Is Muhammad's tribe eminent?

Question

"Wathila b. al-Asqa’ reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma’il and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Banu Hashim and he granted me eminences from the tribe of Banu Hashim." (Sahih Muslim 30:5653)

This hadith to me, seems to contradict with

"Abu Malik al-Ash’ari reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Among my people there are four characteristics belonging to pre-Islamic period which they do not abandon: boasting of high rank, reviling other peoples’ genealogies, seeking rain by stars, and walling. And he (further) said: If the wailing woman does not repent before she dies, she will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a chemise of mange." (Sahih Muslim 4:2033)

In the first hadith, he seems to be saying that the Quraish are of a higher rank than other tribes, but in the second hadith, he warns against boasting of high rank. Can anybody resolve the apparent contradiction?

Answer 1

Being eminent is not the same thing as boasting about being eminent.

Boasting involves arrogance, the implication being that having more of something makes one better than those with less. But humility recognizes that whatever advantages, whatever privileges, whatever wealth, whatever strength, whatever whatever one has more than others comes from Allah — He gives and withholds His gifts as He wills — and in no way determines whether someone is better or worse in His eyes.

Simply acknowledging that one has gifts that another does not is not boasting.