to demonstrate practically those principles. Moreover, he has to remove the misunderstandings of those people who try to listen to and understand his message. Besides this, he has to organize and train the believers to create a society based on the teachings of his message. He has to struggle against those who reject and oppose his message in order to subdue those powers that are bent upon corruption, and bring about that reformation for which Allah has sent His Messenger. As all these things have to be done in a society of human beings only a human Messenger can perform the mission. If an angel had been sent as a Messenger, the most he could have done was to convey the message, for he could not live among human beings and share their life and problems in order to reform them. It is thus clear that a human Messenger only could be suitable for this purpose.
[774]- i.e., who were settled and established there, as is man.
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