And when he ﷺ negated all deviation from him after he negated that he would be on a religion that is prior to its occurrence, he began to clarify what completes the result of what has passed by stating who is closer to him than those who came after him. He established that the one who is most deserving of him is the one who followed him in the essence of the religion, which is the oneness and the glorification that no two prophets have disagreed upon fundamentally. In submission to the evidence and leaving the familiar without hesitation, they became the rightful ones to Islam, which is described by His saying, glorified and exalted is He, affirming a response to them and refuting their arguments: "Indeed, the closest of people" meaning the closest and most deserving of them "to Ibrahim are those who followed him" meaning in his religion from his nation and others, not those who claimed that he is a follower of them. Then he explicitly stated about this nation and said: "And this prophet" meaning he is the closest of people to him "and those who believed" meaning from his nation and others, even if they are at the lowest levels of faith. "And Allah" meaning by what He possesses of perfect attributes - is their ally. This is the principle, but he said: "the ally of the believers" to encompass all the prophets and their followers from every group, and to indicate that the description that necessitates closeness is rooted in faith, encouraging those who have not reached it in their attainment.