"Ha, you are those who disputed about that of which you had...

"Ha, you are those who disputed about that of which you had knowledge; why then do you dispute about that of which you have no knowledge? ..." This is because Allah knows everything but you do not. (Then you should learn it from the concerned ones, viz. from the Prophet (S) and his book.) "... Surely Allah knows, and you know not." Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 67 مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ 67.

"Abraham was neither (as) Jew nor (as) Christian but he was an upright Muslim, and he was not (one) of polytheists." 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 (as) Jew nor (as) Christian but he was an upright Muslim, and he was not (one) of polytheists." Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 68 إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَاللّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 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 The essential relationship between people and their leader is a theological relationship. It is not a tribal or linguiform, or regional or racial relationship.

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