Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:125

(And who is better in religion than he who submits his face to Allah) Meaning: He who dedicates his entire self to Him, the Exalted, knowing no lord for it other than Him. It is also said: He who purifies his orientation toward Him, the Glorified. Another view is: He who offers his face—the Mighty and Majestic—to Him in prostration. The interrogative is one of negation, carrying the meaning of denial. The objective is to praise the one who performs this in the most perfect manner. "Religion" (Dinan) is in the accusative case as a specifier (Tamyiz) transferred from the subject. The implied meaning is: "Whose religion is better than the religion of one who submits..." Thus, the statement boils down to preferring one religion over another. This contains an admonition that the servant’s dedication of his entire self to Allah, the Exalted, is the highest rank human power can reach. "Than him" (mimman) is connected to "better" (ahsan), as is the Majestic Name. It is also permitted that it be a state (hal) from "face."

(While he is a doer of good) Meaning: One who performs good deeds and abandons evil ones, or one who performs righteous deeds in a manner appropriate to their descriptive goodness, which necessitates their intrinsic goodness. It has been authenticated that the Prophet (may Allah, the Exalted, bless him and grant him peace) was asked about Ihsan (excellence/goodness), and he replied: "To worship Allah as if you see Him; for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you." It is also said: The most apparent interpretation is that the meaning is "while he is a doer of good in his creed," which is what is intended by those who say: "meaning he is a monotheist (muwahhid)." Based on this, it is better to interpret the "submission of the face to Allah, the Exalted" as submission to Him, the Glorified, through deeds. The sentence is in the position of a state from the agent of "submits" (aslama).

(And has followed the creed of Abraham) Which conforms to the religion of Islam and is agreed upon regarding its soundness. This is a conjunction to "submits" (aslama). His statement, the Exalted: (Inclining toward truth) Meaning: Turning away from deviant religions; it is a state from "Abraham." It is also permitted that it be a state from the agent of "followed."

(And Allah took Abraham as a close friend) This is a tail-piece (tadhil) brought to encourage following his creed (peace be upon him), to signify that it is the ultimate in goodness, and to explicitly name him (peace be upon him) as an exaltation of his status and to specify that he is the one being praised. It is not permissible to conjoin this—contrary to those who claimed so—to "And who is better..." whether as a digression or an interjection, nor as an emphasis on the meaning of His saying, the Exalted: "And whoever does righteous deeds," nor as an explanation of what those righteous deeds are or who the believer is, due to the lack of suitability and the nexus between the conjoined and the conjoiner, and because it does not perform the function of emphasis and explanation that it supposedly provides. Nor can it be conjoined to the relative clause "who" (man) because it is not fit for it. The invalidity of conjoining it to "while he is a doer of good" is too obvious to be hidden, and making the sentence a state with the implied "has" (qad) is contrary to the apparent meaning. Conjoining it to "inclining toward truth" (hanifan) is not sound except with undue effort.

"Close friend" (al-khalil) is derived from khullah (with a damma on the kha). It is either from khilal (with a kasra on the kha), as it is an affection that penetrates the soul and mixes with it in a spiritual mixture. Thus, the khalil is one whose affection has reached this rank, as the poet said: "It has penetrated the paths of my soul; thus, the khalil is called khalil. If I speak, you are my discourse, and if I am silent, you are my sorrow." Or it is from khalal (void/defect), as has been said: in the sense that each of the two friends repairs the void of the other. Or it is from khall (with a fatha) which means a path in the sand, because they follow one path together. Or it is from khullah (with a fatha on the kha) meaning a trait or character, because they agree in traits and characters; "A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends." Or it means poverty and need, because each of them is in need of the other's company and is not self-sufficient.

His being described as the "Close Friend of Allah" (peace be upon him) is said to be because the love of Allah, the Exalted, has penetrated his soul and mixed with it a complete mixture; or because he adorned himself with the attributes of Allah, the Exalted. From here, he would honor the guest and do good to him, even if he were a disbeliever, for among the attributes of Allah, the Exalted, is goodness to the righteous and the wicked. In some reports—though I am not certain of their authenticity—it is stated that a guest from outside his faith descended upon him, so he said to him: "Unify Allah, the Exalted, so that I may host you and do good to you." The man said: "O Abraham, shall I abandon my religion and the religion of my fathers for the sake of a morsel?" So he turned away from him. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed to him: "O Abraham, he has been true to Me for seventy years, and I provide for him while he associates partners with Me, and you want him to abandon his religion and the religion of his fathers for the sake of a morsel?" Abraham (peace be upon him) caught up with him and asked him to return so he could host him, and he apologized to him. The disbeliever said: "O Abraham, what has come over you?" He said: "My Lord rebuked me regarding you and said: 'I have been providing for him for seventy years despite his disbelief in Me, and you want him to abandon his religion and the religion of his fathers for the sake of a morsel?'" The disbeliever said: "Has this truly happened? Someone like this deserves to be worshipped," and he converted to Islam and returned with Abraham (peace be upon him) to his house. Then, after that, his generosity extended to every creature of Allah who came to him. When asked about that, he said: "I learned generosity from my Lord; I saw Him not wasting His enemies, so I do not waste them." Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed to him: "You are indeed My Khalil (close friend)."

Al-Bayhaqi recorded in al-Shu'ab from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "O Gabriel, why did Allah, the Exalted, take Abraham as a close friend?" He replied: "For his feeding of food, O Muhammad." It is also said—and this was chosen by al-Balkhi and al-Farra—that it was for his demonstration of poverty and need toward Allah, the Exalted, his detachment toward Him, and his lack of attention to anyone else. This is indicated by what he said to Gabriel (peace be upon him) on the day he was thrown into the fire, when Gabriel asked: "Do you have a need?" Abraham replied: "As for you, no," then said: "Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs." Other reasons are also mentioned for his being named the Khalil of Allah (peace be upon him).

The famous opinion is that Khalil (close friend) is below Habib (beloved). This is supported by what al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Marduyah recorded from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both): A group of the Prophet’s companions sat waiting for him. He came out, and when he drew near them, he heard them discussing. Some said: "Allah, the Exalted, has taken a close friend from His creation; Abraham is His Khalil." Another said: "There is nothing more amazing than that Allah, the Exalted, spoke to Moses directly." Another said: "And Jesus is the Spirit of Allah, the Exalted, and His word." Another said: "Adam, whom Allah chose." He came out to them, greeted them, and said: "I have heard your words and your wonderment. Abraham is the Khalil of Allah, the Exalted, and he is as such; Moses is His interlocutor; Jesus is His Spirit and His word; and Adam is whom Allah chose, and he is as such. Verily, I am the Habib (Beloved) of Allah, the Exalted, and I do not boast. I am the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted, and I do not boast. I am the first to shake the ring of Paradise, so Allah will open it for me, and the poor among the believers will enter with me, and I do not boast. I am the most honored of the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection, and I do not boast."

Al-Tirmidhi in Nawadir al-Usul, al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu'ab (who weakened it), Ibn Asakir, and al-Daylami recorded that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Allah, the Exalted, took Abraham as a Khalil, and Moses as a confidant, and took me as a Habib." Then He said: "By My Might, I will surely prefer My Habib over My Khalil and My confidant." The apparent conclusion from the scholars is that Khullah (close friendship) is a rank of love that is wider in scope, and that its ranks are those that the aspiration of the Khalil (peace be upon him) does not reach. This is the rank established for him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Indeed, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attained from the station of Khullah what was not attained by his father Abraham (peace be upon him); the branch contains what is in the root, and more.

You are guided to this by the fact that adorning oneself with the attributes of Allah, the Exalted, is among the effects of Khullah—to those specialized in this, it is more apparent and complete in our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) than it is in Abraham (peace be upon him). It is authenticated that his character was the Qur'an, and it came from him (may Allah, the Exalted, bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "I was sent to perfect noble character," and Allah, the Exalted, testified for him by His saying: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character." The origin of honoring the guest is mercy, and the throne of that mercy, which encompasses all, is the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as is signaled by His saying, the Exalted: "And We have not sent you, except as a mercy to the worlds." Therefore, he was the seal (peace and blessings be upon him).

Al-Hakim recorded, and authenticated, from Jundub that he heard the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say before he passed away: "Allah, the Exalted, has taken me as a Khalil just as He took Abraham as a Khalil." The simile is on the order of "Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you," in one opinion. It is said: The phrase "as he passed away" has no indication that the station of Khullah is after the station of Mahabba (love), as is not hidden. In the terms Hubb (love) and Khullah (close friendship) there is enough for the gnostic in the manifestation of the difference between them, and it guides him to know that the two circles are wider. Many scholars held that the verse is an example of metaphorical representation (isti'arah tamthiliyya), due to the exaltation of Allah from having a companion or Khalil. The meaning is that He chose him and singled him out with an honor resembling the honor of a Khalil with his Khalil. As for the word "Khalil" alone, it is a borrowed metaphor (isti'arah tasrihiyya), as stated by al-Shihab, except that it later became a proper name for Abraham (peace be upon him).

Some claimed that the description of Abraham (peace be upon him) as Khalil is literal, in the sense of "the truthful one," or "one of purest and most correct affection," or similar. The lack of applying "Khalil" to anyone else besides him (peace be upon him)—even though the station of Khullah, in the meaning known to the gnostics, is not restricted to him; every prophet is a Khalil of Allah—is either because the establishment of that station for him (peace be upon him) was in a manner not established for others, as mentioned, or for the increase of honor and exaltation, as we say. Some Christians objected that if it is permissible to apply Khalil to a human as an honor, why is it not permissible to apply "Son" to another for that same reason? The answer is that Khullah does not necessitate sameness of nature, whereas sonship definitely necessitates it, and Allah, the Exalted, is the One exalted above sharing the nature of originated things.