Tafsir of An-Najm 53:37

And Ibrahim—and by what is in the scrolls of Ibrahim which were revealed to him—who fulfilled; meaning: he performed and completed what he was commanded to do, or he reached the peak in fulfilling what he had covenanted with Allah the Almighty.

Ibn Abbas said: He fulfilled all the tenets of Islam, and no one else fulfilled them except him. They are thirty tenets: ten in [Surah] Bara’ah, "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties..." (the verses); ten in [Surah] al-Ahzab, "Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women..." (the verses); six in [Surah] Qad Aflaha al-Mu’minun, (the verses at its beginning); and four in [Surah] Sa’ala Sa’il, "And those who believe in the Day of Recompense..." (the verses).

In a weak hadith narrated from Abu Umamah, attributed to the Prophet (marfu'), it is said: He fulfilled four rak'ahs which he would pray every day; and in another narration, he would pray them at the beginning of the day.

Ahmad recorded from the hadith of Mu'adh bin Anas, also attributed to the Prophet (marfu'): "Shall I inform you why Allah the Almighty named Ibrahim His 'Khalil' (intimate friend), who fulfilled? It is because he used to say, whenever he reached evening and morning: 'Exalted is Allah when you reach evening and when you reach morning' (to the end of the verse)."

'Ikrimah said: "[He] fulfilled" by conveying those ten verses, [starting from] "That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another," to the end.

It has been said, and it has been said [other interpretations], but the most valid view is that of generality. This is narrated from al-Hasan, who said: "Allah did not command him with anything except that he fulfilled it." His specific attribution with this description—peace be upon him—is due to the fact that he endured what no other endured; and in the story of the sacrifice, there is sufficient evidence.

These two prophets—peace be upon them—were singled out for mention. It is said: Because in the time between Nuh and Ibrahim, people would seize a man for the crime of his son, his father, his uncle, or his maternal uncle; and a husband for the crime of his wife; and a slave for the crime of his master. The first to oppose them in this was Ibrahim, and Musa confirmed it, and no one had established such a confirmation before him—peace be upon him. He was mentioned first because his scrolls were more well-known and numerous among them.

Abu Umamah al-Bahili, Sa’id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik al-Ghafari, Ibn al-Samayqa’, and Zayd bin ‘Ali read [the word] as "Wafa" (with a light 'fa').