Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/267)

—“The foremost—the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers—and those who followed them with excellence: Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.” ⦗9:100⦘

The Emigrants (Muhājirūn) are superior to the Helpers (Anṣār); yet they too are counted among Allah’s helpers, for they gave Him their support just as the Helpers did. However, because the Emigrants possess a distinctive title—the term Muhājirūn, which is the more eminent of the two designations—the name Anṣār came to be used exclusively for the Helpers of Medina.

In the judgment of the Muslims, the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār are loftier in rank than those who believed in Moses or those who believed in Jesus. Even so, no one among them is regarded as a prophet or a messenger of Allah; rather, among them are only the emissaries of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

{وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ} [التوبة: ١٠٠] وَالْمُهَاجِرُونَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَهُمْ أَيْضًا مِنْ أَنْصَارِ اللَّهِ نَصَرُوهُ ; كَمَا نَصَرَهُ الْأَنْصَارُ لَكِنْ لَمَّا كَانَ لَهُمُ اسْمٌ يَخُصُّهُمْ وَهُوَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ الِاسْمَيْنِ، خُصَّ الْأَنْصَارُ بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ. وَالْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَالْأَنْصَارُ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّنْ آمَنَ بِمُوسَى وَمَنْ آمَنَ بِعِيسَى عِنْدَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَيْسَ فِيهِمْ عِنْدَهُمْ نَبِيٌّ وَلَا رَسُولٌ لِلَّهِ، وَلَكِنْ فِيهِمْ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - تَسْلِيمًا.