۞ تِلْكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٍ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَأَيَّدْنَـٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقْتَتَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ ءَامَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ
Tilkar Rusulu faddalnaa ba'dahum 'alaa ba'd; minhum man kallamal laahu wa rafa'a ba'dahum darajaat; wa aatainaa 'Eesab na Maryamal baiyinaati wa ayyadnaahu bi Roohil Qudus; wa law shaaa'al laahu maqtatalal lazeena mimba'dihim mim ba'di maa jaaa'athumul baiyinaatu wa laakinikh talafoo faminhum man aamana wa minhum man kafar; wa law shaaa'al laahu maq tataloo wa laakinnallaaha yaf'alu maa yureed (
İşte bu peygamberlerden bir kısmını diğerlerinden üstün kıldık. Onlardan Allah'ın kendilerine hitabettiği, derecelerle yükselttikleri vardır. Meryem oğlu İsa'ya belgeler verdik, onu Ruhul Kudüs'le destekledik. Allah dileseydi, belgeler kendilerine geldikten sonra, peygamberlerin ardından birbirlerini öldürmezlerdi. Fakat ayrılığa düştüler, kimi inandı, kimi inkar etti. Allah dileseydi birbirlerini öldürmezlerdi, lakin Allah istediğini yapar.
Those messengers — we favored some over others. Among them were those to whom God spoke, and some he raised in rank. And we gave Isa, son of Maryam, the clear proofs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Had God willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another after the clear proofs had reached them. But they differed: some believed and some denied. Had God willed, they would not have fought — but God does what he intends.
Ranking among the messengers is stated plainly here, and later in the same surah the believers say they draw no distinction between any of them. Readers have long held both together: the ranks are God's to know and to declare, and no one else is licensed to sort prophets by them. The verse then turns from ranks to the fighting that broke out among people after clear proofs had already reached them, which is the harder subject and the one it stays with.