Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And among his followers was Abraham, when he came to his Lord with a sound heart.”

This sentence consists of *in* (a particle of affirmation), its subject, and its predicate. The subject is delayed; Abraham is the subject, and the predicate is advanced: “from his followers.” The *lam* here is a particle of emphasis, meaning that Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) was among the followers of Noah (peace be upon him). The term *shiyah* (followers) is used in the language for anyone who supports, follows, assists, and defends a person; he is his follower. Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) was among the followers of Noah, meaning among his adherents, those who followed his example, and those who supported what he brought of the Shari'ah. Whoever supports the Shari'ah in any time and place is supporting all Shari'ahs, because supporting the Shari'ah that came from Allah in any time and place is supporting the entire Shari'ah of Allah. For this reason, we, for example, rejoice in the victory of the messengers and their followers, even if they were in a distant time and even if they were not specifically those sent to us. So Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) was among the followers of Noah, meaning among those who supported and followed him in what he brought. This is not in the specific Shari'ah itself, but in the general sense, meaning that he supports and defends the revelation, which is of the same kind as the revelation brought by Noah (peace be upon him).