The most perfect of people in the sight of Allah are those who accomplish all of the degrees of jihad. People diverge in their standing with Allah; their divergence concerns the degrees of jihad. This is why the most perfect of people and the most noble of them unto Allah is the Seal of His prophets and messengers; indeed He completed the degrees of jihad. He waged jihad for Allah as is due His jihad, and set out to wage jihad from the time he was sent forth until Allah Mighty and Sublime took him. Indeed, when this came down to him: { Oh enshrouded one! Arise and warn, and make your Lord great, and purify your garments } [Al-muddathir 1-4], He rolled up his sleeves and got to work in making the call to people, and undertook the most complete undertaking for the sake of Allah; He called people to Allah day and night, in private and openly. When this came down to him: { So come out openly with what you have been commanded } [Al-hijr 94], He came out openly with the commands of Allah, with no regard for the rebukes of the rebukers, and He called people to Allah, young and old, free and slaves, male and female, red and black [i.e. all mankind], genies [jinn] and men.