and among them were those who disbelieved. As for those who believed in him, they included the people of Antioch in their entirety, according to more than one authority among the biographers, historians, and exegetes. (1) He sent to them three envoys, one of whom was Simon Peter, and they believed and responded. These, however, are not the figures mentioned in Sūrat Yā-Sīn, as has already been made clear (2) in the account of the People of the Town. Yet others from the Children of Israel—the great majority of the Jews—rejected him. Thereafter Allah supported the believers against the disbelievers, so that they became predominant and subjugated them, as He, Exalted is He, says:

“[Remember] when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, I will take you and raise you unto Myself, and purify you from those who disbelieve, and I will place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.’” (Āl ʿImrān 3:55)

Accordingly, whoever is closer to him enjoys ascendancy over those who are further removed. Because the Muslims’ view of him—that he is Allah’s servant and His messenger—is the unquestionable truth, they have prevailed over the Christians, who exaggerated about him, extolled him, and elevated him above the rank Allah assigned to him. And since the Christians, in general, are nearer to the truth than the Jews—upon whom be Allah’s curses—they held sway over the Jews during the age of hiatus, until the advent of Islam and its people.