﴿ وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ﴾

“But the foremost shall be [they who in life were] the foremost [in faith and good works]:”

And the foremost, the foremost.He said:They are those for whom God�s election (ikhtiyār) and special friendship (wilāya) preceded them before they were even brought into existence. The ones who are brought near [to God] [56:11] are in stations of proximity (manāzil al-qurb), and [enjoy] the ease of intimacy (rawḥ al-uns). They are the ones who were the foremost (sabaqū) in this life. The prophets were the foremost in having faith in God; the veracious (ṣiddīqūn) and martyrs (shuhadāʾ) among the Companions and others were the foremost in having faith in the prophets.His words, Exalted is He: