And when Abraham was tested by his Lord with words
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-Islamic research البحث الإسلامي
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### Question 03
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Honorable scholars, please kindly answer my question:
Among the Qur’anic proofs indicating the **infallibility (*ʿismah*) of the Imam** is the verse concerning the trial of Abraham (peace be upon him), where Allah says:
> “And [remember] when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain words and he fulfilled them. He said, ‘Indeed, I will make you an Imam for the people.’ Abraham said, ‘And from my descendants?’ He said, ‘My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers.’”
> (Quran 2:124)
1. The **Imamate** mentioned in the verse is different from **prophethood**. Why?
2. What is meant by **“the wrongdoers” (الظالمين)**?
3. There is a doubt raised which says: the verse applies only to those who persist in wrongdoing. As for one who repents, the ruling does not apply to him, because when a ruling is attached to a particular attribute and that attribute disappears, the ruling disappears as well.
How can this doubt be answered?
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### Answer
Dear sister Ibtisam,
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
**Imamate is of a higher rank than prophethood**, because prophethood is the station of receiving revelation, whereas Imamate is the position of undertaking the leadership of the community according to the teachings of revelation. Thus, the Imam is the **vicegerent of Allah on earth**, due to the great responsibility placed upon him.
From this we understand that the rank granted to Abraham (peace be upon him) after his trials was **Imamate**. In addition, the word **“Imam”** in the verse clearly indicates the office of Imamate and not prophethood; interpreting it as prophethood would be an unnecessary interpretation without evidence.
Furthermore, the meaning becomes clear from the context of the verse. During the early period of his prophethood, Abraham (peace be upon him) did not yet know that he would have descendants in the future. In fact, in the story where the angels gave him glad tidings of Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon them), there are indications of his despair of having children. If that was the case, how could Abraham ask Allah to grant the rank of Imamate to his descendants?
Thus it becomes clear that this supplication occurred **after the birth of some of his descendants**, that is, **after he had already attained prophethood**.
There is also another important point worth mentioning: the word **“جاعلك” (I am making you)** is an active participle (*ism al-faʿil*), and it only functions in relation to the **present or the future**. Therefore, Allah’s statement:
> “Indeed, I am making you an Imam for the people”
indicates that the granting of Imamate would occur **later**. Since this statement itself is revelation, it could only come to him while he was already a prophet. This proves that **Abraham was a prophet before he was granted Imamate**.
As for the meaning of **“the wrongdoers”**, it refers to **anyone from whom wrongdoing has occurred**, even if it happened during a limited period of their life and even if they later repented. The verse clearly emphasizes the requirement of **infallibility in the Imam**. Whoever does not possess this quality—even for a short time in their life—is not worthy of this position.
Regarding the claim that the repentant person is excluded, both **reason and the Qur’an itself refute this doubt**.
Is it conceivable that Abraham (peace be upon him)—who understood the rank and significance of Imamate after undergoing severe trials—would ask Allah to grant this position to someone who persists in wrongdoing, whether someone who sins from the outset or someone who sins and dies upon that sin? Surely he knew that such a lofty station cannot coexist with **polytheism or sins**.
Therefore, his request for Imamate among his descendants must have been intended for those **who never committed sin**, or those who **sinned and then repented**. Yet Allah, the Exalted, denied granting it to anyone among his descendants except those who are **infallible**. Thus, only the infallible remains included under the verse.
Moreover, even if one considers the apparent meaning of the verse, the word **“the wrongdoers”** is **general and unrestricted**, encompassing anyone from whom wrongdoing has occurred, whether they later repented or not. There is no evidence restricting the term to only one category.
May you remain under the care of Allah.
WILAYAH NEWS VOICE OF THE GLOBAL AWAKENING
