—the God-fearing—are distributed among those ranks in proportion to their faith and their piety.

Allah, blessed and exalted, says:

“Whoever seeks the fleeting life, We hasten for him therein whatever We will, for whomever We will; then We consign him to Hell, which he will enter, reviled and banished. But whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as it should be striven for, while he is a believer—such people will find their striving appreciated. To each, both these and those, We extend from the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is never withheld. Look how We have preferred some of them above others, yet the Hereafter is greater in ranks and greater in preferment.”

Thus Allah, glorified be He, makes clear that He extends His gifts both to the one who seeks this world and to the one who seeks the Hereafter, and that His bounty is not withheld from either the righteous or the wicked.

He then says:

“Look how We have preferred some of them above others, yet the Hereafter is greater in ranks and greater in preferment.”

From this Allah, exalted be He, shows that the people of the Hereafter will surpass one another there far more than people surpass one another in this world, and that its ranks are loftier than any ranks found here. He has likewise clarified the differing ranks of His prophets, just as His believing servants differ among themselves. He said:

“Those messengers—We gave some of them preference over others: among them are those to whom Allah spoke directly, and He raised some of them in rank; and We gave Jesus son of Mary clear proofs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.”

And He said:

“And indeed We gave some of the prophets preference over others, and We gave David the Psalms.”