اَتَّخَذَtookواحِدًاoneمِنْهُمof themخَلِيلًاa friendأَبَدًاever
He took one of them as a friend forever.
قَالَsaidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّلاَةُthe prayerوَالسَّلَامُand peaceوَهُوَand heيَخْطُبُis giving a sermonالنَّاسَthe people
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said while he was giving a sermon to the people.
لَوْifكُنتُI wereمُتَّخِذًاtakingمِنْfromأُمَّتِيmy nationخَلِيلًاa friendلَاتَّخَذْتُI would have takenأَبَاAbuبَكْرٍBakr
If I were to take a friend from my nation, I would have taken Abu Bakr.
إِذًاSoأَبُوAbuبَكْرٍBakrهُوَisأَحَبُّthe most belovedالنَّاسِpeopleإِلَيْهِto him,لَكِنَّbutلَمْdid notيَصِلْreachإِلَىtoدَرَجَةِthe degreeالْخُلَّةِof friendship;لِأَنَّbecauseالرَّسُولَthe Messengerﷺ(peace be upon him)لَمْdid notيَتَّخِذْtakeأَحَدًاanyoneخَلِيلًاas a friend,لَكِنَّbutإِخْوَةًthe brothersالإِسْلاَمِof Islamوَمَوَدَّتَهُand his affectionوَأَمَّاand as forالْخُلَّةِfriendship؛فَهِيَit isبَيْنَهُbetween himوَبَيْنَand betweenرَبِّهِhis Lord
So, Abu Bakr is the most beloved of people to him, but he did not reach the degree of friendship; because the Messenger, peace be upon him, did not take anyone as a friend, but the brothers of Islam and his affection. As for friendship, it is between him and his Lord.
قَالَsaidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetﷺ(peace be upon him)إِنَّIndeedاللَّهَAllahاَتَّخَذَنِيtook meخَلِيلًاas a friendكَمَاasاَتَّخَذَtookإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimخَلِيلًاas a friend
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah took me as a friend as He took Ibrahim as a friend."
وَالْخُلَّةُAnd friendshipلَاdoes notنَعْلَمُwe knowأَنَّهَاthat itثَبَتَتْis establishedلِأَحَدٍfor anyoneمِنَofالْبَشَرِhuman beings؛إِلَّاexceptلِاثْنَيْنِtwo,هُمَاthey areإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimوَمُحَمَّدٌand Muhammadعَلَيْهِمَاupon themالصَّلاَةُthe prayerوَالسَّلَامُand peace؛لِقَوْلِfor the sayingالنَّبِيِّthe Prophetﷺ(peace be upon him):إِنَّIndeedاللَّهَAllahاَتَّخَذَنِيtook meخَلِيلًاas a friendكَمَاasاَتَّخَذَtookإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimخَلِيلًاas a friend
And we do not know that friendship has been established for anyone among human beings, except for two: they are Ibrahim and Muhammad, peace be upon them; for the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Indeed, Allah took me as a friend, as He took Ibrahim as a friend."
وَهَذِهِAnd thisالْخُلَّةُfriendshipصِفَةٌqualityمِنْofصِفَاتِthe attributesاللَّهِAllahعَزَّthe Almightyوَجَلَّand Exalted؛لِأَنَّهَاbecause itأَعْلَىthe highestأَنْوَاعِtypesالْمَحَبَّةِof love,وَهِيَand it isتَوْقِيفِيَّةٌspecific;فَلَاso it should notيَجُوزُbe allowedأَنْforنُثَبِّتَwe establishلِأَحَدٍfor anyoneمِنَofالْبَشَرِthe humansأَنَّهُthat heخَلِيلٌfriendإِلَّاexceptبِدَلِيلٍwith evidence,حَتَّىevenالْأَنْبِيَاءِthe prophetsعَلَيْهُمُupon themالصَّلاَةُthe prayerوَالسَّلَامُand peace؛إِلَّاexceptهَذَيْنِthese twoالرَّسُولَيْنِmessengersالْكَرِيمَيْنِnoble؛فَهُمَاso they areخَلِيلَانِtwo friendsلِلَّهِfor Allahعَزَّthe Almightyوَجَلَّand Exalted
And this friendship is one of the attributes of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted; because it is the highest type of love, and it is specific; and it should not be established for anyone among the humans that he is a friend without evidence, even the prophets upon them be peace; except these two noble messengers; so they are two friends for Allah, the Almighty and Exalted.
وَهَذِهِAnd thisالْآيَةُthe verse﴿وَاتَّخَذَAnd He tookاللَّهُAllahإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimخَلِيلًاas a friend)هِيَisالَّتِيthatاِسْتَشْهَدَwas citedبِهَاwith itمِنْbyقَتْلِkilledالْجَعْدِAl-Ja'adبِشْنِّbinدِرْهَمDirhamرَأْسِthe headالْمُعَطَّلَةِthe nullifiersالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmites,أَوَّلُthe firstمَاwhenأَنْكَرَdeniedقَالَhe saidإِنَّthatاللَّهَAllahلَمْdid notيَتَّخِذْtakeإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimخَلِيلًاas a friendوَلَمْand did notيُكَلِّمْspeak toمُوسَىٰMusaتَكْلِيمًاas speech!!فَقَتَلَهُSo he killed himخَالِدٌKhalidبِنْbinعَبْدِ اللَّهِAbdullahالْقَسْرِيِّAl-Qasriرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy on himاللَّهَAllah؛حَيْثُwhereخَرَجَhe went outبِهِwith himمُوَثَّقًاboundفِيinيَوْمِthe dayعِيدٍfestival
And this verse (And Allah took Ibrahim as a friend) is the one that was cited by the one who killed Al-Ja'ad bin Dirham, the head of the nullifiers, when he denied: "Indeed, Allah did not take Ibrahim as a friend, nor did He speak to Musa as speech!!" So, he was killed by Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Qasri, may Allah have mercy on him; where he went out bound on the day of the festival.