Section: Benefits Drawn from the Story of the Friend

• Know that everything Allah has related to us of the life of Abraham, the Friend—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is a specific command that we are required to follow. The Exalted says, “Follow the faith of your father Abraham” ⦗Al-Hajj 78⦘, meaning: hold fast to it; He also says, “Then We revealed to you: Follow the creed of Abraham, a pure monotheist” ⦗Al-Nahl 123⦘; and, “Surely you have in Abraham and those with him a good example when they said to their people…” ⦗Al-Mumtahanah 4⦘.

  Whatever he embodied in monotheism, fundamentals, doctrine, character, and every episode of his story that has reached us—our imitation of him in all of that is part of our religion. Because this directive covers the whole of his states, Allah made one exception, saying: “except for Abraham’s saying to his father, ‘I will surely seek forgiveness for you’” ⦗Al-Mumtahanah 4⦘; that is, do not follow him in praying for forgiveness for polytheists. Abraham’s plea for his father was only “because of a promise he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he disowned him” ⦗Al-Tawbah 114⦘.

• Another benefit is that Allah took him as a friend (khalīl), and khulla (intimate friendship) is the highest degree of love. No one in creation attained this rank except the two Friends: Abraham and Muhammad—may Allah bless them and grant them peace.

• Further benefits include the diverse honors with which Allah distinguished him:
  • He placed prophethood and scripture among his descendants.
  • From his loins He brought forth two nations—Arabs and the Children of Israel—who are the best of all nations.
  • Allah chose him to build His House, the most noble of houses and the very first house established for humanity.
  • He granted him children after he had grown old and lost hope.