The best of the messengers after Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—is Abraham. It is authentically established in the Sahih that, when speaking of “the best of creation,” he said: “That is Abraham.” (1)

He is the leader whom Allah appointed as a leader and made an ummah (an exemplar); an ummah is a model to be followed. For Abraham fully realized this tawhīd: hanīfiyya (the pure monotheistic way), which was his creed.

The Exalted said:

“You have indeed had an excellent example in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We are free of you and whatever you worship besides Allah. We reject you, and enmity and hatred have arisen between us and you forever, until you believe in Allah alone’—except for Abraham’s words to his father: ‘I shall certainly seek forgiveness for you, though I have no power to help you against Allah in any way.’ ‘Our Lord, in You we place our trust, to You we turn in repentance, and to You is the final return. Our Lord, do not make us a trial for those who disbelieve, and forgive us, our Lord. You are indeed the Almighty, the All-Wise.’ You have indeed had an excellent example in them for whoever places his hope in Allah and the Last Day.”

[Surah al-Mumtahanah: 4–6].

And the Exalted said:

“When Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘I am wholly free of what you worship, except the One who created me, for He will surely guide me’—and he made this an enduring word among his descendants, so that they might return.”

[Surah al-Zukhruf: 26–28].