Those are the messengers, a reference to the group of messengers whose stories were mentioned in the surah, or whose knowledge was established with the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. We have preferred some of them over others due to their differing ranks in good deeds. Among them is the one whom Allah spoke to directly, and that is Moses, may peace be upon him.

And it was read (the words of Allah) in the accusative. And the Yemeni read: like the words of Allah, from the conversation, and this is indicated by their saying: the one who speaks to Allah, meaning His conversation. And He raised some of them in degrees, meaning that among them, some were raised above all the prophets, so after their differences in virtue, he was the best of them with many degrees. It is apparent that he meant Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. [Mahamud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'It is apparent that he meant Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him... etc.' Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'I only mentioned this section from his words because I found it commendable in wording and meaning, and as a blessing for the one chosen, blessings and peace be upon him, from the virtue of some of his rights. And Al-Zamakhshari was correct in his statement: where the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was given the great virtue over all that was given to the prophets, upon all of them be prayers and peace. And it is not as some people of this era say about the preference of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, over each individual prophet. It is appropriate to refrain from attributing this to him, for he is among the prominent scholars and pillars of the religion of Islam, and the correct approach is to avoid misattributing it to him.]] For he is the one preferred over them, where he was given what no one else was given from the numerous signs that exceed a thousand signs or more. And if he had only been given the Qur'an alone, it would have sufficed as a virtue that is unmatched by all that was given to the prophets, for it is the miracle that remains throughout time unlike other miracles. In this ambiguity is a magnification of his virtue and an elevation of his status that is not hidden, for it contains a testimony that he is the knowledge that is not confused, and the distinguished one that is not mixed up. And it is said to a man: who did this? He says: one of you or some of you, meaning the one who is known and famous for such actions, and this is more magnificent than explicitly stating it and more notable for its owner. Al-Hutay'ah was asked: who is the most eloquent of people? He mentioned Zuhair and Al-Nabighah, then said: if I wished, I would mention the third, meaning himself, and if he had said: if I wished, I would mention myself, it would not have magnified his matter. And it is possible that he means: Ibrahim, Muhammad, and others among the resolute messengers. And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: we were in the mosque discussing the virtue of the prophets, and we mentioned Noah for the length of his worship, Ibrahim for his generosity, Musa for his speaking with Allah, and Isa for his being raised to the heavens, and we said: the Messenger of Allah is better than them, for he was sent to all people and was forgiven for what had preceded of his sins and what would follow, and he is the seal of the prophets. Then he, peace be upon him, entered and said: what are you discussing? So we mentioned to him. He said: no one should be better than Yahya ibn Zakariya, for he mentioned that he never committed a sin nor even thought of it. [[This was narrated by Ishaq ibn Rahwayh: he informed us Abu Asim Al-Abadi informed us Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'an from Yusuf ibn Mehran from him. And it was narrated by Al-Bazzar, Al-Tabarani, and Ibn Mardawayh from the hadith of Ibn Asim Al-Abadi. It is weak and its narrator is unknown.]] If you say: why were Musa and Isa specifically mentioned among the prophets? I say: because of the great signs and astonishing miracles they were given. And Allah clarified the reason for preference where He made the conversation a virtue, and it is one of the signs. So when these two prophets were given what they were given from the great signs, they were specifically mentioned in the context of preference. This is clear evidence that whoever is given preference among them by the signs has been preferred over others. And since our Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, is the one who was given from them what no one else was given in its abundance and greatness, he is the one who is acknowledged for attaining the highest degrees of virtue without dispute. O Allah, grant us his intercession on the Day of Judgment. And if Allah had willed a will of compulsion and force [[The phrase 'a will of compulsion and force' means that He intended to prevent fighting, but there is no will of compulsion, and thus the intended outcome did not occur. This is the view of the Mu'tazilah. As for the Ahl al-Sunnah, there is no will that is not followed by the intended outcome; rather, everything Allah wills occurs, and what He does not will does not occur, as clarified in its place. (A)]] those who came after the messengers would not have fought, due to their differences in religion, their diverging sects, and their excommunication of one another. But they differed, so among them were those who believed due to their adherence to the religion of the prophets, and among them were those who disbelieved due to their turning away from it. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought, He repeated it for emphasis. [[Mahamud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'He repeated and if Allah had willed for emphasis.' Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Beyond the emphasis, there is a more specific secret, which is that when the Arabs begin their first speech on a purpose, then another purpose interrupts them and they want to return to the first, they intend to mention it either with that expression or something close to it. This is a well-known eloquence among them, a path that is accepted. My maternal grandfather, Abu Abbas Ahmad ibn Faris the jurist minister, counted in the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, places in this meaning: among them is His saying: (Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his faith except for one who is compelled while his heart is at peace with faith, but whoever expands in disbelief...) and among them is His saying: (And if it had not been for believing men and believing women...) to His saying: (If they had separated, We would have punished those who disbelieved among them.) This verse is of this type, as the speech began with their fighting being in accordance with the will. Then the speech prolonged, or it was intended to clarify that Allah's will, as it was executed in this specific matter of these people's fighting, is also applicable to every action that occurs, which is the meaning expressed in His saying: (But Allah does what He wills). The mention of the will concerning fighting arose to follow the general mention of the will to match the speech and clarify everything in its form. This is a secret that clarifies the heart and comforts the soul, and Allah is the Guide. And what precedence does the Mu'tazilah have against this? For it is the decisive circle that secures the refutation of its claim and its supporter, and for this reason, Al-Zamakhshari allowed it for its ability to seize it in its interpretation, and its reliance on the textuality of its tricks and stratagems.]] But Allah does what He wills of humiliation and protection. Spend from what We have provided you, meaning the obligatory spending due to the connection of the warning with it before the day comes when you will not be able to make up for what you missed from spending, for there is no trade in it so that you may buy what you spend, and there is no friendship so that your friends may excuse you for it. And if you want that what is due from you of obligation be lifted off you... [[Mahamud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'And its meaning is: if you want that what is due from you... etc.' Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him,

As for the Qadarites, they have conditioned themselves to be deprived of intercession, and they are indeed deserving of it. The proofs of the people of the Sunnah regarding the affirmation of intercession for the sinful among the believers are too numerous to count. The Qadarites only deny it due to their claim that Allah, the Exalted, must reward the obedient for their obedience and the disobedient for their disobedience, according to their reasoning. This state of denying intercession is a result of that misguidance. A response has already been given regarding the reliance on the generality of such verses in denying intercession. We say: The Day of Resurrection has multiple instances, and intercession is established in some of them. Therefore, everything that has been mentioned implying its negation should be understood as referring to the days in which it is absent, reconciling between the proofs. As it has been stated in His words, 'So when the Horn is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask one another.' And it has been stated, 'And some of them will approach others, questioning.' And it has been stated, 'So that Day, no one will be asked about his sin, neither man nor jinn.' And it has been stated, 'And stop them; indeed, they will be questioned.' There is no escape in such verses, by consensus, except to interpret them as referring to the multiplicity of the times of the Day of Resurrection and the differences in its states and days. The same applies to the matter of intercession. May Allah grant us intercession and gather us in the company of the Sunnah and the community. You will not find an intercessor to intercede for you in the reduction of obligations, for intercession is only for the increase of favor. The saying, 'for intercession is only for the increase of favor,' is the doctrine of the Mu'tazilites. According to the people of the Sunnah, it may also be for the alleviation of punishment. And the disbelievers are the wrongdoers. He intended that those who abandon zakat are the wrongdoers, saying, 'And the disbelievers' for emphasis, as he said at the end of the verse of pilgrimage, 'Whoever disbelieves' instead of 'And whoever does not perform pilgrimage.' And he made the abandonment of zakat one of the characteristics of the disbelievers in His saying, 'And woe to the polytheists who do not give zakat.' And it has been recited, 'There is no trade therein, nor friendship, nor intercession,' in the nominative.