Selected Exegesis

God Almighty tests His prophets and saints with distinct trials. Like all other human beings, the prophets (a.s.) bear moral responsibility. However, their tests are uniquely significant, as they are God’s chosen ones. Abraham, the Friend of the Merciful (a.s.), faced crucial challenges. These included combating idolatry to the extent of breaking idols, enduring the ordeal of being cast into fire, migrating from his homeland, among others. Abraham (a.s.) successfully navigated these trials and was subsequently granted the position of imāma (leadership).

Imāma is a divine gift, not a status one can attain through personal efforts. Abraham had been a prophet and a societal role model for many years before receiving imāma. Since prophethood inherently includes aspects of imāma such as societal leadership and being an exemplar, his request for his descendants to inherit a similar imāma does not imply a continuation of prophethood per se. Rather, the imāma referred to here predominantly signifies internal and celestial guidance—guiding to the ultimate truth as ordained by God.

The Qur’an emphasizes that Imāms guide by God’s command, a principle reflecting the immutable and heavenly nature of the universe. An Imām connects with the divine command of “Be and it is” (kun fa-yakūn) and influences the spirits of humankind, serving as a manifestation of the Turner of Hearts (muqallib al-qulūb). This type of guidance demands that the guide himself is deeply rooted in divine essence. It is an internal grace flowing from God to the luminous hearts of the Imāms (a.s.) and, subsequently, to the believers.

In this celestial sense, imāma transcends mundane and worldly concerns. Attaining it involves embracing divine revelations, ascending to the highest levels of devotion, patience, forbearance, certainty, and perceiving the hidden dimensions of existence. Abraham (a.s.) desired this form of imāma for his progeny as well. However, God’s response—“My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers”—clarifies that only the righteous and infallible among Abraham’s lineage, which includes divine prophets and saints, are eligible for imāma. This divine covenant is inherently incompatible with oppression and sin, and thus, it does not extend to any who engage in such actions, regardless of their repentance or persistence in wrongdoing. Divine wisdom dictates that significant and sensitive roles are not assigned to those with tainted records.