because they had killed a man during the sacred month—namely, Ibn al-Hadramī. Allah Most High said:

“They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say, ‘Fighting in it is a grave matter.’”

He then made clear that the polytheists’ sins were graver before Allah (1).

(* As for the question of superiority (2), Allah Most High says:

“It is not according to your wishes, nor the wishes of the People of the Book. Whoever commits evil will be requited for it and will find no protector or helper besides Allah. But whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer—they will enter Paradise and will not be wronged even by as much as the speck on a date stone. Who could have a better religion than one who submits himself wholly to Allah, does good, and follows the faith of Abraham in all uprightness? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.”

[Surah al-Nisā: 123–125]
*) (3).

And Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘O People of the Book! Do you resent us for any reason other than that we believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to us, and in what was revealed before—and that most of you are defiantly disobedient?’ Say, ‘Shall I tell you who deserves a worse reward from Allah than that? Those whom Allah has cursed, with whom He is angry, some of whom He made into apes and swine, and who worshipped false gods. They are worse in position and further astray from the straight path.’”

[Surah al-Mā’idah: 59–60]

(4).