Trial of Ibrahim (a) Verse: Difference between revisions

=== Universal Imamate ===

To support this opinion, some evidences are mentioned from the [[Qur'an]], for example, to reject [[Jews]] and [[Christian]]s' 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.<ref>Qurʾān, 3:68.</ref> In another [[verse]], [[God]] revealed it to the Prophet (s) that he must follow Ibrahim's (a) religion<ref>Qurʾān, 16:123.</ref> and in another verse, introduced Islam, the same religion as the religion of Ibrahim (a).<ref>Qurʾān, 22:78.</ref>

This theory cannot be acceptable due to the following reasons:

* The Qur'an regards Ibrahim (a) as the follower of [[Nuh (a)]] (Noah),<ref>Qurʾān, 37:83.</ref> and it is not meant that Ibrahim (a) was following the religion of Nuh (a); however, it means that Ibrahim (a) followed Nuh's (a) approach in the way of monotheism and fighting with polytheism and ignorance and thus following Ibrahim (a) by the prophets (s) after him, is the same.

* Ibrahim (a) asked God to grant [[imamate]] to his descendants and God gave it to the pure ones among his descendants, as in the Qur'an mentioned about Ibrahim (a), [[Ishaq (a)]] (Isaac) and [[Ya'qub (a)]] (Jacob) that, "We made them imams, guiding by Our command." <ref>Qurʾān, 21:73.</ref>

[[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] has mentioned this opinion in ''[[al-Tibyan]]''. In a treatise, he wrote about this issue, he says,

Then, al-Shaykh al-Tusi has given reasons to distinguish the meaning of prophethood from imamate in its meaning of political leadership:

# God gave the position of imamate to Ibrahim (a) after prophethood and after he (a) successfully passed divine trials; therefore, the prophethood of Ibrahim (a) was not at the same time with his imamate.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''al-Rasāʾil al-ʿashr'', p. 111-113.</ref> [[Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi]] approved this viewpoint.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 1, p. 201.</ref>

About the prophet of [[Banu Israel]] at the time of [[Talut]], that people asked the prophet (s) to appoint a ruler for their war with the enemies is an obvious reason for the fact that they regarded commanding the army among the duties of the prophet (s) and also the prophet (s) did not reject their request and did not say that it is not among the duties of prophethood. But, that people thought themselves more competent for ruling than Talut was because they judged about that based on wealth and popularity. That was why the prophet (s) described Talut's physical and intellectual competences and rejected people's judgments.

Also, if Ibrahim's (a) imamate meant to be political leadership, it did not need such grave trials. In political leadership, more than spiritual merits, competence and wisdom in social leadership are required and prophets (s), as the best of people of their times, had such qualities, especially that they were [[infallible]] in knowledge and action.

Fifth opinion: from [['Allama Tabataba'i']]s viewpoint, [[imamate]] in this [[verse]] is spiritual guidance; which is not of the nature of guiding the way, but it is of the nature of reaching the desired and bringing one to the desired.

* Verses which mention prophet's guiding after mentioning their position of imamate such as, "And amongst them We appointed imams to guide [the people] by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs." <ref>Qurʾān, 32:24.</ref>

* Verses which explain divine order, "All His command, when He wills something, is to say to it 'Be,' and it is. So immaculate is He in whose hand is the dominion of all things and to whom you shall be brought back."<ref>Qurʾān, 36:82-83.</ref>

* Verses which state that perfect knowledge and true certainty requires that people go beyond the appearance of the world to see the heart of things, as the Qur'an mentions about Ibrahim (a) that, "Thus did We show Ibrahim the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude."<ref>Qurʾān, 6:75.</ref>

# Imamate and guidance are together; i.e. guidance is the special feature of imamate and its introducing sign; thus imamate without guidance and guidance without imamate is impossible to imagine. The mentioned guidance is happened by the will of [[God]].

# Achieving the position of imamate and guidance can be achieved by divine will through [[patience]] in the way of God and certitude in the signs of God. Since, patience is mentioned unconditionally, it includes any patience in the way of God, bearing hardships and steadfastness in divine trials. This patience is the fruit of the perfect knowledge and certitude in the signs of God.

== Proofs for the Infallibility of Imams ==

=== Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Reasoning ===

=== Twelver Shi'a Reasoning ===

==== Question and Answer ====

The answer is that the negation in the phrase "My pledge does not extend to the unjust." is absolute and means that anyone who can be called an unjust person at any moment of his life, would not receive imamate and conditioning this phrase needs a reason which is non-existent.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''al-Tibyān'', vol. 1, p. 449; Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 1, p. 202.</ref>

Second Answer: Here, regarding the existence of a definite evidence, those who commit a sin and then repent would not receive the pledge of imamate, as Ibrahim's (a) children can be categorized into four groups:

# Those who were not unjust at the beginning, but became unjust later and were the same until the end of their lives;

# Those who were unjust from the beginning until the end of their lives;

{{Notes}}

==References==

*Qurʾān.

*Baḥrānī, Sayyid Hāshim al-. Al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmīyya, 1393 AH.

*Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Al-Rasāʾil al-ʿashr''. Qom: Muʾassisat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 1363 Sh.

*Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān''. Qom: Maktab al-Aʿlām al-Islāmī, 1409 AH.

{{Famous Verses of Qur'an}}

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