read

Al-Baqarah Section 15: Abraham Made An Imam (Guide) For Mankind

Reminding the Isra’ilites of the special favours of God bestowed upon them, Warning against the Day of Judgment when none shall be of any avail to the other and no compensation shall be accepted, Abraham made an Imam (Guide) for mankind, Imamah a Covenant not to reach the unjust, The Covenant with Abraham, The prayer of Abraham to raise a Prophet in his Seed to recite the Book of God and to purify mankind (for ever.)

Al-Baqarah Verses 122 - 129

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

“O’ children of Isra’il! Remember the bounties which I bestowed upon you and that I have given you preference over the people of the world” (2:122).

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ

“And guard (yourselves) against the day when no soul will in aught avail another, neither from it any compensation be accepted nor intercession profit it, nor shall they be helped” (2:123).

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

“And remember when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words then he fulfilled them; He said, “Verily I make thee Imam for mankind; ‘(Abraham) said “And of my offspring”? He said: “My covenant reacheth not the unjust” (2:124).

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

“And remember when we made the House a resort for mankind and a Sanctuary (saying), ‘Take ye the station of Abraham a place of prayer (for you)’, and covenanted with Abraham and Ishmael (saying) ‘purify ye two My House for those who make circuit, and for those who abide in it and pay devotion and for those who bow down, and for those who prostrate (adoring)” (2:125).

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

“And remember when Abraham said, “My Lord! make this a city (a place) of security and provide the dwellers therein with fruits such of them as believe in God and the Last Day;” He said, “Yea! such as who disbelieveth, I will grant him enjoyment for a short while but soon drive him to the doom of fire and an evil destination it is” (2:126).

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

“And remember when Abraham raised the foundations of the House with Ishmael, (praying) “Our Lord! accept (this service) from us; Verily Thou and Thou (alone) art the All-Hearing and All-Knowing” (2:127).

رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

“Our Lord! Make us (two) Mus1ims submitting (only) to Thee and of our progeny (make) a group submissive (only) to Thee And show us the ways of Devotion and turn to us (mercifully) for verily Thou and Thou (alone) art the Oft - Returning, the Most Merciful” (2:128).

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

“Our Lord! raise up amongst them an apostle from them, who shall recite unto them Thy revelations and teach them the Book and Wisdom and purify them for Thou and Thou (alone) art the Mighty, the Wise’’ (2:129).

Commentary

Verse 122 & 123

These two verses are of the same meaning which Vrs. 47 and 48 of this Surah give. The warning saying that intercession shall not be of any avail does not at all mean that the intercession by the Holy Prophet or anyone else of his allied divinity in personality, will also be ineffective on the day of judgment. It is a warning against the disbelievers who in their own fanciful or imaginary belief, thought that their guardian deities, gods, or goddesses will come to their aid, to those of the Jews and the Christians who stubbornly claimed the intercession of Moses, and Christ’s blood having been paid as a ransom for sins of his followers.

The verse clearly denies any such ransom for sins or the intercession for the sinners who do not believe in the divinely promised Last Apostle of God Muhammad and reject the faith in the truth which he preaches. But the intercession of the Holy Prophet or the other holy ones viz. Fatimah the Holy Lady of Light and the other holy Imams, is there for those who accept the Holy Prophet Muhammad as the true Apostle of God and embrace the truth preached by him but owing to the inherent personal native weakness unintentionally fail, here and there to do justice to the proper following of the teachings in details.

The Holy Qur’an clearly announces about there being some people who alone shall be permitted or authorized by God to intercede and never any others 2:255, 20:109 and 19:87.

Verse 124

This is a very important verse which leads a reader of this Holy Book to several important factors of guidance to discriminate and distinguish between the genuine leaders of the faith and the imposters. The import and the implication of the words of this verse must, as a necessity for the correct study, be seriously and carefully considered and studied in detail. This verse, if properly studied will help the reader to reach the correct points of understanding the Truth about the ‘Risalah’ i.e. apostleship and ‘Imamah’ i.e. Divinely commissioned Guidance.

The Isra’ilites claim, as per Deuteronomy 18/18 that the promised Prophet should be an Isra’ilite. They forget that the covenant was made with Abraham and not with Isra’il (Isaac). As the covenant was made with the father of Ishmael as well as Isaac, the issues of both his sons (i.e. Ishmael and Isaac) have to be blessed according to the covenant. The covenant includes both Ishmael and Isaac as the promise made to Abraham to bless him, and his seed was long before the birth of either Ishmael or Isaac.

‘And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. ‘And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’

‘And the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said: Unto thy seed will I give this land; and there budded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.’ Gen. 12/2, 3 and 7.

It is clearly mentioned that God chose Hagar to bear the child for Abraham and to name him Ishmael: ‘And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress and submit thyself under her hands.

‘And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude’.

‘And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.’ Gen. 16/9, 10, it.

And immediately after the birth of Ishmael God makes a Covenant with Abraham when Isaac had not yet been born:

‘And I will make my Covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.’

‘And Abraham fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying

‘As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

‘And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.’ Gen. 17/2, 3, 4 and 7.

And in the same chapter God further blesses Ishmael particularly with Twelve Princes in his seed.

‘And as for Ishmael I have heard thee, Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly, twelve princes shall he beget, and 1 will make him a great nation.’ Gen. 17/20.

The covenant mentioned in Gen. 17/7 about, between God and Abraham and the generations after him in his seed will naturally and logically be in the seed of Abraham through his son who was then born (i.e. Ishmael) and not in the son who is yet to be granted to him at the prayers of another wife Sarah. The Covenant about Ishmael was renewed after the birth of Isaac was prophesied to Abraham when Abraham got anxious about Ishmael which shows that Abraham’s first concern was about Ishmael and God allayed Abraham’s fears repeating his promise about his seed through Ishmael and promising further blessing upon Ishmael and his seed with Twelve Princes also besides what has already been covenanted with Abraham when Ishmael was born.

‘And as for Ishmael I have heard thee, Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly, Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.’ Gen. 17/20.

Besides the nature of the covenant made with Ishmael does differ from the covenant made with Abraham.

The covenant made with Abraham was kept by the children of Ishmael as well as those of Isaac:

‘This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised.’ Gen. 17/10.

Consequently, circumcision became binding upon the Isra’ilites as well as the Ishmaelites which is clear evidence that the covenant with Abraham was concerned with both his sons and their seeds.

Similarly, God’s covenant about the everlasting possession of the land of Canaan was true with regard to the seed of both the sons of Abraham:

‘And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ Gen. 17/8.

If the covenant was with only Isaac’s children, the promise of the everlasting possession of the land of Canaan failed with the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, who is an Ishmaelite. The fact is the land of Canaan was given to the children of Isaac as long as they held it in virtue and were faithful to the faith of Abraham but when the Isra’ilites, the children of Isaac and their heirs the Christians began to worship three gods instead of the One True God and preached all sorts of fanciful and fantastic faith the land was passed on to the people of the Ishmaelite Prophet and thus, the covenant with Abraham was still maintained for the Holy Prophet Muhammad is no other than the seed of Abraham and a true representative of the house of Ishmael who is none else save the one promised in Deuteronomy. 18/18 and in whose seed have to be born the promised Twelve Princes (the Twelve Holy Imams). Gen. 17/20 in the seed of Ishmael.

In fact, it is mainly the complex of racial superiority or prejudice of the Isra’ilites that stood in the way of the Jews and Christians of Arabia embracing Islam Otherwise, there was nothing wanting in proof for them to believe in the unique personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad or in the truthfulness of what he preached to the world.

Now taking this verse in its importance with reference to the doctrines of Islam, it plays a very important and leading part in bringing home to the believers in the Islamic truth.

The first factor which deserves notice of every reader of this verse is that Abraham was already a Prophet. In spite of his holding the high office of the apostleship of God he was tried or tested and only when he proved himself successful in the test he was entrusted with the office of ‘Imamah.’ This obviously means that one can be a prophet or an apostle of God but need not necessarily be an Imam also, for ‘Imamah’ has been proved to be an office of a decidedly higher order to which even an apostle of God can be entrusted with, only after a test. And the words of God in which Abraham has been vested with ‘Imamah’ viz., ‘Verily I make thee an ‘‘Imam’ (Guide) for mankind’ clearly indicate that very like ‘Risalah’ i.e. apostleship or prophethood ‘Imamah’ also is an office which is bestowed upon the specially chosen ones of God by God Himself and it is not a part or a position anyone however virtuous and godly he may be, be he even an apostle of God of the high position of the great patriarch Abraham, to occupy or assume, or any honour or privilege which the whole humanity even unanimously, can ever confer on any one of its own choice.

The question is what was the test like or with what was Abraham tested to qualify himself for ‘Imamah.’ The test must be one equal to his position as an apostle of God or worth giving to one already called the ‘Khaled’ or the Devoted one. It can never be an ordinary test. It is reported that it was the training of Abraham in the several acts of daily habits: certain regulated behaviours and certain acts of personal cleanliness. To test one who is already an apostle of God in the elementary matters of personal ethics and cleanliness, sounds meaningless and does not at all appeal to common sense.

The word ‘Kalimat’ meaning words, clearly indicate that the test was not connected with matters of ordinary reasoning or faith. This same term ‘Kalimat’ has been used in the case of Adam turning to God in repentance1 at which Adam’s prayer for pardon was granted.

The trial was in his steadfastness in his faith in God. Abraham was commanded through a vision in a dream to slay his son Ishmael, when he awoke, he unhesitatingly acted as he was bidden2. It indicates that Abraham already knew he was God’s apostle and what he saw in the vision was no other than God’s command with such a certainty in his mind that what he did would have been a possibility for a sensible father to slay his own son.

The cry of Abraham praying for his seed to inherit the ‘Imamah’ now vested in him, indicates that even an apostle of God who has been raised to ‘Imamah’ has no right to pass on his office of ‘Imamah’ to his issues and he can only pray for his own seed to receive it from God.

God’s reply to Abraham ‘My covenant reacheth not the unjust,’ indicates that ‘Imamah’ is the covenant of God and it is never bestowed but only on those who have never sinned in their life. In other words, only a ‘Masoom’ i.e. an absolutely sinless one i.e. the infallibly sinless one who never in his life at any time has sinned, alone can be an ‘Imam’ and even his sinlessness he must also have the unique attachment to God to the extent of readiness to slay his own son when commanded by God to do it.

As regards the quality of injustice called ‘Zulm’ in Arabic which disqualifies an individual for ‘Imamah’, the greatest ‘Zulm’ or injustice in the words of the Holy Qur’an is ‘Shirk’ i.e. idolatry. In view of the Qur’anic interpretation of the word ‘Zulm’, one who had been a ‘Mushrik’ and idolater, can never be an ‘Imam’ at any time in his life. Besides the Holy Prophet Muhammad there was none in the Islamic world during the Prophet’s time who at any time had not been an idolater, save Ali, son of Abu Talib, the cousin, the Vicegerent and the son - in - law of the Holy Prophet, who, and none else, could have rightfully been chosen by providence ‘To receive the covenant of ‘Imamah’ as did Abraham when it was first bestowed upon him by God. This ‘Imamah’ conveyed to Ali from the Holy Prophet passed on in the seed of Muhammad and Ali i.e. in the Eleven Imams, who were all as sinless and as devoted to God as was Abraham and who were all the seed of Abraham as well, through his son Ishmael, for the Holy Prophet Muhammad and Ali were all pure Ishmaelites in their descent from Abraham. Thus, the covenant of God with Abraham to bless Abraham’s seed was fulfilled in the apostleship of Muhammad and in the promise of raising Twelve Princes in the seed of Ishmael was fulfilled in the Twelve Holy Imams3.

“And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, 1 have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; Twelve Princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation”

This verse clearly indicates that the Covenant of God to be the Imam or the Guide for mankind, is always made with a ‘Masoom’ or a sinless, infallible one i.e. an ‘Imam’ must be a ‘Masoom’ i.e. a ‘Masoom’ alone can be an Imam.

The ‘Ismah’ or the sinless infallibility demanded for ‘Imamah’ applies to all kinds of sins, great or small, hidden or open.

In order to establish a self-assumed ‘Imamah’ of a questionable character, especially when he is a royal personage to get his royal patronage and favours, people think that for an ‘Imam’, his hidden sinfulness need not be considered and only his outward justice is to be counted. This argument does appeal neither to common sense nor to any reasoning. The argument is so meaningless that it needs no counter at all. It is a natural truth well-known to every educated one that the conduct of an individual is the outcome of his inherent internal character based upon his personal morals.

To define the kingly tyrants who assumed themselves to be the religious guides of the people it has been argued that a sinner who has repented for his past character and conduct is sufficiently pure to be the divinely covenanted leader or guide of the people. The infallibility demanded for ‘Imamah’ is the native endowment in the individual which can keep him away from every kind of sin from his birth to his death. The term sinner is applicable as much to one who has given up his sinful habits as to one who continues sinning. Besides a sinner can only pray for the forgiveness of his sins but none can assuredly claim the sins of any one to have also been in fact actually forgiven by the Lord, Who might have granted the pardon and also might not have granted it. Repentance might qualify for forgiveness, but the term sinner can never be removed from the name of the individual. No doubt, he will be called a pardoned or a forgiven sinner. A sinner, though later might have been forgiven, can never be equal to the one who has never sinned at all at any time in his life like Abraham, and the covenant, which was given to a sinless one like Abraham, even that after a trial, can always be given to one who will be as sinless and as pure in spirit as in the outward conduct as the great Prophet Abraham was.

The work of the Final Lawgiver, the Last Reformer or the Practical Trainer in the ethics and morals divinely prescribed for humanity ended with the conclusion of the ministry of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Through this Last Apostle of God had been conveyed to mankind a perfect religion with a perfect code of ethics, law and morals to serve mankind as a whole both for their spiritual progress as well as their physical welfare in this world in all climes, for all times until the end of the world. There remained nothing to need any other apostle from God to deliver anything to the human race. Hence the Holy Prophet Muhammad was declared by God as the Last of the Apostles or the Seal of his Prophets. No other apostle or prophet had ever to come from God after him. The right way to salvation (Islam) had been revealed but the mercy of the Lord had yet to continue to help people to remain on the revealed path and the covenant made with Abraham was an Everlasting covenant.

“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee and in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Gen. 17/7).

Hence with the conclusion of the work of ‘Risalah’ or the apostleship of God, started the work of the same apostle to guide the people on the path he showed them to follow. ‘Risalah’ or apostleship plays the role of showing the right way and ‘Imamah’ is for guiding the people on the way to the destination fixed by the All-Merciful Lord Creator of the Universe.

The covenant made with Abraham being an everlasting one, and the need for the guidance of mankind remaining there until the end of the world, there must be an ‘Imam’ or a divinely commissioned guide in every age to serve the human race as a whole as and when it may be necessary. This holy personage of superb godly spirit, stainless character, and infallible conduct, divinely commissioned by God is one who with the powers divinely vested in him can guide anyone, in any part of the world, provided the individual makes the proper approach for such an aid.

Islam prescribes it as so much incumbent upon every believer to be attached to the ‘Imam’ of the age that it is declared by the Holy Prophet “Whosoever dieth, not knowing the Imam of his age, he dieth the death of ignorance” (Hadith).

It must also be kept in view that Abraham prayed for the ‘Imamah’ in his seed, as it was bestowed upon him. He was never a temporal ruler and never coveted for any political power and yet he was the divinely commissioned ruler over the destinies of the people, and it was the duty of the people to obey him in all matters temporal as well as spiritual. Similarly, it is the duty of the Muslims to obey the ‘Imam’ of the age, in all matters of their life in this world, although the ‘Imam’ might have been deprived of the political power over them.

With the above very brief analysis of the synthetic contents of this verse it will suffice for an intelligent reader with a really awakened mind in search of the true meanings implied in the verse of the Holy Qur’an, if the contents of this verse are enumerated as follows:

  1. A Prophet with all purity of soul and mind with his superb ideal morals, conduct and character, needs to go through a trial prescribed by God to qualify himself for ‘Imamah’, which means the perfect sinlessness and infallibility (i.e. Ismah) is the pre-requisite to receive the great office of ‘Imamah.’

  2. The trial to undergo to qualify for ‘Imamah’ is the devotion and the attachment to God to the extent to slaughter even one’s own son in response to the call from God, to do it,

  3. The office of ‘Imamah’ is not hereditary i.e. it cannot pass on unconditionally from the father to the son. ‘Imamah’ is awarded at the will of the Lord.

  4. ‘Imamah’ is God’s Covenant.

  5. ‘Imamah’ is never given to any sinner - self, sin being injustice to one’s own self and the greatest injustice is idolatry, one who had once been an idolator can never be an ‘Imam.’ (as Abraham was an idol - breaker and not an idol worshipper).

The divine promise to Abraham to raise Twelve Princes in the seed of Ishmael was fulfilled in the following Twelve divinely commissioned Imams or guides, all of whom were from the seed of Abraham through his son Ishmael.

  1. Ali Al-Murtaza son of Abu Talib - The cousin, the Vicegerent and the son - in - law of the Holy Prophet Muhammad - Husband of Lady Fatimah - the Lady of Light - through this holy alliance sprang the line of the rest of the Imams.

  2. Hasan Al-Mujtaba - son of Ali and Fatimah - Martyred by poison.

  3. Husayn - Shahid Karbala - son of Ali and Fatimah - The Great Martyr who laid his all in the way of the Lord at Karbala along with his own kith and kin and friends.

  4. Ali Zayn Al-’Abidin - son of the 3rd Imam Husayn - Martyred by poison.

  5. Muhammad - son of the 4th Imam Ali - Martyred by poison.

  6. Ja’far - son of the 5th Imam Muhammad - Martyred by poison.

  7. Musa - son of the 6th Imam Ja’far - Martyred by poison.

  8. Ali - son of the 7th Imam Musa - Martyred by poison.

  9. Muhammad - son of the 8th Imam Ali - Martyred by poison.

  10. Ali - son of the 9th Imam Muhammad - Martyred by poison.

  11. Hasan - son of the 10th Imam Ali - Martyred by poison.

  12. Muhammad (Al-Mahdi) - son of the 11th Imam Hasan - alive at the will of the Almighty as are alive Khizar, Ibnas and Jesus, hidden in refuge, safe from the view of the mortals. He is the last guide for all times until the end of the world. He appears as when he deems necessary in response to a sincere approach of a true devotee for any essential guidance sought of him. The proper approach to this living Imam in refuge, is prescribed and everyone who adopts the prescribed course meets him and receives the godly guidance sought of him.

All the above Imams were sinless and infallible from their birth to their Martyrdom. They had no education or training at hands of any mortal in this world and yet were universally acknowledged by their friends and foes alike as the divinely inspired fountainheads of knowledge and guidance. The purity of their souls, their sinless infallibility, their superb ideal conduct and character and their perfect godliness, is accepted at all hands. Even the tyrants who martyred them, could not but acknowledge the above qualities in them.

Reference to Abraham are very frequent in the Holy Qur’an. The reader may refer to the index.

Here the points to be noted are:

  1. No divine appointment or privilege can be effected without the requisite merit which can be known only to God, but it should come to evidence through a test.

  2. Adam and after him a particular lineage was elected for its merits for the fulfilment of the divine plan4.

  3. Of the lineage, not all but some carried the merit and were brought to evidence through tests up to Abraham.

  4. From Abraham the lineage was bifurcated into two lines i.e., of Ishmael and of Isaac.

  5. The continuity of the line of Isaac ended with Jesus who was taken into heaven, away from the physical view in a mysterious way.

  6. The line of Ishmael carried the divine light up to Abdul Muttalib where it was again bifurcated into Abd Allah and Abu Talib of which Muhammad the Holy Prophet and Ali the Holy Imam were the manifestations and who were united or identical with each other in spirit, character, conduct and in such integration of the divine qualities that one mirrored the other and this unity or identity was furthered through the Holy Lady Fatimah the Lady of Light.

  7. After Ali, his sons from Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn inherited the merit and the office of the ‘Imamah’ by succession one after another.

  8. Succeeding his brother Hasan, Husayn’s line carried the light of the divine merit.

  9. Of this line the nine Imams were selected to succeed one after another till it stopped with the Ninth who also like Jesus was caused to disappear from the physical sight but to retain his authority of the vicegerency of God on earth for a divinely fixed term. And when the time comes, he will appear as the sole leading authority and Christ too would return to earth following the guidance of the last Imam in the same way as Ali had followed the Holy Prophet of Islam. Thus, will be effected the reunion of the two bifurcated lines of the lineage of Abraham.

  10. The merit for the selection to the divine office be that of ‘Nubuwwah’ prophethood, or the ‘Risalah’ the apostleship, or ‘Imamah’ the Divine Guidance, or ‘Khilafat’ the Vicegerency, is the degree of submission to the divine will and the capacity to reflect or to convey the same to the others.

  11. The more perfect in this quality, the closer would be the approach to the Absolute.

  12. The test (‘Ibtila’) was of the theoretical and the practical knowledge of the most comprehensive names which qualified Adam for the vicegerency and through which Adam got his prayer heard and which are accommodated in the ‘‘Haqiqate Muhammadiah’ and that was the first emanated light of which the Last Prophet of God was the manifestation.

As regards the practical knowledge of it, it was the effort to assimilate and to reflect the divine will in all aspects of his life as against his personal desires and aspirations having the example of the first light in view.

In the case of Abraham a few examples of the test to which he was subjected have been given in the Holy Qur’an:

  1. His opposing and blaming the patriarch Azar against the idolatry.

  2. His rise to the observation of the holding authorities on the earth and in the heavens.

  3. Fits attainment of the stage of certainty.

  4. His method of argument to take the people out of the idolatry or polytheism to the utmost heights of monotheism.

  5. His efforts to translate, the monotheistic theory into the practical unity of worship, and planning and building the House of Worship against the many temples of the idolatry of the pagans.

  6. Sacrificing all limitations of the Ego by directing his attention solely towards the Absolute.

  7. His conscience beginning to focus the divine will both in the wake and in dream.

  8. As the most important test of the strength of the conviction, faith, submission and surrender and the sacrifice of all that is dear to him particularly of his son Ishmael, comes the dream in its indicative form with the faith and the conviction of the son (Ishmael) who immediately interpreted it into an imperative, and expressed his readiness to be subjected to it.

  9. The Final declaration of the divine appointment as the leading authority for the people, is after the completion of the test without any failure in any aspect whatsoever.

  10. When Abraham asked ‘Imamah’ to be continued in his descendants, he knew that the leadership cannot be given to all his descendants. Hence, he asked for some of them5.

  11. In answer to this question, God specially declared that of his (Abraham’s) descendants, the iniquitous shall not have it.

  12. Iniquity in any sense or form means deviation from the right path6 and any deviation of such a nature means failure in the test. The failure might have been redressed by a repentance and returning to the right path and gain the salvation but in such a situation cannot be appointed as the leading authority over the people who have never failed and never deviated from the right path7 who are termed as ‘Sabiqoona bil-Khairat’ literally meaning the foremost in the excellence of submission. (A.P.)

Verse 125

‘Masabatan’ means a place to earn a goodly return from God or a place of refuge. ‘Amnan’ means a place of security or sanctuary. The special characteristic of this sacred premise is referred to as:

  1. It was a centre for all tribes to resort to the worship of a Universal God.

  2. The sanctity of the place was respected by friends and foes alike. In a fixed season all fighting was forgotten within its limits, even arms were forbidden to be carried and no game or killing or destroying of anything was allowed - like the cities of refuge during Mosaic times to which criminals even manslayers could not be pursued.

    “And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities” (Num 35/6)

  3. Mecca was a sanctuary against any pursuit of revenge or even the least kind of violence.

  4. It is a place of prayer for all times built by Abraham and his son Ishmael8 There has been shown the spot near the Ka’ba on which Abraham stationed himself while erecting the Holy House exclusively dedicated to the worship of the One and the Only True God, and at which he offered his prayers.

  5. The Holy House must, as a doctrine of faith, be held pure and sacred for all purposes by every believer in the true God and the follower of the divinely revealed religion Islam.

One thing may lie appropriately mentioned here for the information of the reader of this verse that even in such a Great Sanctuary with all its offer of perfect security even to a criminal like a manslayer in which not even an ant or worm shall be killed, Husayn the grandson of the Holy Prophet, the third divinely commissioned Imam, could not get the security for himself even to perform the pilgrimage. In order to maintain the sanctity of the Great Sanctuary Husayn had to immediately get out of Mecca and proceed to Karbala where he was most mercilessly martyred with his godly band consisting of his own children, his other nearest kith and kin, where even his friends were brutally massacred. Whether those who violated the sanctity of the Holy Ka’ba and drove away the Holy Imam from it and enacted the most heartrending tragedy at Karbala could be Muslims or not, it is left to the readers of this Holy Book to judge.

‘Ahidna’ i.e. meaning we covenanted with or took a pledge from, or we enjoined upon. This implies that it was God’s covenant that the seed of Abraham which had been blessed for ever should keep it clean, or to clean it of the false-gods whenever installed in it, after him by any generation misled later on. This covenant passed on to the Last Apostle Muhammad, promised to the ancient people9.

It was the prayer of Abraham also to raise a Prophet in his seed10 and to be the ‘Tongue of Faith’11. In 7 A.H. the Holy Prophet Muhammad on his conquering Mecca, first visited the Holy House the Ka’ba and raising Ali on his shoulders cleared it of all the idols. It is worth perusing how Ali snatched and plucked out the idols of stone and metals strongly fixed in the walls of the Holy Premises and struck them down on the earth rending them to small bits.

The covenant or order ‘Tahhira’ to purify or clean indicates that a House dedicated to the worship of the Only True God did already exist there from even before Abraham, which, like the Ka’ba of the times of the Holy Prophet, was profaned by idols. The Verse 3:96 indicates the Ka’ba to be the first House of Worship of God and Verse 22:29 calls the premises ‘Bait al-Atiq’ the Ancient House i.e.

It indicates that Abraham built it afresh as the Ancient edifice might have ceased to exist12 in which case purification will mean isolation or reservation of the spot wholly or exclusively for the purpose of the worship meant.

The Christian critics and commentators on the Holy Qur’an viz. Muir, Burton and Rodwel are naturally sceptically opposed to the Holy Ka’ba being associated with Abraham. Fretyag also tries his best to disprove that Abraham had ever been to Arabia to build the Ka’ba. This is just to innovate at least some doubt or other to mislead their own people to prevent them from believing into the Islamic truth. Otherwise, the connection of Ishmael’s name with Arabia is an unquestionable and an incontrovertible fact that Kedar (son of Ishmael) Gen. 25/13 stands throughout the writings of the Old Testament for Arabia13 - and the expulsion of Hagar14 and the miraculous appearance of the well, Zam Zam - for Ishmael and God’s promise to Hagar about Ishmael. The statements put together give the correct conclusion.

“And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generation: the first born of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam. (Gen. 25/13).

The word ‘Baitiya’ means My House. God’s calling the Ka’ba as His House indicates the emphatic acceptance of God, of the Holy Premises as the divinely accepted place of worship of the True God, to repudiate its defiling by the Polytheists before it was finally purified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad and Ali, the Two promised ones for the purpose in the seed of Ishmael.

The event of Abraham, his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael migrating from their native homeland, the miraculous gushing forth of the spring Zam Zam, the habitation of the place now called Mecca and the erection of Holy House exclusively for the worship of the only true God, called the Ka’ba, runs as follows:

Abraham had no issue by his wife Sara. The Almighty God had already prearranged for a virtuous lady to be in the house of Abraham who had to be the mother of the Final blessings of God in the Seed of Abraham. She was Hagar who by the divine plan had already been in the employ of Abraham’s household as the hand - maid of Abraham’s wife Sara. Sara a good - hearted wife presented her handmaid Hagar to her husband to have issues through her. Ishmael was born to Hagar and now the natural envy of Sara against Hagar began to disturb the domestic harmony, happiness and peace in the family life of Abraham for Sara had begun ill - treating Hagar and teasing Abraham by her troublesome behaviour with Hagar. Abraham sought God’s help in the situation as he could no longer himself manage it. God, in order to merely reward Sara for her past good - heartedness directed Abraham to send away Hagar and her son Ishmael to the place now called Mecca.

The necessary mounts were provided with by the angel Gabriel and Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael out of the native land. When they arrived at a spot in Arabia, the Black Stone ‘Hajar Al-Aswad’ lay deposited, Gabriel asked Abraham to get down. Abraham asked Gabriel about the land. Gabriel replied that it was the land of God’s blessings and bounties and there had stood in that place a House which was visited and venerated and held sacred by mankind, from the ancient times.

The Holy House was called ‘Baitul Mamoor’ the House had then ceased to exist, and it was the will of the Lord that Abraham and Ishmael should erect the House afresh. Abraham settled Hagar and Ishmael there in a shelter made for the mother and her baby son Ishmael. Gabriel told Abraham that it was the will of the Lord that Abraham should return to his native land. When Abraham wanted to part Hagar asked: “Abraham, O’ Devotee of God, upon whom doth thou leave us here” The great Patriarch Abraham told Hagar consoling her “He who saved me and provided me with all that I needed and saved me from the fire of Nimrod, I leave you to His unfailing care” To which Hagar replied: “I agree to God’s plan; He is quite sufficient for me and my child. I depend and rely upon Him!” On his return journey from Hagar and Ishmael, when reached the moment Ze - Tavi; Abraham turned his face towards Hagar and Ishmael and prayed to God?

رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ

“O’ Lord’ Verily I have stationed one of my seeds in a barren valley” (14:37).

While Abraham was departing from her, Hagar drank a little water from the water bowl of Abraham and later when she and her baby son Ishmael felt thirsty there was no water either with her or anywhere in the surrounding. The terrible thirst in the scorching heat of the Sahara dried away the milk in her breast. As the Sun rose high the baby Ishmael got restless without his mother’s milk or even water to quench the killing thirst. The baby lay on the ground striking and rubbing his tiny feet on the earth. The poor mother Hagar ran on the top of the mount Safa to see if she could find someone in the surrounding to enquire about the availability of water in the place, but saw none. She returned to her son restless with hunger and thirst and found the baby’s condition to be more miserable.

Again, the helpless mother ran to another mount ‘Marva’ and getting upon it shouted for help but no human sound responded her call nor could she see anyone there. She again returned to the baby and found Ishmael at the point of death. Every time she went upon the mount Safa a voice was heard from the Mount Marva, and similar from Marva she heard the voice from Safa, and every time she ran after the voice. The poor mother ran seven times between the Mounts ‘Safa’ and ‘Marva’ in search of water or someone who could show her the spot where water could be available.

At last, when she returned to see her baby son in a helpless condition, she decided to leave the baby to his fate and departed from him, at least to avoid seeing her own child dying of thirst before her own eyes, and went and stood on the Mount ‘Marva.’ The Angel Gabriel caused a spring of water to gush forth from under the feet of Ishmael. At last Hagar in her helplessness returned to the baby but to her amazement and boundless joy found a spring of fresh clear water gushing forth from the spot where her baby son Ishmael struck his tiny feet, which was named Zam Zam. This event has been recorded in Gen. 21/14 - 21.

  1. “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer - She - ba.

  2. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

  3. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said. “Let me not see the death of the child” And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

  4. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is

  5. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

  6. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

  7. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

  8. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took hint a wife out of the land of Egypt15.

And the running of the helpless mother Hagar between Safa and Marva has been prescribed as one the rites of Hajj (Pilgrimage). A mysterious voice announced to Hagar (‘Hagar’! Fear thou not! This water the lord hath caused to flow for thee and thy son, that it may serve the pilgrims to His House which thy husband and thy son Ishmael shall build, and the people from various parts of the world shall have it on pilgrimage). Hagar was filled with joy. Every day the flow of the water increased and by it, the surrounding lands got wet and fertile. Gradually the providential fertility developed.

Caravans from distant places who passed the spot were amazed and desired a contract with Hagar for availing of the water for their settling themselves in the place with their families and flocks of their cattle. In the meanwhile, Abraham returned to visit his wife and son and the people entered into an agreement with him for their settlement in the place. With the migration of the people from other places to the place around the miraculous spring named Zam Zam, the habitation gradually grew into a big flourishing township and mercantile centre, with fruits and other foodstuffs pouring in from the other lands. When Abraham returned to the place for the second time, he found the place a fairly populated township and a busy trade centre. Here had once stood the First House of Worship of the Only God and it was here that Abraham and Ishmael once again raised the Holy House called Ka’ba vide the succeeding verse.

Verse 127

The House was built by Abraham assisted by his son Ishmael and their prayer to God while they were erecting the Holy superstructure indicates the purity and exclusiveness of the intention with which the House was built. When God hears every sincere prayer, the prayer of the devotees like Abraham and Ishmael could not be but heard by God. It is quite evident that God had been so much pleased with these two holy men of His, that the very prayer of theirs has been included’ into the text of the last revealed Book given to the Last of His Apostles, Muhammad.

Verse 128 & 129

A great Apostle of God like Abraham praying to God to make him and his son Ishmael who was also an Apostle, Muslims (i.e. those submitting themselves wholly to the Lord), indicates how difficult a task it really is to be a true Muslim. Merely calling one’s self a Muslim does not suffice.

Abraham’s prayer for a people in his seed to be Muslims as he himself was, indicates that there had always been some men and women in the seed of Abraham who were true Muslims in the correct meaning or sense of the term. It was through such pure and godly souls in the progeny of Abraham that the Divine Light of the soul of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and Ali passed through or was conveyed from one parental agency to the other until it reached Abdul Muttalib. From Abdul Muttalib it manifested through two agencies among his children viz. Abd Allah and Abu Talib. Through Abd Allah was born the Holy Prophet Muhammad Al-Mustafa and through Abu Talib appeared into this world Ali - Al-Murtaza the Vicegerent, the Heir Apparent of die Holy Prophet and the First of the Twelve Holy Imams or the Divinely Commissioned Guide for humanity. Said the Holy’ Prophet ‘Ana wa Ali min Noorin Wahid.’ I and Ali are from one and the same Light.

The word ‘Ummat’ need not always mean a community or a big nation. It can stand even for a single soul16.

This verse loudly and eloquently declares that all those through whose seed the Holy souls of the Holy Prophet and Muhammad and the Holy Imam Ali passed through were Muslims in the true sense of the term.

  • SHARES
  • 3457 views