17:55 And We made some of the prophets more excellent than others.
The prophets have the generous gifts of states and the specific characteristics of proximity. One of them has chosenness [Adam], another bosom friendship [Abraham], another speaking with God [Moses], and still another the miʿrāj, intercession, and vision. Then He made some of them superior to others in specific characteristics. He made the prophets superior to the world's folk, He made the messengers superior to the prophets, He made the Possessors of Resoluteness superior to the messengers, and He made Muṣ?afā superior to the Possessors of Resoluteness. The furthest limits of the stations of all of them are the beginning of the station of Muṣ?afā; the furthest limits of their stations is apparent, but the end of his station is not apparent. He is aware of the secret core of all of them, but no one other than the Real is aware of his secret core. That is why he said, “'I am the master of the children of Adam, without boasting.' How should I boast of that? For I am separate from them in my state and I stand with the Real in beautiful courtesy. Were I to be boast, I would boast of the Real, proximity, and closeness, for He says, 'Then He drew close, so He came down' [53:8]. If I do not boast about the place of closeness and proximity, how could I boast about being the master of all the races?”
That paragon of the world was a sun whose eastern horizon was Mecca and whose western horizon was Yathrib. Its eclipse was in the cave, but that was an e17clipse within which a hundred thousand deposits of gentle favor were unveiled. On his forehead was the splendor of “By thy life” [15:72], on the sleeve of his covenant the exalted embroidery of “Muḥammad is God's messenger” [48:29], on the door of the pavilion of his secret core this flag of rulership: “Surely We have opened up for thee a clear opening” [48:1]. The rug of that paragon's messengerhood was thrown from the east of the world to the west of the world, the carpet of his prophethood was spread from Qāf to Qāf, the shadowy banners of unbelief were overthrown with his appearance, the seat of his secret core's joy was set up higher than the throne of Ursa Major. The long and short of it is that first of all was his aspiration, in the middle his honor, and at the end his burning for his community.
Adam was exalted and ennobled, but the devil instilled him with disquiet until he slipped. But the luster and greatness of Muḥammad the Arab leapt at the devil and brought him into the work. Thus he said, “There is no one who has not been entrusted a comrade from among the jinn.”
They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of God?”
He said, “Not even I, but God has helped me against him, so he has submitted.”
Adam was brought in by the door of severity. The shadow of his severity fell on an angel, who became a heretic. Muḥammad the Arab was brought in by the door of gentleness. The shadow of his gentleness fell on a devil, who became one of the sincerely truthful.