Ali 'Imran · Madani · ayah 68 of 200

Ali 'Imran 3:68

إِنَّ أَوْلَى ٱلنَّاسِ بِإِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـٰذَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allāh] and this prophet [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] and those who believe [in his message]. And Allāh is the Ally[130] of the believers.”

Saheeh International

Essence

The people nearest to Ibrāhīm are those who follow his way, this Prophet and the believers, and Allah Himself is the believers' protector.

A reflection

The only patron worth having

A young graduate lists on his CV every well-known person he has ever shaken hands with. A government minister, a famous author, a footballer at a charity dinner. He hopes the names will open doors that his record cannot.

The ayah closes with a quieter claim, and a far greater one. 'And Allah is the walī of the believers.' A concise commentary explains walī as their helper and their protector. An early commentator adds: their supporter against all who oppose them.

The root is nearness with nothing in between. The desert Arabs called the second rain of the season al-walī, because it followed straight after the first. The walī of an orphan is the one who takes charge of him and provides for him. So the walī is not only near. He is near and He acts.

Notice where this sentence falls. The whole passage has been about rival claims to a great patron, Ibrāhīm. Each faction wanted his name on its side. The ayah's last word lifts the reader above the whole dispute. Your real Protector is not Ibrāhīm, honoured as he is. It is Ibrāhīm's Lord.

That should humble the ego and settle it at the same time. We spend a great deal of energy courting the powerful: the right contacts, the right introductions. None of them is near in the way He is near. None can act the way He acts.

Pride boasts of who it knows. Faith rests in Who knows it.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.