Imamah in the Qur'an P. I: The Concept
- Anonymous (S)
- Apr 21, 2024
- 17 min read
Updated: Mar 22
Written by: Bilal Muhammad, emended by ShiaCentral.
Islam is the straight path and our Ummah is the intermediate nation. Our religion was established to satisfy our needs in this world and the next. Out of His infinite majesty and mercy, Allah revealed His religion to humanity to give us a perfected means of organizing our lives and societies. As humans, we require systems in the spheres of politics and legislation, health and sanitation, social and familial relationships, and philosophical and spiritual fulfillment – and Islam has delivered all of that. Throughout the continual development of human civilizations, Allah has steadily built Islam through His communication with the nations.
Imamate is a contentious doctrine that has been debated among Muslims since the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (s). Imamate pertains to the issue of perpetual divine guidance and leadership after the sealing of prophethood. In Shiism, Allah selects a vicegerent (khalifa) for every era, who acts as the channel through which one knows his Lord and his religion. This vicegerent represents God's authority on Earth, and his obedience is obligatory. Allah raises such a leader from among us due to His lutf and His bounties.
Since the Qur'an is the last and final Book to be revealed to mankind, it must have explicit support for the concept of Imamate. Of course, this Imamate must be congruent with the fact that Allah had sealed His Books with the Qur'an and His prophethood with Muhammad (s).
There are many other ayat, exoteric and esoteric, that establish the concept of Imamate in the Qur'an, alongside the many proofs in the hadith literature. The purpose of this article is to understand the Qur'an's intricate logic regarding leadership. Leadership in the Qur'an is intimately tied to knowledge, appointment, purity, family, supernatural qualities, and love.
Table of Contents:
The Completion of Islam
The Holy Qur'an testifies in Quran 5:3:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ
This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen Islam for you as a religion.
At the end of the mission of our beloved Prophet, Allah revealed this verse to convey to the believers that our religion has been completed. Whatever the Prophet made halal will be halal until the Day of Resurrection, and whatever the Prophet made haram will be haram until the Day of Resurrection. The word for “perfected” here is akmaltu, which means that the religion has been finalized and it cannot further be perfected or completed. A full moon cannot be more than full – when full, it has reached its maximum potential.
However, the completion of our religion does not amount to cosmic despair. Allah has not cut Himself off from the creation and never will. He continually blesses us with favours (ni`am). The end of revelation (wahi) does not equal the end of appointed leadership (imamah), inspiration (ilham), and miracles (karamat). The word for “completed”, in reference to the verse above, is atmamtu, which refers to a favour that is given, but can be given again. If I pay a sum, I can still increase that sum thereafter. The order of Imamate is a further ni`ma that Allah has left amongst us so that we can better understand the Book and the Sunnah.
If you believe that Allah will send the Mahdi in the End Times, then you have already accepted the Imamate, because the Mahdi is a divinely-appointed leader of the Muslim Umma, who is protected by Allah, who comes after the Seal of Prophets, who comes from his family, who interprets the religion of Allah and miraculously overcomes all injustices.
Imamah as Divine Authority
We read in the Holy Qur'an, in Surah An-Nisa 4:59:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority (ulil amri minkum); and if you have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if you are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.
Notice how both the Messenger and the Wali al-Amr share the same "obey" (obey the messenger and those in authority). This expression means that the obedience we give to the Wali al-Amr must be the same as that which we give to the Messenger (s). The Messenger has more rights over us than we have over ourselves (Quran 33:6), so someone with that same authority over the Umma cannot simply be a ruler, or a scholar. Allah would not make us follow something unless it was failsafe, and always on His path, much like the Prophet (s). This leader would be the universal leader of the Umma, just as the Prophet was.
The term ulil amr shows up again in the same Surah. We read in Quran 4:82-83:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا - وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِّنَ الْأَمْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ ۖ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Will they not then ponder on the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity. And if any tidings, whether of safety or fear, come unto them, they noise it abroad, whereas if they had referred it to the messenger and those of them who are in authority, those among them who are able to think out the matter would have known it. If it had not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy you would have followed Satan, save a few (of you).
Here, we see that the Messenger (s) and the Ulil Amr are tied directly to the tidings of safety (heaven) and fear (hellfire), and given authority in the interpretation of the Qur'an. Again, a Wali al-Amr is not just a man with a crown - it is someone with a spiritual significance in the religion. So he heads the government, and he is the uppermost scholar in the religion.
Are these leaders selected by the people or by God? In the Quran, individuals are appointed to divine ranks by divine mandate (ja`l ilahi). A prime example is the leadership of Talut (Saul), who was not a prophet, but a divinely-appointed king of the Children of Israel. We read in Quran 2:247:
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Their prophet said to them, ‘Allah has appointed Talut as king for you.’ They said, ‘How can he have kingship over us, when we have a greater right to kingship than him, as he has not been given ample wealth?’ He said, ‘Indeed Allah has chosen him over you, and enhanced him vastly in knowledge and physique, and Allah gives His kingdom to whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing.’
The example above demonstrates that Allah elects whomever He wills to the seat of leadership. The people do not have a choice, and the mandate of Allah superior even if the people are averse. From the ayah above, we also know that there is a connection between the vicegerent and knowledge, as Talut would only be suited for this position had his knowledge been superior.
Rewind to the khilafa of Adam, from Quran 2:30-34:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Surely I am going to set a vicegerent (khalifa) on the Earth,’ they said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity?’ He said, ‘Surely I know what you do not know.’ And He taught Adam the Names, all of them; then presented them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.’They said, ‘Immaculate are You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Surely You are the All-knowing, the All-wise.’ He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names,’ and when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I indeed know the Unseen in the heavens and the earth, and that I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing?’And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis: he refused and acted arrogantly, and he was one of the faithless.
These verses demonstrate a number of key points: (1) The khalifa is mandated by God (ja`l ilahi). (2) The verse indicates no clear specificity to Adam. (3) The verse does not distinguish between political and spiritual authority. Rather, the two are intermingled. (4) Like the verse about Talut, this verse again makes a connection between the khilafa and knowledge, which implies that this position is only applicable to he who has the best knowledge. (5) Even after Adam taught the angels the names, the angels remained below the rank of Adam, due to his divine mandate. (6) There is an important connection between submission to Allah and subservience to His vicegerent, as the angels prostrated to Adam and sought his counsel in their service to Allah.
Imamah as a Divine Rank
The actual rank of 'Imam' has been mentioned explicitly in the Qur'an. We read in Quran 2:124:
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain 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 covenant does not extend to the unjust.’
Again, there is a clear divine mandate in this verse. In other verses, Abraham is identified with prophethood (nubuwwa), messengership (risala), friendship (khulla), but in this verse, Imamate is a separate station. There is also a link between the Imamate and a covenant (`ahd), which belongs to Allah and not the people. Abraham asks about a continuity of this Imamate among his progeny, which partially occurs, on the condition that it does not reach the unjust (dhalimeen). This means that injustice and Imamate cannot be combined (thulm is a mani` of khilafah), and therefore an Imam cannot be a doer of evil. This view is confirmed by Zamakhshari in Tafsir Kashaf, pg. 194 -195 and Fakhr Al Razi in Tafsir Al Kabir Vol 4, pg. 44, with Razi even going so far as to say the Imam is masum. Interestingly Razi also says in Tafsir Al Kabir, Vol 4, pg. 46 - 47:
فَإِنْ قِيلَ: ظَاهِرُ الْآيَةِ يَقْتَضِي انْتِفَاءَ كَوْنِهِمْ ظَالِمِينَ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا وَلَا يَصِحُّ ذَلِكَ فِي الْأَئِمَّةِ وَالْقُضَاةِ، قُلْنَا: أَمَّا الشِّيعَةُ فَيَسْتَدِلُّونَ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ عَلَى صِحَّةِ قَوْلِهِمْ فِي وُجُوبِ الْعِصْمَةِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا، وَأَمَّا نَحْنُ فَنَقُولُ: مُقْتَضَى الْآيَةِ ذَلِكَ، إِلَّا أَنَّا تَرَكْنَا اعْتِبَارَ الْبَاطِنِ فَتَبقى العدالة الظاهرة معتبرة
The majority of the jurists and the logicians said: leadership (imamah) is not valid for a transgressor (fasiq) in a [constant] state of transgression. However, they differed as to whether a periodic transgression can invalidate leadership or not. The majority argued that a transgressor cannot be given leadership due to this verse, and the reasoning for this is twofold.
The first: It is clear that His saying “My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers (thalimin)” is a reply to His saying “and for my descendants?”. His saying “and for my descendants?” is a request for the leadership that Allah mentioned [earlier]. It is thus necessary for the meaning of this covenant to be leadership in order for it to be a response to the question. So, it is as though the verse would be saying, “leadership does not extend to the wrongdoers.” All who disobey [Allah] wrong themselves (dhalim li nafsih), so, the verse indicates what we have said. If it is said, “the apparent meaning of this verse would negate both the outward and the inward wrongdoer, and that is not the case for the imams and the judges”, then we say, “the Shi’a use this verse to prove the correctness of their doctrine that necessitates the outward and inward infallibility [of an Imam].” As for us, we say, “the verse requires that, except that we leave out the inward consideration, and outward justice remains considered.” If it is said, “Didn’t Jonah (as) say, ‘Glory to You! Surely, I was of the wrongdoers’ (21:87), and didn’t Adam say, ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves.’ (7:23)’, then we say, ‘What the [original] verse is referring to is a constant wrongdoer (al-thalim al-mutlaq), and this is not the case for Adam and Yunus (as).
We read in Quran 17:71:
يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
The day We shall summon every group of people with their Imam, then whoever is given his book in his right hand —they will read it, and they will not be wronged so much as a single date-thread.
All people will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with their leader and role model. Whether the person is one of the Imams of Guidance, or one of the Imams of Disbelief, all will be raised in groups and sent to Paradise or Hell (see verses 39:71, 39:73, and 99:6). The verse is an allusion to the continuity of Imamate, as each people will have their Imam. While some will translate the word "Imam" here as "book" or "record", the verse says that every group will have a singular Imam. If the verse said "Imams" (a'imma), there would be a stronger case for "records", because every individual will receive their own personal record. However, this is not the case - the people will be gathered with whomever they followed in this life.
The Prophet Muhammad (s) and the Imams do not just play a role in this world, but rather, they are advocates and intercessors in the next world. Those who follow the obligations of Islam and fulfill the directives of the Imam of their time will be granted this intercession by Allah's mercy.
Imamah and Guidance
We read in Quran 3:7:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
"It is He who has revealed the Scripture to you, wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others [which are] allegorical. But those in whose hearts is a disease pursue that which is allegorical, seeking [to cause] dissension by seeking to explain it. None know its explanation except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge (rasikhuna fil `ilm). Say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed."
The verse above indicates that only Allah and those delved into knowledge have a firm understanding of the Qur'an. To argue that only Allah understood the Qur'an is to suggest that Allah would accompany His final messenger to humanity with an ambiguous message. It is imperative that the Prophet had full knowledge of the Qur'an, but this verse says that he shares this comprehensive knowledge with others. An investigation into history will conclude that no companion (sahabi) other than `Ali b. Abi Talib claimed to know the interpretation to the entire book. He explicitly claimed and demonstrated that he had knowledge of every ayah, where it was revealed, and more. This article has already established that the khalifa is he who is superior in his knowledge, and as the phrase suggests, the rasikhuna fil `ilm are not just learned scholars (`ulema'), but individuals plunged into knowledge.
“So ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.” (Quran 16:43, Quran 21:7)
Furthermore, on the same theme of knowledge: Allah ordered the Muslims to ask the People of the Reminder about religious affairs. The alternative interpretation to this verse is that it is referring to the rabbis and priests, but would Allah ask the Muslims to seek religious knowledge from those who call to another religion? The Qur'an says that those who know are never equal with those who do not know (Quran 39:9).
"You are only a warner, and for every community there is a guide”. (Quran 13:7)
Every community will have its guide. The Messenger of Allah (s) was the one sent to the world as a warner, but there are communities and generations that would flourish after the passing of the Prophet from this world. There is absolutely no indication in the Qur'an that the sealing of prophethood would result in the cessation of divine guidance through vicegerents.
We read in Quran 32:24:
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ
"And amongst them We appointed Imams to guide [the people] by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs."
This verse refers to the leadership of the twelve sons of Israel. The Qur'an puts clear emphasis on the divine mandate of leaders in many verses, including this one. Furthermore, this verse establishes a relationship between the Imams and guidance (huda). Allah appoints a leader through whom He provides counsel and enlightenment to His subjects.
We read in Quran 3:33:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
"Surely Allah chose Adam and Noah, and the Family of Abraham and the Family of Imran above all the nations"
It is not the believers who uplifted and chose the families of Abraham and Imran above all people, but Allah. The chosen ones are not only the prophets, but other members of these divine families - and this will be made clear later in this article. Note the importance of familial succession in the stories of many prophets (Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Imran, Zecharia, John, and Jesus, peace be upon them all).
Sainthood in the Qur'an
We read in Quran 4:69:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
"Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger —they are with those whom Allah has blessed, including the prophets and the saints (siddiqeen), the martyrs and the righteous, and excellent companions are they!"
A point pertinent to this verse is the presence of the saints (siddiqeen). A siddiq in Arabic is one who believes everything that a trustee has given to him. In the context of Islam, it would be one who has infallible certainty in the message. This ayah distinguishes the siddiq from the righteous (saliheen), which implies that these are two separate ranks or categories. All of the other groups referenced are distinct, and so it would be redundant if a siddiq and a salih were virtually the same.
Perhaps a better way to understand the Qur'an's usage of this word is to find other references to it. The word is never applied to ordinary believers.
We read in Quran 5:75:
مَّا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ الطَّعَامَ ۗ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ ثُمَّ انظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
"The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger. Messengers had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman (siddiqa)"
This verse identifies Mary as a siddiqa. As a non-prophet, Mary had special qualities, including being chosen (istafa) above all the women of her time (Quran 3:42), being protected from the devil (Quran 3:36), giving birth to Jesus miraculously, and communicating with the angel. The siddiqeen therefore are not ordinary righteous believers, but protected, chosen believers with supernatural qualities - saints.There are other appointed non-prophetic figures in the Qur'an who were given miraculous qualities, such as al-Khidr (whom the Qur'an only calls an `abd), Dhul Qarnayn, Luqman, and the Sleepers of the Cave. This protection from Satan is significant, as it is also mentioned in the following verses in Quran 15:39-40:
“He said, ‘My Lord! As You have consigned me [Satan] to perversity, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on the Earth, and I will surely pervert them, except Your pure ones (mukhlasin).’”
Satan's misguidance will reach all people except those whom Allah has selected. A noteworthy detail is the Qur'an's usage of the word mukhlas rather than mukhlis, which implies that these servants will be innately pure by design. Since Mary fits this description, this form of ikhlas (absolute protection from evil) cannot be exclusive to the prophets.
"And We have already written in the Psalms after the Reminder that the Earth will be inherited by My righteous servants." (Quran 21:105)
This verse is one of the few direct references in the Qur'an to the previous revelations, which plainly say that "The meek shall inherit the Earth '' (Psalms 37:11, Matthew 5:5). The verse makes the most sense when it is combined with the concept of Imamate, who inherits stewardship over Earth one-by-one. The khilafah is a divinely-mandated agency over the world, and inheritance is a trust that is passed down continually from one generation to the next. Without this doctrine, it begs the question: who is the righteous servant that inherited the Earth after the Prophet, and who is this person today?
Love for the Ahl al-Bayt
The love and the authority of the Ahl al-Bayt is decreed explicitly in several places. We read in Quran 42:23:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْنًا
"Say: 'No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin'"
When looking at this ayah, compare it to other similar verses in the Qur'an. No other prophet asked for a reward from his community for relaying the revelation - on the contrary, the prophets explicitly asked for nothing at all: see Quran 10:72, Quran 11:29, Quran 12:104, Quran 25:57, Quran 26:109, Quran 26:127, Quran 26:145, Quran 26:164, Quran 26:180, and Quran 34:47. This formula was only changed in this verse for the Prophet Muhammad (s), adding that his reward is the love of his family. The word for love in this verse is muwadda, which implies a mutual love and not just a one-way love (hub). For one to have muwadda with the Ahl al-Bayt, the Ahl al-Bayt must be pleased with that person. This relationship cannot be half-hearted lip service. Loving those who rose up to fight the Ahl al-Bayt is, by definition, dishonouring this verse of the Qur'an.
The Dua of Ibrahim (as)
We read in Quran 14:37:
رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
“(Abraham said) Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.”
Abraham settled Ishmael in the valley of Mecca, and prayed that the people would love his descendants. Of course, this would not apply to all of his descendants, as Allah's covenant does not encompass the dhalimeen (Quran 2:124). Hence, the verse must refer to a select group of individuals from the descendants of Ishmael, including (but not limited to) the Prophet (s).
We read in Quran 4:54:
أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۖ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًا
"Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom (mulkan)."
Continuing on the theme of familial succession, the mulk belongs to these chosen descendants of Abraham, who have been given the final revelation and the wisdom necessary to lead the Umma.Lastly, there is the verse of purification:
"And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you with [extensive] purification." (Quran 33:33)
The grammatical inferences of this ayah must be noted. The first two sentences concern the wives of the Prophet, and they are written in the feminine form. The last sentence, however, is written in the masculine plural form. This means that the individuals in the third sentence are not the same as those in the first two sentences, who are exclusively female. A masculine plural can include women as a part of the group, but several sahih ahadith infer that the wives of the Prophet are not included in the Ahl al-Bayt. The verse therefore sets the inner circle of the Prophet's blood relatives (his bayt) as a pure example that his wives' households (buyut) should look up to.
Allah actively wishes to remove all impurity from the Ahl al-Bayt. One of our ahadith indicates that the chief impurity that the Ahl al-Bayt have been guarded from is doubt (shak). This ties to the idea that the Ahl al-Bayt are the mukhlasin of Quran 15:39-40, whom Satan can never deviate.
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