The Prophet—may blessings and peace be upon him—therefore clarified, with regard to a clan closely related to him, that mere blood-ties do not make them his allies; rather, his ally is God and the righteous believers of every kind.

The Qur’an and Sunnah abound with similar statements showing that the decisive criterion lies in the names God has praised or censured: believer and unbeliever, virtuous and wicked, learned and ignorant.

Scripture and Prophetic tradition have also praised certain non-Arabs. The Almighty says:

“He is the One who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from their own, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom—although before that they were in manifest error—and to others among them who have not yet joined them. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Sūrah al-Jumuʿah, 62:2-3)

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs it is reported—through Abū l-Ghayth—from Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him: “We were sitting with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when Sūrah al-Jumuʿah was revealed to him: ‘…and others from among them who have not yet joined them’ (62:3). A man asked, ‘O Messenger of God, who are those people?’ The Prophet did not answer him until he had repeated the question three times. Among us was Salmān the Persian, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, placed his hand on Salmān and said, ‘If faith were …’”