تِلْکَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْض مِنْهُم مَّن کَلَّمَ اللهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَـات وَءَاتَیْنَا عِیسَى ابْنَ مَرْیَمَ الْبَیِّنَـتِ وَأَیَّدْنَـاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِینَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَیِّنَـتُ وَلَـکِنِ اخْتَلَفُواْ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ ءَامَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن کَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَآء اللهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُواْ وَلَـکِنَّ اللهَ یَفْعَلُ مَا یُرِیدُ(( 253 ))

253- AND THOSE MESSENGERS, WE HAVE EXALTED SOME ABOVE THE OTHERS. AMONG THEM ARE SOME TO WHOM ALLAH SPOKE. OTHERS HE RAISED IN GRADES AND WE GAVE JESUS THE SON OF MARY EVIDENCES, AND STRENGTHENED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. (BUT THE RANKS AND GRADES OF THE APOSTLES DID NOT CLEAR THE DIFFERENCES OF PEOPLE) AND HAD ALLAH SO WILLED, THOSE WHO SUCCEEDED THEM WOULD NOT HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER AFTER THE CLEAR SIGNS THAT HAD COME TO THEM, BUT THEY DIFFERED. SOME OF THEM BELIEVED AND SOME DISBELIEVED. IF ALLAH HAD SO WILLED THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. BUT ALLAH WILL DO WHATEVER HE INTENDS.