The prophets are the best of creation, and they are the (possessors)(1)—the context requires this word to be included—of the highest ranks in the Hereafter. A prophet therefore cannot be among the wicked, nor can he belong merely to the general body of the people of the right. Rather, he is among the finest of the foremost who are brought near. The prophets are superior to the general body of the affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. Although a prophet may also be described as an affirmer of truth and as righteous, and may be a martyr, that special rank belongs exclusively to the prophets and is not shared by anyone who is not a prophet.

As He said of Abraham, His close friend:

“And We gave him his reward in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.”

[Surah al-‘Ankabūt: 27]

And Joseph said:

“Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.”

[Surah Yūsuf: 101]

This necessitates declaring the prophets above being among the wicked and flagrantly sinful. The early generations of the Muslim community and its overwhelming majority are unanimously agreed upon this.

As for those who held that someone other than a prophet could be superior to him, this was a doctrine of certain heretics of later times from among the extremist Shi‘a, Sufis, philosophers, and the like.

As for the report concerning those indicated in (2)—that they held that a prophet could fall into disbelief—this follows from their position by necessary implication: in their view, every sin constitutes disbelief, and they held that prophets could commit sins. This entails the unsoundness of their doctrine that every sin constitutes disbelief,