The Trials of the Prophets

The noble verse under discussion speaks of the trial (_ibtilā_ʾ) of Abraham (a.s.) with words (kalimāt), his fulfillment of them, and the granting of the station of imāma (leadership) to him. Human beings are constantly subjected to divine trials: “Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth as adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed” [18:7]. In the realm of religious duty (taklīf), the prophets (a.s.) are also obligated like others.(24) Through special trials, they become aware of the secret to attaining higher stations, as not all prophets hold the same rank.

Although all prophets share the general characteristics of prophethood—“We make no distinction between any of His messengers” [2:285]—some are granted privileges over others: “Those messengers—some of them We caused to exceed others” [2:253]; “And We have made some of the prophets to excel others” [17:55]. For instance, regarding Adam (a.s.), God says: “But We found not in him determination” [20:115], indicating that he was not among the prophets of great resolve (ūlū l-ʿazm). Similarly, He cautioned the Messenger of God (s.a.w.): “And be not like the companion of the fish” [68:48], referring to Jonah, who lacked patience in the face of hardship and abandoned his responsibility.

Even the angels, in their pursuit of the station of divine vicegerency (khilāfat Allāh), were required to undergo trials. When they inquired about the appointment of a vicegerent on earth, God tested them by asking about the knowledge of names, emphasizing that the vicegerent of the “All-Knowing Creator” must be a creature of knowledge: “And [mention] when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent.’... He said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful’” [2:30-31].

The trials that pave the way for the exalted station of imāma are among the most difficult of all trials. This is evident in the fact that Abraham (a.s.) was honored with the title “Friend of the All-Merciful” (khalīl al-raḥmān), a recognition of the trials he endured and his eventual attainment of imāma. The Qur’an’s mention of Abraham’s trial early in the narration of his life serves as a reminder that the lofty ranks reached by the divine prophets and saints (a.s.) are a result of enduring and overcoming difficult trials.

Although the essence of prophethood, messengership, and imāma is not something that can be acquired, preparing the appropriate ground on one hand, and progressing from an existing level to reaching the actual station, can indeed be acquired.

Reminder: The word idh, whether it is in the accusative case due to an implied verb like udhkur (singular) or udhkurū (plural), or in the accusative case because of the following explicit verb, i.e., “said” (qāla), carries a shared message. That message is that narrating the stories of the prophets, particularly the stories of the resolute ones (ūlū l-ʿazm), is meant to strengthen the heart of the Seal of the Prophets (s.a.w.), as stated in: “All that We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], of the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart” [11:120].

The key point here is that if the governing word for idh is the verb qāla (“said”), the verse clearly conveys the well-known meaning that God, the Glorified, elevated Abraham (a.s.) to the station of imāma as a result of his success in the divine trials. However, if we take idh to be governed by an implied udhkur (“remember”), based on the context of narrative unity, this specific implication does not arise from the verse.