The Reward of the Foremost in Faith

Allah states that the foremost of the close believers are a multitude, a crowd among the earlier generations and a few from the latter generations. There is a difference over the meaning of the first generations and the later generations. Some said that the former means earlier (believing) nations, while the later refers to this Ummah. This was reported from Mujahid and Al-Hasan Al-Basri, in the collection of Ibn Abi Hatim, and this is the preference of Ibn Jarir. He considered it supported by the saying of Allah's Messenger ﷺ:

«نَحْنُ الْاخِرُونَ السَّابِقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِ‌يقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِّن مَّعِينٍ (with bowls and jugs and a goblet of pure wine...56:18). The word akwab, plural of kub, refers to 'cups or glasses used for drinking. The word abariq, plural of ibriq, refers to jugs with sprouts'. The word ka's refers to 'a wine glass'. The word main refers to the fact that the glasses will contain wine drawn from a flowing spring.