Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Anfal -> The Fruits of Perfect Faith

Allah said,

﴿لَّهُمْ دَرَجَـتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ﴾

(For them are grades of dignity with their Lord) meaning, they have different grades, ranks and status in Paradise,

﴿هُمْ دَرَجَـتٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ واللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

(They are in varying grades with Allah, and Allah is All-Seer of what they do.)﴿3:163﴾

Next, Allah said,

﴿وَمَغْفِرَةٌ﴾

(and forgiveness), therefore, Allah will forgive them their sins and reward them for their good deeds. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

«إِنَّ أَهْلَ عِلِّيِّينَ لَيَرَاهُمْ مَنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ الْغَابِرَ فِي أُفُقٍ مِنْ آفَاقِ السَّمَاء»

(The residents of `Illiyyin (in Paradise) are seen from those below them, just as you see the distant planet in the horizon of the sky.)

They said, "O Allah's Messenger! They are the grades of the Prophets that none except them would attain.'' The Prophet said,

«بَلَى وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لِرِجَالٌ آمَنُوا بِاللهِ وَصَدَّقُوا الْمُرْسَلِين»

(Rather, by He in Whose Hand is my soul! They are for men who have faith in Allah and believed in the Messengers.)

In a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and the collectors of Sunan, Abu `Atiyyah said that Ibn Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ لَيَتَرَاءَونَ أَهْلَ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى كَمَا تَرَاءَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ الْغَابِرَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْعَمَا»

(Residents of Paradise see the residents of the highest grades just as you see the distant planet in the horizon of the sky. Verily, Abu Bakr and `Umar are among them (in the highest grades), and how excellent they are.)

﴿كَمَآ أَخْرَجَكَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَيْتِكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقاً مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَكَـِّرِهُونَ - يُجَـدِلُونَكَ فِي الْحَقِّ بَعْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ - وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللَّهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُحِقَّ الحَقَّ بِكَلِمَـتِهِ وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكَـفِرِينَ - لِيُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلَ الْبَـطِلَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴾

(5. As your Lord caused you to go out from your home with the truth; and verily, a party among the believers disliked it.) (6. Disputing with you concerning the truth after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death, while they were looking (at it).) (7. And (remember) when Allah promised you (Muslims) one of the two parties, that it should be yours; you wished that the one not armed should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the truth by His Words and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers.) (8. That He might cause the truth to triumph and bring falsehood to nothing, even though the criminals hate it.)