Page 58
ʾinna ʾawlā n-nāsi bi-ʾibrāhīma la-lladhīna ttabaʿūhu wa-hādhā n-nabiyyu wa-lladhīna ʾāmanū wa-llāhu waliyyu l-muʾminīna
Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him and this prophet and those who have faith, and Allah is the guardian of the faithful.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 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."
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 (as) who in a statement told 'Umar-ibn-Yazid: "By Allah! You are from among the family of Muhammad (S)", and then he (as) recited the above verse. 3
Again, the holy Prophet (S) said about Salman:
"Salman is from us, Ahlul-Bayt." 4
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 (as) and they have the same purpose and the same aim.
4. There is a tradition from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen (as) 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."5
Footnotes