Verse 124
Commentary
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ ١٢٤
(2:124) And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am making you the Imam of mankind.’ Said he, ‘And from among my descendants?’ He said, ‘My pledge does not extend to the unjust.’
Cited elsewhere in al-Mizan: 21 places →
The verse begins a series of narratives about Abraham’s life as an introduction and preparation for the verses about changing the direction of prayer (qiblah) and the rulings of pilgrimage (ḥajj), along with explaining the reality of the true Islamic religion in its various levels: from the fundamentals of knowledge, ethics, and general practical legal rulings. The verses include the story of God choosing Abraham for Imamate (imāma), how he built the Kaʿba, and his prayer to be bestowed with prophethood.
And when his Lord tested Abraham…: The verse introduces the story of granting Abraham Imāma. This story occurred towards the end of Abraham’s life, after he had grown old, after Ishmael and Isaac were born, and after he had settled Ishmael and his mother in Mecca, as some have also noted. The evidence for this is in his words, as God has related after saying to him I am making you the Imam of mankind he said And from among my descendants? Before the angels came with the good news of Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham neither knew nor expected that he would have descendants after him. Even when the angels gave him the good news of children, he spoke of words that showed despair and despondency: And inform them about the guests of Abraham, when they entered into his presence and said, ‘Peace!’ He said, ‘We are indeed afraid of you.’ They said, ‘Do not be afraid. Indeed we give you the good news of a wise son.’ He said, ‘Do you give me good news though old age has befallen me? What is the good news that you bring me?’ They said, ‘We bring you good news in truth; so do not be among the despondent.’ ()
His wife had the same reaction, as God relates in the story of the good news: His wife, standing by, laughed as We gave her the good news of (the birth of) Isaac, and of Jacob, after Isaac. She said, ‘Oh, my! Shall I, an old woman, bear (children), and (while) this husband of mine is an old man?! That is indeed an odd thing!’ They said, ‘Are you amazed at God’s dispensation? (That is) God’s mercy and His blessings upon you, members of the household. Indeed He is all-laudable, all-glorious.’ () Their words, as you can see, show traces of despair and despondency, which is why the angels responded with words that would console them and comfort their souls. Neither he nor his wife knew that they would be granted descendants. Abraham’s response, And from among my descendants? after God says I am making you the Imam of mankind are the words of someone who believes he has descendants. How could someone with even the slightest knowledge of proper discourse—especially someone like Abraham, the Friend of God, in an address to his Glorious Lord—utter something about which he had no knowledge? If that were the case, he would have had to say “And from among my descendants, if You grant me descendants” or words with a similar meaning. So the story occurred, as we mentioned, in Abraham’s late years after the good news.
Indeed, God’s words And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said, ’I am making you the Imam of mankind’ indicate that this bestowed Imāma only came after he was trialed by God, and these were none other than the various types of trials with which he was tested during his life. The Qur’an explicitly states that among the clearest of these trials was the matter of sacrificing Ishmael. God says: He said, ‘O my son! I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you’… This was indeed a manifest test ().
This incident occurred in Abraham’s old age, as God relates his words: All praise belongs to God, who, despite (my) old age, gave me Ishmael and Isaac. Indeed my Lord hears all supplications ().
Let us return to the words of the verse: And when his Lord tested Abraham—ibtilāʾ (testing) and balāʾ (trial) have the same meaning. One says, ibtalithu b balāʾ meaning “I tested him or put them to trial”, it is when you put someone in a situation where you test them and reveal what they possess of hidden personal qualities, such as obedience, courage, generosity, chastity, knowledge, and loyalty, or their opposites. Therefore, testing can only occur through action, for it is action that reveals the hidden qualities of a person, not speech, which can be either truthful or false. God says: Indeed we have tested them just as We tested the People of the Garden (), and God will test you with a stream ().
The testing (ibtilāʾ) in the verse is connected with “words”—if what is meant by them is verbal statements, it is only in terms of their connection to action and their relation to covenants and commands that pertain to action, as in God’s words And speak kindly to people (), meaning beautifully interact with them. In the verse “with words and he fulfilled them,” “kalimāt” (words —the plural of kalima) in the Qur’an can refer to external entities in existence rather than verbal expressions and statements, as in God’s words A Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary (), this usage is based on God equating Jesus with Adam , as God says: Indeed the case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was ().
All usages of “word” (kalima) attributed to God in the Qur’an are intended to mean speech, as in the verses Nothing can change the words of God (), There is no altering the words of God (), to confirm the truth with His words (), Indeed those against whom your Lord’s judgement has become due will not have faith (), but the word of punishment became due (), That is how the word of your Lord became due concerning the faithless, that they shall be inmates of the Fire (), and were it not for a prior decree of your Lord (granting them reprieve) until a specified time, decision would have been made between them (), and the word of God is supreme (), He said, ’The truth is that—and I speak the truth— (), and All that We say to a thing, when We will it, is to say to it ‘Be!’ and it is (). In these verses and similar one, what is meant is speech in the sense of the speaker directing what they want to communicate to the addressee, whether it be in statements or giving a command as in performative utterances. Perhaps for this reason His “word” is sometimes described as “complete” or “fulfilled”, The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. Nothing can change His words (), and His words and your Lord’s best word (of promise) was fulfilled for the Children of Israel () , as if the word when it first issues from its speaker is incomplete and not yet fulfilled, until it turns of action and becomes truth.
This does not contradict the fact that God’s word is His actions. Actual realities have one ruling, while verbal linguistic considerations have another. What God wishes to reveal to one of His prophets or others after its concealment, or wishes to command are His word and speech because it contains the purpose of speech and words and encompasses the aim of information, news, command, and prohibition. Using “word” and “speech” to describe such things is common when they perform the task of words and speech. You might say: “I will certainly do this thing” due to a statement you made or a word you said, even though you did not actually speak words or utter speech, but rather you made a firm resolution that neither the intercession of an intercessor nor weakness of will can break. This is exemplified in ʿAntara’s saying :
And my words whenever my soul surged with emotion: Stay assured! You will either earn praise or find rest
He means by “words” the conditioning of his soul towards steadfastness and determination, to remain in its place to achieve praise if killed, and rest if victorious.
When you understand this, it becomes clear that “with words” in the verse refers to the trials (ibtilāʾ) Abraham was tested with and divine covenants that were required of him, such as his trial with the stars and idols, the fire, migration, the sacrifice of his son, and more. The specific words are not explained in the text because that is not the intended purpose. Yes, His words He said: I will make you a leader for mankind by virtue of the connection to the words, indicate that these were matters through which his worthiness for the position of Imāma was established.
These are the words, and as for their fulfillment, if the pronoun in His words He fulfilled them refers to Abraham, then the meaning of their fulfillment would be his of what was required of him and his compliance with what he was commanded. If the pronoun refers to God, which is more apparent, then the meaning would be God granting success in what was required of him and His assistance in that regard. As for what some have mentioned: that what is meant by “words” is His statement “He said: I will make you a leader for mankind” to the end of the verses—this is a meaning that should not be relied upon, as the use of “words” (kalimāt) to refer to complete sentences is not known in the Qur’an.
I will make you a leader for mankind: Imām (leader) is one who is followed, whose words and actions people follow. The leader is the one whom people follow and take as an example. This is why several exegetes have mentioned that what is meant by it is prophethood, because a prophet is followed by his community in their religion. God says We did not send any messenger but to be obeyed by God’s leave (), but this is extremely weak.
Firstly: His words “a leader” (imāman) is the second object of “I will make you.” The active participle only functions when it indicates the present or future tense, not the past tense. So His words “I will make you a leader for mankind” were His promise to Abraham of leadership (imāma) for the future, and since it was a revelation, which only occurs with prophethood, he was already a prophet before assuming Imāma. Therefore, leadership in the verse does not mean prophethood (as some exegetes have mentioned).
Secondly: We explained at the beginning of the discussion that the story of Imāma occurred in the final period of Abraham’s life, after he received the good news of Isaac and Ishmael. The angels brought this good news during their journey to the people of Lot to destroy them. Abraham was already a prophet and messenger at that time, so he was a prophet before becoming an Imām, thus his Imāma was distinct from his prophethood.
The origin of this exegesis and similar ones stems from the vulgarization that has affected the meanings of Qur’anic terms in people’s understanding through repeated usage over time. Among these terms is the word Imāma, which some have explained as prophethood and general precedence and authority, while others have explained it as succession (khilāfa) or guardianship (wiṣāya), or leadership in religious and worldly affairs—but none of these is correct. Prophethood means receiving news from God, and messengership means undertaking the delivery of the message. Obedience means a person’s acceptance of what another shows or commands them, which is a requirement of prophethood and messengership. Succession is a type of deputyship, as is guardianship, and leadership is a type of authority, which is the source of judgment in society. All these meanings are different from Imāma, which means being someone whom others follow through their actions and words. It makes no sense to say to a prophet whose obedience is obligatory “I will make you a prophet for mankind,” “one to be obeyed in what you convey through your prophethood,” “a leader who commands and forbids in religion,” “a guardian,” or “a successor on earth who judges between people in their disputes according to God’s law.”
The distinction between Imāma and the previous words and the different realities is not verbal. It is not correct to say to a prophet—whose prophethood necessarily entails being obeyed after his prophethood—“I will make you obeyed by people” after having already made him so, nor is it correct to say to him anything that amounts to this meaning even if expressed in different words, for the problem remains the same. These divine gifts are not limited to mere verbal concepts, but rather, beneath them lie realities of true knowledge, and leadership has a reality beyond these realities.
What we find in God’s words is that whenever He addresses the meaning of Imāma, He addresses guidance along with it by way of explanation. He says in the stories of Abraham: And We granted him Isaac and Jacob as a gift, and made all of them righteous, and We made them leaders, guiding by Our command (), and And We appointed from among them leaders guiding by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs (). He describes it with guidance as a defining description, then qualifies it with command, thus showing that Imāma is not absolute guidance, but rather guidance that occurs by God’s command. This command is that whose reality He explained in His words: His command, when He wills something, is just to say to it ‘Be!’ and it is. So immaculate is He in whose hand is the dominion of all things (), and and Our command is but a single (word), like the twinkling of an eye (). We will explain in these two verses that the divine command, which the mentioned verse calls dominion (malakūt), is another aspect of creation through which they face God, pure and purified from the constraints of time and space, free from change and alteration. This is what is meant by the word “Be,” which is nothing but the actual existence of a thing, and it is opposite to creation, which is another aspect of things containing change, gradualness, and conformity to the laws of motion and time.
In summary, Imām is a guide who guides through a divine command (malakūtī) that accompanies him. Imāma, in its inner reality, is a kind of authority (wilāya) over people in their actions, and its guidance is to bring them to what is sought through God’s command, not merely showing the path, which is the role of the prophet, messenger, and every believer who guides to God through advice and good counsel. God says: We did not send any messenger except with the language of his people, so that he might make (Our messages) clear to them. Then God leads astray whomever He wishes, and He guides whomever He wishes (). And He says regarding the believer from Pharaoh’s family: And he who had faith said, ‘O my people! Follow me, I will guide you to the way of rectitude’ (). He says: Yet it is not for the faithful to go forth en masse. But why should not there go forth a group from each of their sections to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware? (). This meaning will become even clearer to you.
Then, He explains the reason for granting Imāma, saying: When they were patient and had certainty in Our signs. This shows that the criterion for this was their patience (ṣabr) for the sake of God—and patience is mentioned in general terms—so it applies to everything through which a servant is tested and tried in their servitude, and their having certainty (yaqīn) before that. It was mentioned in the stories of Abraham: Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude (). The verse, as you can see, indicates in its apparent meaning that showing the dominion (malakūt) to Abraham was a prelude to bestowing certainty upon him. This shows that certainty is inseparable from witnessing the dominion, as is apparent in His words: No indeed! Were you to know with certain knowledge, you would surely see hell (), and No indeed! Rather their hearts have been sullied by what they have been earning. No indeed! They will be alienated from their Lord on that day… No indeed! The record of the pious is indeed in Illiyun. And what will show you what is Illiyun? It is a written record, witnessed by those brought near (). These verses indicate that those brought near (muqarrabūn) are those who are not veiled from their Lord by the veil of the heart, which is disobedience, ignorance, doubt, and skepticism. They are the people of certainty in God, and they witness Illiyun just as they witness hell.
In summary, the Imām must be a person of certainty (yaqīn), to whom the realm of dominion (malakūt) is unveiled—one who has realized the words of God. It has been previously mentioned that the dominion (malakūt) is the command (amr), which is the inner aspect of the two aspects of this world. Thus, His words “they guide by Our command” clearly indicate that everything related to the matter of guidance—which concerns hearts and deeds—the leader has knowledge of its inner reality and truth, and its commanding aspect is present with him, not hidden from him. It is known that hearts and deeds, like all other things, have two aspects. So the deeds of the servants, both good and evil, are present with the leader and reach him, and he has authority over both paths—the path of happiness and the path of wretchedness.
God also says: The day We shall summon every group of people with their imam (). Its exegesis will come later, showing it refers to the true leader (imām), not the book of deeds, as might be assumed from its apparent meaning. The leader is the one who guides people to God on the day when secrets are tested, just as he guides them to Him in both the outer and inner aspects of this worldly life. Moreover, this verse indicates that no time period or era is without a leader, due to the phrase “every group of people,” as will be explained in the exegesis of this verse.
Furthermore, this station—meaning Imāma—despite its nobility and greatness, can only be held by one who is inherently felicitous, since one whose essence is sometimes tainted by oppression and wretchedness can only achieve happiness through guidance from another. God says: Say, ‘Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who guides not unless he is (himself) guided?’ (). The verse contrasts the one who guides to truth with one who is not guided except by another and this contrast necessitates that the guide to truth must be self-guided, as one who is guided by another cannot be a guide to truth at all.
Two matters can be concluded from this:
First: The Imām must be infallible from error and sin, otherwise he would not be self-guided, as previously mentioned. This is also indicated by God’s words: We made them imams, guiding by Our command, and We revealed to them the performance of good deeds, the maintenance of prayers, and the giving of zakat, and they used to worship Us (). The leader’s actions are good deeds to which he is guided not through guidance from others, but through self-guidance with divine support and (granted) success. This is evidenced by the verse: “performance of good deeds,” based on the principle that the annexed infinitive indicates occurrence. There is a difference between saying “We revealed to them: ‘Do good deeds’” which does not indicate actualization and occurrence, versus His saying “We revealed to them the performance of good deeds” which indicates that their good deeds were done through inner revelation and heavenly support.
Second: The converse of the first matter—whoever is not infallible cannot be a leader guiding to truth at all.
Through this explanation it becomes clear that what is meant by the unjust in His words Said he, ‘And from among my descendants?’ He said, ‘My pledge does not extend to the unjust’ () is anyone who has committed any injustice whatsoever, whether polytheism or sin, even if it was during a period of his life from which he later repented and reformed.
One of our late teachers (may God have mercy on him) was asked about demonstrating evidence for the infallibility of the Imām.
He replied: People, according to rational division, fall into four categories: 1) those who are unjust throughout their entire life, 2) those who are never unjust throughout their entire life, 3) those who are unjust in the beginning of their life but not at the end, and 4) those who are just in the beginning of their life but unjust at the end of it. Abraham was too elevated in status to ask for Imāma for his descendants falling in the first and fourth. Two categories remain, and God negated one of them—those who are unjust at the beginning of their life but not at the end. Thus, only one remains: those who are never unjust throughout their entire life. End quote.
Several matters have become clear from the preceding explanation:
First: Imāma is divinely appointed.
Second: The Imām must be infallible through divine infallibility.
Third: The earth and its people are never devoid of a true Imām.
Fourth: The Imām must be divinely supported.
Fifth: The actions of the servants (ʿibād) are not hidden from the knowledge of Imām.
Sixth: The Imām must be knowledgeable about everything that people need regarding their worldly and spiritual affairs.
Seventh: It is impossible for anyone to surpass an Imām in the virtues of the soul.
These are seven issues that are the fundamental principles of Imāma, which the noble verse indicates along with other verses.
If someone says: If Imāma is guidance by God’s command, and it is guidance to truth that is inherently accompanied by self-guidance, as understood from His words Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed… (), then all prophets would definitely be Imams, since it is clear that a prophet’s prophethood is only complete through guidance from God through revelation, without it being acquired from others through teaching, instruction, or similar means. In this case, the gift of prophethood would necessitate the gift of Imāma, and the objection would apply to you (the opinion).
Author’s comment: What can be concluded from the previous explanation derived from the verse is that guidance with truth, which is Imāma, necessitates being guided by truth. However, the reverse, that everyone who is guided by truth becomes a guide for others to truth, such that every prophet would be an Imām due to being inherently guided, has not yet been established. God has mentioned this guidance by truth without connecting it to guiding others to truth in His words: “And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided each of them. And Noah We had guided before, and from his offspring, David and Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—thus do We reward the virtuous— and Zechariah, John, Jesus and Ilyas,—each of them among the righteous— and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot—each We graced over all the nations— and from among their fathers, their descendants and brethren—We chose them and guided them to a straight path. That is God’s guidance: with it He guides whomever He wishes of His servants. But were they to ascribe any partners (to God), what they used to do would not avail them. They are the ones whom We gave the Book, the judgement and prophethood. So if these disbelieve in them, We have certainly entrusted them to a people who will never disbelieve in them. They are the ones whom God has guided. So follow their guidance” (). The context of these verses, as you can see, indicates that this guidance is something that does not change or fail, and that this guidance will not be lifted from his community after the Messenger of God, particularly the off-springs of Abraham, as indicated by the verse: When Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘I repudiate what you worship, excepting Him who originated me; indeed He will guide me.’ And He made it a lasting word among his posterity so that they may come back (to the right path) (). He informed his people of his repudiation in the present and told them of his guidance in the future, which is guidance by God’s command in truth, not the guidance that comes from reflection and consideration, for that was already established as indicated by his words “I repudiate what you worship except Him who originated me.” Then God informed that He made this guidance a lasting word in Abraham’s posterity. This is one of the instances where the Qur’an uses the word “word” (kalima) to refer to an external matter rather than speech, as in His words: and made them abide by the word of Godwariness, for they were the worthiest of it ().
It has become clear from what was mentioned that Imāma was in Abraham’s offspring after him, as indicated in God’s words: And from among my descendants?’ He said, ’My pledge does not extend to the unjust (). Abraham only asked for Imāma for some of his offspring, not all of them. He was answered with its denial for the unjust ones, and not all his children were unjust, such that the denial would apply to all. So, in this, there is an answer to what he asked, along with clarification that it is a pledge, and God’s pledge does not extend to the unjust.
My pledge does not extend to the unjust.: This is an indication of how far the unjust are from the divine pledge, and this is a metaphorical allusion (kināya).
Examining Narrations
- In al-Kāfī from al-Ṣādiq: “God took Abraham as a servant before taking him as a prophet, and God took him as a prophet before taking him as a messenger, and God took him as a messenger before taking him as a friend, and God took him as a friend before taking him as an Imām. When He had combined these things for him, He said: “I am making you the Imam of mankind.” The Imām asked: Due to its greatness in Abraham’s eyes, he said: And from among my descendants? God replied: My pledge does not extend to the unjust. He said: “The foolish one cannot be the leader of the God-fearing.”
Author’s comment: This meaning has also been narrated from him through another chain and from al-Bāqir through another chain, and al-Mufīd narrated it from al-Ṣādiq. His words “God took Abraham as a servant before taking him as a prophet,” can be understood from God’s words: Certainly We had given Abraham his rectitude before, and We knew him… among the witnesses (), and this refers to taking him in servitude at the beginning of Abraham’s affair.
Know that God taking someone as a servant (ʿabd) is different from their being a servant in themselves, for servitude (ʿubūdiyya) is one of the necessities of existence and creation, inseparable from any created being possessing understanding and consciousness. It does not accept being made or taken as such, for it is the state of a human being, for example, having their existence owned by their Lord, being created and made for Him, whether they conduct their life according to what their essential owned status demands and submit to the lordship of their mighty Lord, or not. God says: There is none in the heavens and the earth but he comes to the All-beneficent as a servant (). However, if one does not follow the customs and ways of servitude due to arrogance and rebellion on earth, it would be more appropriate not to call them a servant with respect to ultimate ends, for the servant is one who submits their face to their Lord and gives Him control over themselves. Thus, only one who is a servant in themselves and a servant in their actions should be called a servant—this is the true servant. God says: The servants of the All-beneficent are those who walk humbly on the earth ().
Based on this, God taking someone as a servant—which means accepting their being a servant and reciprocating with lordship—is guardianship (wilāya), which is taking charge of their affairs as the Lord takes charge of His servant’s affairs. Servitude is the key to guardianship, as indicated by God’s words: My guardian is indeed Allah who sent down the Book, and He takes care of the righteous (), meaning those worthy of guardianship. For God has named the Prophet using the term servant in verses from His Book. God says: who has sent down the Book to His servant (), sends down manifest signs to His servant (), and When the servant of Allah rose to pray to Him (). Thus, it has become clear that being taken for servitude is guardianship.
The Imām said: “Indeed God took him as a prophet before taking him as a messenger.” The difference between a prophet and a messenger, as appears from the narrations reported from the Imams of the Household of the Prophet, is that a prophet is one who sees in dreams what is revealed to him, while a messenger is one who witnesses the angel and speaks with him. This order appears in the stories of Abraham. God says: And mention in the Book Abraham. Indeed he was a truthful one, a prophet. When he said to his father, ’Father! Why do you worship that which neither hears nor sees, and is of no avail to you in any way?’ (). The apparent meaning of the verse is that Abraham was a truthful prophet when he addressed his father, thus, confirming what Abraham had declared upon first encountering his people: excepting Him who originated me; indeed He will guide me (). And God says: Certainly Our messengers came to Abraham with the good news, and said, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ He replied (). This story, which includes witnessing and speaking with the angel, occurred when Abraham was old, after he had left his father and his people.
While the Imām’s saying: “Indeed God took him as a messenger before taking him as a friend (khalīl),” can be understood from God’s words: And who has a better religion than him who submits his will to Allah, being virtuous, and follows the creed of Abraham, a hanif (ḥanīf)? And Allah took Abraham for a dedicated friend (). The apparent meaning is that He only took him as a friend due to this pure monotheistic religion (ḥanīfiyya), which he established by his Lord’s command, as this passage explains the nobility of Abraham’s pure religion through which Abraham was honored with friendship. The friend (khalīl) is more specific than the truthful one (ṣiddīq), for one of two who love each other is called truthful when he is sincere in his association and companionship, then becomes a friend when he restricts his needs to his friend, as friendship (khulla) means poverty and need.
The Imām said: “And indeed God took him as a friend before taking him as an Imām,” and the meaning is clear from the previous explanation.
The Imām’s narration “The foolish one cannot be the leader of the God-fearing,” —refers to God’s words: And who will renounce Abraham’s creed except one who fools himself? We certainly chose him in the present world, and in the Hereafter he will indeed be among the Righteous. When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I submit to the Lord of all the worlds’ (). God has called turning away from Abraham’s creed, which is injustice, foolishness (safah), and contrasted it with choosing (iṣṭifāʾ), and explained choosing through submission (islām), as becomes apparent upon reflection on His words: When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit’. Then He made submission and God-wariness one and the same, or following the same course, in His words: O you who have faith! Be wary of God with the wariness due to Him and do not die except as muslims ().
- From al-Mufīd, from Durust and Hishām, from the Imāms, who said: “Abraham was indeed a prophet but not an Imām, until God said: ‘I am making you the Imam of mankind.’ Said he, ’And from among my descendants?’” Then God said: My pledge does not extend to the unjust ()—whoever has worshipped an idol (ṣanam) or image (wathan) or statue (mithāl) cannot be an Imām.”
Author’s comment: Its meaning has become clear from what has passed.
In the Amālī of al-Shaykh it is narrated from the Prophet regarding the verse about God’s words to Abraham, he said: “Whoever prostrates to an idol instead of Me, I will not make him an Imām.” Then the Prophet said: “And the call ended with me and my brother ʿAlī—neither of us ever prostrated to an idol.”
In al-Durr al-Manthūr from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib from the Prophet regarding the verse: My pledge does not extend to the unjust, he said: “There is no obedience except in what is right.”
Also in al-Durr al-Manthūr ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd reported from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn who said: I heard the Prophet say: “There is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to God.”
Author’s comment: Their meanings are clear from what has passed.
- In the exegesis of al-ʿAyyāshī, with chains of transmission from Ṣafwān al-Jammāl, who said: We were in Mecca when the discussion turned to God’s words: And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them. He said: He fulfilled them through Muhammad and ʿAlī and the Imams from the progeny of ʿAlī, in God’s words: some of them are descendants of the others, and God is all-hearing, all-knowing ().
Author’s comment: The narration is based on the understanding that what is meant by “word” is Imāma, as it was explained in the verse: Indeed He will guide me,’ and He made it a lasting word among his posterity (). Thus, the meaning of the verse would be: And when his Lord tested Abraham with words—which are his Imāmate, and the Imāmate of Isaac and his progeny, and he fulfilled them through the Imāmate of Muhammad and the Imams from his household from the progeny of Ishmael. Then He clarified the matter with the verse: I am making you the Imam of mankind until the end of the verse.