Trial of Ibrahim (a) Verse: Difference between revisions

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'''The Ibtilaʾ (Trial) of ʾIbrāhīm (a) Verse ''' (Arabic: آية إبتلاء إبراهيم) is the [[verse]] 124 of [[sura]] [[al-Baqara]] in which God appointed [[Ibrahim (a)]] (Abraham) as [[imam]]. Referring to this verse, Shi'a believe that [[imamate]] is a God-given position and that imam needs to be [[infallible]].

|{{center|{{iarabic|'''وَإِذِ ابتَلىٰ إِبراهيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِماتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قالَ إِنّي جاعِلُكَ لِلنّاسِ إِمامًا قالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتي قالَ لا يَنالُ عَهدِي الظّالِمينَ'''}}}}

And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain Kalimat (words), and he fulfilled them, He said: 'I am making you the Imam of mankind.' Said he: 'And from among my descendants?' He said: 'My pledge does not extend to the unjust'

# What is the meaning of "trying with words", and what are the words with which [[God]] tested [[Ibrahim (a)]]?

# What is the meaning of imamate which God gave Ibrahim (a) after he successfully passed the trials?

# What is the mentioned injustice which inhibits one from attaining the position of imamate? In other words, does this verse implies infallibility as the requirement of imamate?

There are different views about the meaning of "Kalimat":

* About the verse, three interpretations are narrated from [[Ibn al-'Abbas]],

# The 10 orders related to the purity of body: [[Madmada]], [[Istinshaq]] [inhalation], brushing teeth, circumcision, trimming mustache, etc.

# Hajj rituals.

* [[Al-Hasan al-Basri]] said that, the "trials" are Ibrahim's (a) debate with the worshipers of stars, the moon and the sun, throwing him into fire, his immigration and sacrificing his son, Isma'il (a).

* [[Abu 'Ali al-Juba'i]] said that, Ibrahim's (a) trial was through intellectual and religious obligations.

* Al-Mujahid has said, that the intended meaning of "words" was the phrase "He said, 'I am making you the Imam of mankind.'" and its following verses. Accordingly, imamate is a part of Ibrahim's (a) trial, not a position he (a) was given afterwards.

[[Al-'Allama al-Tabrisi]], after mentioning the above opinions, says that the [[verse]] reflects them all.

According to narrations received from the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], [[God]] gave the position of [[imamate]] to Ibrahim (a) after the position of [[Khulla]] [friendship].

Position of Khulla is when human being becomes full of God's love and friendship and does not love anything but God and thus he would not save any act of devotion in the way of God.

Accordingly, it can be said that, trials such as throwing onto fire by Nimrod, immigration from his homeland and settling his family in the hot and arid land of Arabia and sacrificing his son were all among the "words" and trials intended by the verse.

To support this opinion, some evidences are mentioned from the [[Qur'an]], for example, to reject Jews and Christians' claim that they related Ibrahim (a) to their religion at the time of [[the Prophet (s)]], the Qur'an mentions that those who are the most worthy to be related with Ibrahim (a), are the Prophet (s), his followers and those who followed Ibrahim (a) before Islam. In another [[verse]], [[God]] revealed it to the Prophet (s) that he must follow Ibrahim's (a) religion and in another verse, introduced Islam, the same religion as the religion of Ibrahim (a).