مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ {67}

67. "Abraham was neither (a) Jew nor (a) Christian but he was an upright Muslim, and he was not (one) of polytheists."

Commentary:

The Arabic term /hanafa/ means: 'tending to the Truth', while its opposite Arabic term is /janafa/ which means: ' deviation or swerving to falsehood?

The term / hanif / is applied for a person who is on the path of Truth. But this very word was one of the perverted words which the idolators used to employ about themselves. Therefore, the pagans were also called /hunafa/ which is the plural form of this word.

With the occurrence of the term /musliman/ 'a muslim' in this verse and beside the term /hanafan/, the Qur'an has purified both Abraham, from the dirt of polytheism, and this holy word from the misusers.

"Abraham was neither (a) Jew nor (a) Christian but he was an upright Muslim, and he was not (one) of polytheists."

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إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَاللّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {68}

68. "Verily the nearest people to Abraham are those who follow him and this Prophet and those who believe, and Allah is the Guardian of the believers."

Commentary:

It is realized from this verse that the theological relationships are higher and fixer than the family relationships. Those who have the same belief, the same line, and the same goal, are closer to each other than those who are apparently relatives but are aloof from each other from the point of idea and belief.

An evidence for this meaning is found in the tradition of Imam Sadiq (a) who in a statement told 'Umar-ibn-Yazid: "By Allah! You are from among the family of Muhammad (s)", and then he (a) recited the above verse. [31]

Again, the holy Prophet (s) said about Salman: "Salman is from us, Ahlul-Bayt." [32]

Explanations:

1. The essential relationship between people and their leader is a theological relationship. It is not a tribal or linguiform, or regional or racial relationship.

2. The standard of being nigh to the Prophets, in general, is the obedience that one proves of them.

3. The Prophet of Islam (s) and Muslims are alongside the same line with Abraham (a) and they have the same purpose and the same aim.

4. There is a tradition from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen (a) cited in Majma'-ul-Bayan which says:

"Verily the lover of Muhammad is the person who obeys Allah although the one is far from him (s)   from the point of relationship. And, verily, the enemy of Muhammad is the person who disobeys Allah, although the one is a near relative of him." [33]

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[31] Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, p. 458

[32] Bihar-al-Anwar, vol. 22, p.326

[33] Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, p. 458