Restriction in Abraham’s (a.s.) Prayer

Some exegetes, in interpreting the restricted nature of Abraham’s (a.s.) prayer, have explained that this method of prayer was inspired by God, the Glorified. When Abraham (a.s.) was appointed to the position of imāma (leadership), as reflected in the verse, “Indeed, I am making you a leader for the people,” he requested, “And from my descendants?” However, God did not accept this request unconditionally; rather, He replied, “My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers.”(205) Through this divine etiquette, Abraham, the Friend of the Merciful, learned to pray selectively, interceding only for the righteous and virtuous.(206)

This explanation assumes that the verses are presented in the Qur’an in the same sequence as their historical order of occurrence. That is, the verse concerning imāma appears before the one under discussion, suggesting that Abraham’s construction of the Kaʿba occurred after his appointment to imāma. If this sequence is correct, the exegetes’ interpretation is fitting. However, this understanding depends on proving that the construction of the Kaʿba indeed followed Abraham’s appointment to imāma, for which there is no definitive evidence.

It is only certain that Abraham (a.s.) had children in his old age, and from the phrase “And from my descendants?” in the verse concerning imāma [2:124], we understand that he attained the position of imāma after having children. However, whether this position was granted before or after the construction of the Kaʿba cannot be inferred from the sequence of the verses.

The order of the verses does not necessarily correspond to the chronological occurrence of events. For instance, the verse “And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House...”(207) [ appears after “Purify My House for those who circumambulate...”(208) Yet, it seems more logical that the command to purify the Sacred House of God would follow an explanation of its construction. However, within the context of building the Kaʿba and establishing its sacred geometry, the directive to purify the House might be understood as a guideline for its construction—i.e., “Build My House with purity.” This is similar to what is mentioned in Sūrah al-Ḥajj: “And when We assigned for Abraham the site of the House [saying], ‘Do not ascribe any partners to Me, and purify My House for those who circumambulate...’” [22:26].

Note: Abraham’s (a.s.) prayer for the economic provision of Mecca’s inhabitants is mentioned in two Qur’anic verses. The first is in the verse under discussion: “And provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in God and the Last Day”; the second is, “Our Lord! I have settled some of my descendants in a barren valley, by Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may maintain the prayer. So make the hearts of a part of the people fond of them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks” [14:37]. In this second verse, the condition “...whoever of them believes...” is not specified.

The secret in the absence of this restriction in the latter prayer can be understood by noting that here, Abraham, the Friend of the Merciful, is specifically praying for his righteous descendants. Thus, there was no need to restate the condition of faith. This implication is derived from his plea to God the Glorified: “I have settled my descendants in this land to establish prayer.” He then asks God to turn some people’s hearts toward them, suggesting that the supplication is particularly focused on believers and is intended for those who establish prayer and are worthy of such affection. This interpretation is supported by the categorization of Abraham’s (a.s.) descendants into two groups—some virtuous and others who act wrongfully: “And among their descendants are the virtuous and those who clearly wrong themselves” [37:113]. Therefore, the prayer is directed specifically toward the righteous.