﴿ ۞ تِلْكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَيَّدْنَٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقْتَتَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ وَلَٰكِنِ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ ءَامَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ ﴾

“Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others: among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher.' And We vouchsafed unto Jesus, the son of Mary, all evidence of the truth, and strengthened him with holy inspiration. And if God had so willed, they who succeeded those [apostles] would not have contended with one another after all evidence of the truth had come to them; but [as it was,] they did take to divergent views, and some of them attained to faith, while some of them came to deny the truth. Yet if God had so willed, they would not have contended with one another: but God does whatever He wills.”

Those messengers some We have preferred above others; there are some to whom God spoke and some He raised in rank. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear proofs and confirmed him with the Holy Spirit. In the message they were united but they differed in the specific details. Each one has lights and their lights have places where they are cast. Among them is one who is the most sublime in terms of light and most perfect in rank and intensity. Their virtues are not entitlements based on their actions and states but rather are a goodly decree that came to them ḥukmun bi-l- ḥusnā adrakahum and a beautiful succession that reached them in turns wa-ʿāqibatun bi-l-jamīli tadārakathum. And had God willed those who came after them would not have fought against one another after the clear proofs had come to them; but they fell into variance and some of them believed and some disbelieved and had God willed they would not have fought against one another but God does whatever He desires. They are made to turn about by the eternal will and have been stripped of free choice; [instead there is the divine choice] around which everything circles madār and by which is the crossing over iʿtibār. Servanthood is the tight- ening of the belt of service khidma and the witnessing of prior fate qisma.