[Shakir 2:124] And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 2:124]
This verse guides mankind to identify the genuine leaders of the true faith as well as the impostors. It also helps to understand risalat and imamat.
The covenant was made with Ibrahim, the father of Isma-il as well as Is-haq, long before either of the sons was born.
Those that bless you I will bless,
All the families on earth will pray to be blessed as you are blessed."
There the Lord appeared to Abraham and said", I give this land to your descendants." So Abraham built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12: 2,3, and 7)
Allah chose Hajirah to bear the first child of Ibrahim and named him Isma-il.
The angel also said:
And the angel of the Lord said to her:
(Genesis 16: 9 to 11)
Immediately after the birth of Isma-il, Allah made a covenant with Ibrahim. Is-haq was not born at that time.
Abraham threw himself down on his face, and God spoke with him and said, "I make this covenant, and I make it with you: You shall be the father of a host of nations". "I will fulfil my covenant between myself and you and your descendants after you, generation after generation, an everlasting covenant, to be your God, yours and your descendants' after you."
(Genesis 17: 2, 3, 4 and 7)
Allah further blessed Isma-il with twelve princes in his progeny.
The covenant was made with Ibrahim and not with Is-haq, a fact which the Jews overlook when they claim that the promised prophet (Deut 18: 18) should be a Jew.
According to Genesis 17: 7 the covenant was between Allah and Ibrahim and his descendants, generation after generation, when Isma-il was born, so it is logical to say that it pertains to the children of Isma-il, not the children of Is-haq who was born much after this covenant. Again, after the prophecy of the birth of Is-haq when Ibrahim showed concern about Isma-il, this covenant was renewed (Genesis 17: 20), with added blessings - the Twelve Princes in the progeny of Isma-il. It differs with the covenant made with Ibrahim which includes both of his sons, Isma-il and Is-haq, and their descendants:
I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you now are aliens, all the land of Canaan, and I will be God to your descendants. (Genesis 17:8)
Circumcision is obligatory for the Jews as well as the Muslims. The descendants of Ibrahim had the right to possess the land of Canaan but as the children of Is-haq, the Jews and the Christians, had corrupted the true faith of Ibrahim, the children of Isma-il thus became the rightful owners. In fact after the advent of the Holy Prophet, the true representative of the house of Isma-il, according to Deut: 18 : 18, all the Jews and the Christians should have embraced Islam, the religion of Allah, which Ibrahim had followed. Ibrahim was a prophet. In spite of his holding the office of the prophethood he was tested and tried by Allah before He made him an Imam. It means that a prophet is not necessarily an Imam and imamat is an office of a decidedly higher order which is granted only when one proves himself suitable and worthy after undergoing a test. "Verily, I make you an Imam for mankind" clearly indicates that like risalat, imamat is also bestowed upon the chosen representatives of Allah by Allah Himself. It is a position no one, however virtuous or godly he may be, not even Ibrahim, the prophet of Allah, could claim for himself, nor can it be conferred on any one by any individual, group or community. It is an exclusively divine action.
What was the nature of the test which Ibrahim passed to qualify himself for the imamat? To test a prophet of Allah of the calibre of Khalilullah in the elementary matters of personal cleanliness and ethics, as some commentators say, sounds meaningless. It was not an ordinary test, definitely not connected with daily habits, behavioural patterns and acts of personal cleanliness. The word kalimat has been used here in the same sense invested in verse 37 of this surah-Allah turned to Adam mercifully when he received the kalimat from his Lord. See commentary of verse 37 of this surah.
Ibrahim's trial was a test of the steadfastness of his faith in Allah. In his dream prophet Ibrahim received the command of Allah to slay his son, Isma-il. Awake, he at once carried out the command (Saffat: 105 to 108). His faith in Allah was on trial. He was certain that what he saw in his dream was the command of Allah. Allah made him an Imam of mankind, yet he had no right to hand over the office of imamat to his descendants, therefore, he requested Allah to let his descendants inherit it. He could only pray for it, which he did. And it is Allah who alone has the right to appoint an Imam. "My covenant does not include the zalim (unjust)" indicates that imamat is given only to those who have not sinned. Only an infallible can be an Imam. Like Ibrahim, Imam Husayn, his descendant, readily sacrificed his sons in the way of Allah.
Zalim (unjust) in the view of the Quran, is he who worships, or has worshipped a ghayrallah. Shirk (idolatry) in the words of the Quran is the greatest zulm or injustice. Therefore he who, at any time in his life, has been a mushrik (idolater) can never be an Imam. Besides the Holy Prophet there was no one, among his companions, who had not been an idol-worshipper, save his cousin, Ali ibna abi Talib, who alone could be rightfully chosen by providence "to receive the covenant of imamat". The Holy Prophet, therefore, under the command of Allah transferred the imamat to Ali, and after Ali to the eleven Imams in the progeny of Muhammad and Ali. In this way the covenant of Allah with Ibrahim was fulfilled, and in the progeny of Isma-il the twelve princes, the twelve holy Imams, were born.
Ismat (infallibility) required for imamat applies to purity from all kinds of sins, great or small, hidden or open, because the conduct of an individual is the outcome of his inherent character and in-built discipline. Therefore, it is downright hypocrisy to accept any man of questionable character as an Imam, arguing that hidden sinfulness should be left alone, and only outward justice should be taken into consideration. Those who have sinned but turned repentant to Allah and gave up sinning can not claim infallibility. Firstly, no one knows for sure that his sins have been forgiven by the Lord. Secondly, repentance may bring forgiveness but the term sinner can never be removed from the name of the person who has sinned. He will be called a forgiven or pardoned sinner. He cannot be equal to a man who has never sinned at all at any time in his life, like Ibrahim. The covenant made with an infallible prophet (Ibrahim) can only be fulfilled by giving imamat to those who are, inwardly and outwardly, as pure and infallible as the great prophet Ibrahim was.
The work of legislation was ended with the ministry of the Holy Prophet. Through the last messenger of Allah, the perfected and completed religion of Allah was conveyed to mankind for their material welfare and spiritual progress for all times till the end of the world; yet the mercy of the Lord must continue because an everlasting covenant was made with Ibrahim:
Therefore there must be an infallible Imam, a divinely commissioned guide, with power and authority delegated to him by Allah, in every age, to keep the people on the right path and direct them unto the destination determined by the merciful Lord of the worlds.
The Holy Prophet said:
Allah made Ibrahim an Imam of mankind. He was neither a ruler nor a political force, yet it was made obligatory on mankind to obey him in all temporal as well as spiritual matters, and after him, to obey those of his descendants who have been chosen as Imams. Therefore it is the duty of all Muslims to obey and follow the Imam of the age in all matters, because, as in the case of Ibrahim, political or temporal power is not necessary for an Imam in order to demand obedience from the people.
The office of imamat is not hereditary. It is Allah's covenant, which is only bestowed upon an infallible devotee of Allah who comes out successful from the tests and trials specifically prescribed for him by Allah. A sinner or a forgiven sinner cannot be an Imam. The names of the twelve Imams, the descendants of Ibrahim in the progeny of Isma-il, divinely commissioned in fulfillment of the covenant made with Ibrahim, are given below:
(According to verse 33 of Ali Imran, Allah chose and preferred Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above all His creatures. The requisite merits were known to Allah only but whosoever was chosen had to undergo an evident test or trial. After Ibrahim the lineage was divided into two branches. The lineage Is-haq terminated in Isa who was raised to heavens. The descendants of Isma-il carried the light to Abdul Muttalib. Again it was bifurcated through his two sons - Abdullah, the father of Muhammad al Mustafa, and Abu Talib, the father of Ali al Murtada. Muhammad and Ali were identical with each other in spirit, character and wisdom. One reflected the other. This identity and unity was integrated in one entity through the marriage of Ali and Fatimah, the holy daughter the Holy Prophet.)
1 Ali al Murtada.
2 Hasan al Mujtaba-the elder son of Ali and Fatima.
3 Husayn al Shahid ul Shuhada-the younger son of Ali and Fatimah.
4 Ali bin Husayn al Zayn al Abidin.
5 Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir.
6 Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq.
7 Musa bin Jafar al Kazim.
8 Ali bin Musa al Riza.
9 Muhammad bin Ali al Taqi.
10 Ali bin Muhammad al Naqi.
11 Hasan bin Ali al Askari.
12 Muhammad bin Hasan al Mahdi.
All the above mentioned Imams were infallible from birth to their martyrdom and never received any formal education or training at the hands of any mortal, yet were the fountainheads of knowledge, wisdom and guidance.
The merit for selection to the divine office of nubuwwat, risalat, imamat, or khilafat is the degree of submission to the divine will and the ability to reflect (or to convey) the same to others, the measure of perfection which determines the state of nearness to the absolute. The test (ibtila) is the theoretical and functional knowledge of the kalimat (the most comprehensive names) on account of which Adam was given the khilafatullah (vicegerency of Allah). These kalimat are accommodated in the essence of Muhammad and Ali Muhammad. They are the manifestation of the light of the kalimat appeared before Adam for the first time.
