Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:125
And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His word: Who has a better religion than he who submits his face to Allah, while he does good, and follows the creed of Ibrāhīm, sincerely upright (ḥanīfan)?
Abū Jaʿfar said: This is a statement of Allah — exalted be His praise — in favor of Islam and its adherents, [affirming] its superiority over all other creeds and their adherents. Allah says: "Who has a better religion" — O people — and a more correct way and a better-guided path "than he who submits his face to Allah." He says: than he who subjects his face to Allah and submits himself to Him in obedience, while holding His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ to be truthful in that with which he came from his Lord; "while he does good" — that means: while he acts according to what his Lord has commanded him, holding forbidden what He has declared forbidden and holding permitted what He has declared permitted; "and follows the creed of Ibrāhīm, sincerely upright (ḥanīfan)" — by this He means: and follows the religion upon which Ibrāhīm, the friend of the All-Merciful, was, and which he enjoined upon his children after him and to which he urged them; "sincerely upright (ḥanīfan)" — that means: steadfast upon his way and his path.
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We have already previously expounded the disagreement of those who differed concerning the meaning of "al-ḥanīf," as well as the proof for the correct view thereof, in a manner that makes it unnecessary to repeat it.
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And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
And among those who said that likewise is al-Ḍaḥḥāk.
10538 — Yaḥyā ibn Abī Ṭālib related to me, he said: Yazīd informed us, he said: Juwaybir informed us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, who said: Allah has exalted Islam above every religion, and He said: "Who has a better religion than he who submits his face to Allah, while he does good" up to His word: And Allah took Ibrāhīm as a friend. And no work other than Islam is accepted alongside it, and that is the ḥanīfiyya (the sincerely-upright faith).
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The explanation of His word: And Allah took Ibrāhīm as a friend (125)
Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means — exalted be His praise —: And Allah took Ibrāhīm as a protecting friend (walī).
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If someone were to ask: What is the meaning of "al-khulla" (the friendship) that was granted to Ibrāhīm?
Then it is said: As for Ibrāhīm — peace be upon him — that is enmity for the sake of Allah and hatred for His sake, and alliance for the sake of Allah and love for His sake, in accordance with what is known of the meanings of "al-khulla." And as for Allah toward Ibrāhīm, that is His help to him against whoever treated him with evil, as He did with him when Nimrod wished to strike him with the burning in the fire with which he wished to strike him, and He rescued him from it; or [His help] with regard to his proof against him when he disputed with him; and as He did with the king of Egypt when the latter wished to separate him from his wife; and His confirmation of him in what he loved; and His making him a leader (imām) for whoever would come after him among His servants, and an example for whoever followed him in His obedience and His worship. That is the meaning of His friendship with him.
And it has been said: Allah called him "khalīl" (friend) because the people of his region were struck by drought, whereupon he set out to a friend of his among the people of Mosul — and some said: among the people of Egypt — to obtain from him food for his family, but he did not find with him what he needed. When he drew near to his family, he passed through a sandy wasteland, and he said: "If only I had gone and filled my sacks with this sand, so that I would not grieve my family with my return to them without provisions, and so that they would think that I had brought them what they desire!" That he did, whereupon what was in his sacks of sand turned into flour. When he reached his dwelling, he went to sleep. His family arose, opened the sacks, found flour, kneaded from it and baked bread. Then he awoke, and he asked them about the flour from which they had baked, and they said: "From the flour that you brought back from your friend!" Then he understood, and he said: "Yes! It is from my friend Allah!" They said: For that reason Allah called him "khalīl" (friend).
