" And keep up the prayer, and pay the poor-rates; ... "

By these two deeds you may strengthen both your spirit and body. Then, it adds that you should not think that the good deeds you do and the material wealth you pay as poor-rates in the way of Allah will be lost totally. It is not so, but:

"... whatever good you shall forward for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah; ..."

"... surely Allah sees what you do."

Thus, He definitely knows which deeds you have done for His sake and which ones for the sake of other than Him.

(111) وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
(112) بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

111. " And they said: ' None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.' Such are their fancies. Say: ' Bring your proof, if you are truthful '."

112. " Yes! Whoever submits himself entirely to Allah, and he is a doer of good, his reward is with his Lord; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve."

Commentary:

In the above verses, the Qur'an has referred to one of the other vain, inappropriate statements of a group of the Jews and the Christians, and then, it has responded to them with a knockdown answer. It is as thus:

" And they said: ' None shall enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian '. ..."

In reply to them, at first, it says:

"... Such are their fancies....", and they will never reach such wishes. Then, addressing the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) it says:

"... Say: ' Bring your proof, if you are truthful '. "

* * * *

Every claim needs its own proof for verification. When the fact became clear that they had not any proof for their claim and that their insistence that Paradise was exclusively theirs, which was merely a bare desire of theirs, the essential basic criterion for entering Paradise was given, as a general law in this verse, as it says:

" Yes! Whoever submits himself entirely to Allah, and he is a doer of good, his reward is with his Lord; ..."

Therefore, "...no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve."

In short, the fact is that entering Paradise, the reward of Allah, and attaining felicity and salvation in the coming eternal life is exclusive to no tribe or particular race, but these merits belong to the ones who have the following two attributes:

The first attribute is that the person should submit himself wholly to the commands of Allah, and obey all of His commandments without considering any difference between this ordinance or that one. It should not be so that he accepts those commandments that are compatible with what he considers his benefit and puts aside those that are opposite to that which he desires. Yes, such ones are entirely submitted to Allah's Will.

The second attribute is that the effect of Faith is illustrated in their deeds in the form of good actions. These people are good to all human beings in all of their affairs.

By this statement, in fact, the Qur'an, as a general rule, nullifies the inappropriate racial bigotries, and absolutely dismisses true salvation and happiness from the confinement of a special tribe. To sum it up, the verse distinguishes Faith and good deeds as criterion for true felicity.

(113) وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

113. " The Jews said: ' The Christians rest on naught ', and the Christians said: ' The Jews rest on naught '; yet they (both) recite the (same) Book. Even so, similar to their sayings, spoke those who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgement in what they differ."

Occasion of Revelation :

Some of the commentators have narrated from Ibn Abbas that when a group of Christians who were from Najran were attending a gathering of the Prophet's (p.b.u.h.), some of the Jewish scholars were there, too. These two groups began disputing with each other before the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). Rafi'-ibn-Harmalah, one of the Jews, turned to the Christians and said that their religion was based on naught. Thus, he was rejecting the prophethood of Jesus (a.s.) and his Divine Book. Then, a man from among the Christians from Najran, too, replied to him with a similar expression and said that the religion of the Jews was based on naught. Thus, he also rejected both the prophethood of Moses (a.s.) and the Turah. It was at that time that the above verse was revealed and reproached both groups for their fabricated statements. (1)

Commentary:

Exclusivity, the Fruit of Ignorance

In the previous verse, we became acquainted with a portion of the proofless claims of a group of the Jews and the Christians. The verse under discussion indicates that when a proofless claim comes forth, it results in exclusivity and then leads to contradiction.

" The Jews said: ' The Christians rest on naught ' , and Christians said: ' The Jews rest on naught '; ..."

The phrase: ' rest on naught ' may mean that they have no rank and honour with Allah; or their belief is not a thing worthwhile. Then, to complete the above idea, it adds:

"...yet they (both) recite the (same) Book. ..."

That is, with the Divine Book that they have in their hands which can guide them toward the right path concerning these problems, it is surprising that they say such words which originate from nowhere except prejudice and enmity. Then the Qur'an continues saying:

"...Even so, similar to their sayings, spoke those who know not."

(Although these are the People of the Book and those are pagans or idolaters.)

This verse introduces ignorance as the origin of bigotry and prejudice, because ignorant people are always shut in their own worlds and do not accept other than that which they know. They seriously believe only in the Faith that they have been acquainted with from their early childhood, even if it is false or superstitious. Therefore, they put aside everything other than that which they believe.

At the end of the verse, it says:

"...Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgement in what they differ."

It is in the Hereafter where the facts will be entirely evident and the proof and references of all things will become perfectly manifest. None will be able to deny what is right and, thus, there will remain no dispute. Yes, one of the special characteristics of the Resurrection Day is that all disagreements will come to an end.

By the way, the above verse reminds Muslims that although the followers of these religions have stood against them and rejected Islam, therefore, they need not be worried because the Jews and Christians do not verify even themselves. Each of them nullifies the other and, in principle, ignorance is the origin of bigotry and bigotry is the source of exclusivity.

---

(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 188, Tafsir Ghartabi and Tafsir Almanar

 

(114) وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِي خَرَابِهَا أُوْلَئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلاَّ خَآئِفِينَ لهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

114. " And who is more unjust than he who prevents the mosques of Allah of His Name being remembered therein and strives for their ruin? Such (people) might never enter them, save in fear. For them is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great punishment."

Occasion of Revelation :

It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, cited in the book ' Asbab-un-Nuzul ', that this verse was revealed about Fatlus-ur-Rumi, a Roman, and his friends. They fought against the Children of Israel and burnt the Turah. In that war, Jewish children were made captives, and Jerusalem was ruined and filled with corpses. (1)

The Late Tabarsi, a great commentator, narrates from Ibn Abbas, in his book ' Majma'ul-Bayan ', that this strive for the destruction of Jerusalem was continued until when that Holy Land was conquered by Muslims. ... (2)

A tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says that this verse was revealed about the Quraysh when they prevented the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) from entering Mecca and the Ka'bah. (3)

Also, a third occasion of revelation is cited for this verse. It says the verse is referring to the sites in Mecca where Muslims used to pray at, which pagans destroyed totally after the emigration of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) from that City. (4)

There is no discrepancy in saying that all three of these occasions of revelation refer to their own individual incidents. Therefore, each of them illustrates one of the dimensions of the subject.

Commentary :

The Most Unjust Ones !

When dealing with the occasions of revelation of the above mentioned verse, it is understood that the words are about all three groups: the Jews, the Christians and the pagans, while the words in the previous verses were mostly about the Jews and sometimes about the Christians.

At any rate, the Jews, creating mischief about the Qiblah, tried to return the direction of the prayers of Muslims toward Jerusalem in order to appear to have, by that manner, a kind of superiority in the eyes of the community of Muslims and also weaken the lustre and elegance of the Sacred Mosque and the Ka'bah. (5)

The pagans of Mecca, having prevented the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and Muslims from visiting and pilgrimaging to the Sacred House, the Ka'bah, practically stepped forth toward the desolation of this Holy Structure.

The Christians, too, having conquered Jerusalem and having performed actions which gave rise to what was said to be the occasion of revelation of this verse, as narrated by Ibn Abbas, tried to ruin it.

The Qur'an, warning these three groups and all others who pave a similar way, says:

" And who is more unjust than he who prevents the mosques of Allah of His Name being remembered therein and strives for their ruin? ..."

Thus, the Qur'an considers this prevention unjust and introduces contrivers of it as the most unjust people. Indeed, what greater ' unjust' could be committed than that they strive to ruin the Monotheistic centers and prevent people from remembering the Name of their providence, whose consequence would be the spread of polytheism and corruption in the society!

Then, the verse continues saying :

".....such (people) night never enter them,save in fear...."

That is, Muslims and monotheists of the world should stand so firm against these transgressors that their hands be curtailed from these sacred sites so that none of them can freely and without fear enter therein .

In commenting of the above verse, a possble meaning is that these kind of of unjust people with these kind of actionswill never truly succeed in taking these Holy shrines and places of worship under their own control. The final circumstance will be such that they will not be able to enter them save in fear. They will be subject to just the same fate and fortune that the pagans of Mecca had regarding the Sacred Mosque.

Finally, through the concluding words of the verse and with a shocking statement, the Qur'an has referred to the penalty of those transgressors both in the present world and the coming world. It says:

"... For them is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a great punishment. "

And this is the end of those who want to separate servants from their Providence.

Explanation

Mosques and the Ways of their Desolation

There is no doubt that the above verse has a vast meaning which is not confined to a particular time or place. The verse, from this point of view, is like other verses of the Qur'an which have been revealed in relation to a specific condition or circumstance referred to as the occasion of revelation, but their ordinances are valid in all ages. Therefore, anyone or any group who strive in any form to ruin the mosques of Allah, or prevent the Name of Allah from being remembered and adored therein, will be faced with the same disgrace and great punishment which have been pointed out in this verse.

It is also necessary to pay attention to this fact that the prevention of worshippers from entering into the Sacred Mosque and the barring of the remembrance of the Name of Allah and His adoration along with striving for ruining it, does not only refer to the mosque being destroyed by shovel and pick, but involves any actions that cause mosques to be ruined or seem dull and lustreless.

As it will be explained when commenting on Sura Al-Taubah, No. 9, verse 18, the purpose of the Qur'anic phrase /ya'muru masajid/, mentioned in the verse,according to the clear meanings of some Islamic narrations and traditions, is not merely ' to build or to mend the mosques '. Attending these holy shrines and remembering the Name of Allah and adoring Him therein not only is a means of maintaining them but also is counted as their most important form of maintenance. Therefore, in the opposite case, whatever causes people to neglect the remembrance of the Name of Allah and keeps them apart from the mosques, is a very grand injustice.

Supplication :

O' Lord ! Guard us from, and against, any deviation and corruption!

---

(1) Asbab-un-Nuzul, p. 22, Arabic version
(2) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 189
(3) Ibid
(4) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 189 & Almizan, the commentary of the verse.
(5) Tafsir Fakhr-i-Razi, vol. 4, p. 9

 

(116) وَلِلّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

115. " And to Allah belong the East and the West, wherever you turn, there is the Presence of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing."

Occasion of Revelation :

There are different narrations cited on the cause of the occasion of revelation of this verse.

Ibn Abbas says that this verse concerns the change of the Qiblah. When Muslims' Qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah, the Jews tried to reject it by objecting to the Muslims and demanding of them how the Qiblah could be changed. This verse was revealed and replied to their objection that the East and the West of the world belong to Allah. (1)

Another tradition indicates that this verse has been revealed regarding ' the recommended prayers '. It refers to this meaning that one can pray his supererogatory prayers in any direction that his mount moves towards, even if he is facing opposite to the Qiblah. (2)

Some others have narrated from Jabir who said that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) once sent some of the Muslims to fight in a war. When the dark of night fell and they wanted to pray their night prayer they could not confirm the correct direction of the Qiblah. Then, every one used an approximate direction towards the Qiblah and offered his prayers. At the break of dawn they found out that they had prayed towards a direction other than the Qiblah. They informed the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) about it and the above verse was revealed declaring that their prayers were all correct in such a condition. (3) ( This religious creed, of course, has some conditions that should be studied in jurisprudent books.)

It is realistic that all of the above occasions of revelation are correct for this verse. That is, the verse refers to the idea of the change of the Qiblah as well as reciting the supererogatory prayer when riding on a mount, and the obligatory prayers performed when the correct direction of the Qiblah is not recognizable. Besides, no verse, in principle, is allocated exclusively to its occasion of revelation, but its content should be considered as a general ordinance; and, sometimes, what a great number of different ordinances can be derived from it.

Commentary :

Allah, the Omnipresent

The previous verse was about the oppressors who prevented worship in the mosques of Allah, and strived for the destruction of them. The verse under discussion is a continuation of the same idea. It says:

" And to Allah belong the East and the West, wherever you turn, there is the Presence of Allah. ..."

It is not such that if they prevent you from entering the mosques of Allah and attending the monotheistic centers, the path of adoring Allah would be entirely closed to you. The East and the West of the world belong to Him. Whithersoever you turn, He is there. Also, the change of the Qiblah, which was ordained because of some particular circumstances, has not the least effect on our worship. Can any place be found where Allah is not there. In principle, Allah has no limited place. (A further explanation can be studied on page 322).

That is why at the end of the verse, it says:

"... Surely Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing."

The point noteworthy here is that the East and the West mentioned in the verse should not be taken as confined to the directions where the sun rises or sets, as they are only relative expressions. The emphasis on the East and the West may be because the first directions that man is able to recognize are these two directions, and the other directions can be figured out by determining them.

The Qur'an, concerning these directions, also says: " And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors in both East and West, ...", (Sura 'A'raf, No. 7, verse 137).

* * * *

Philosophy of the Qiblah

The first question that arises here is that if ' wherever we turn, there is the Presence of Allah ', then why is it necessary that we observe the direction of the Qiblah ?

As we will explain later, observing the Qiblah does not mean to confine the Presence of Allah to a particular direction. Since man is a creature dependent on material and concrete thought, he should pray towards whatever direction the commandment has mandated. All should pray towards a single direction in order to unite all Muslims in single rows, and to avoid dispersion and disorder.

Imagine how disgraceful it would be if every individual prayed toward a separate direction or in dispersive rows.

By the way, the direction which is appointed as the Qiblah ( the direction towards the Ka'bah ) is a holy place and it is the most ancient sacred site of monotheism whose consideration evokes monotheistic remembrance.

The phrase / wajhullah / does not mean ' the face of Allah ', as some have rendered, but it means, here, ' the Unity or Presence of Allah '.

As it was stated before, in the occasion of revelation, and many Islamic narrations attest to, this verse has been taken as the basic reference to certify the validity of the prayers offered by those who would pray toward a direction other than the direction of the Ka'bah by mistake or because of lack of the capability of verification. This very verse is also referred to for the validity of reciting prayers when riding on a moving mount. (For more details concerning this subject, refer to the jurisprudential books ' Wasa'il-ush-Shi'ah ', ' Kitab-us-Salat ', and 'Abwab-ul-Qiblah '.)

Here, we attract your attention to three authentic traditions about the term / wajhullah / and its meaning :

1. It is cited in the book ' Al-Tauhid ' from Salman Farsi, through a tradition known as Jathliq, who asked Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) some questions which were comprehensively replied to. One of them was that he asked him (a.s.) which direction his Lord's presence was. Hadrat Ali (a.s.) told Ibn Abbas to have some firewood fetched for him (a.s.). The firewood was brought and was kindled. When the fire was flaming, Hadrat Ali (a.s.) asked the man which direction the face of the fire was, and the Christian answered that its face was on every side. Ali-ibn-Abitalib (a.s.) said: " This fire which is a material, is not recognized by its face, then Allah, its Creator, is not like that. ' To Allah belong the East and the West, wherever you turn, there is the Presence of Allah.' ..." (4)

2. Again, keeping in mind that the commands given by the Holy Messenger (p.b.u.h.) are those that he has received from Allah, it is narrated from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) who said that the manifestation of Allah (s.w.t.) is Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) who are the guides and Imams for people whose obedience to them has been enjoined by Him the same as it has been enjoined to Him and His Messenger (p.b.u.h.). That is, the only way to the cognizance of / wajhullah / ' the Presence of Allah' and the Divine Majesty is through Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), who are His witnesses. (5) That is, haply, why they (Imams) have said:" It is through us that people know Allah, and through us (with our guidance) they worship Allah." (6)

3. Tariq-ibn-Shahab has narrated in a tradition from Hadrat Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) who said: " O Tariq ! Imam is the Word of Allah, the Proof of Allah, the Presence of Allah, the Light of Allah..." (7)

There are some other expressive narrations on the subject cited in Biharul-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 228, which can be referred to, too.

---

(1) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 191
(2) Manhaj-us-Sadiqin, vol. 1, p. 348, & AbulfuTuh-Razi, vol. 1, p. 302
(3) Tafsir-ut-Tibyan, vol. 1, p. 424 & Tafsir Nimunah, vol. 1, p. 413
(4) At-Tauhid, by Shaykh Saduq, p. 182
(5) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 118, & Al-Ihtijaj by Tabarsi
(6) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 23, p. 102, Tradition 1
(7) Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 25, p. 168

(116) وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ اللّهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ
(117) بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

116. " They said: ' Allah has taken to Himself a son '. Glory be to Him! Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth: all are obedient to Him."

117. " Originator (is He) of the heavens and the earth; and when He decrees a matter to be, He only says to it ' Be ' and it is."

Commentary :

The Jews, Christians, and Pagans and their Superstitions

The superstitious belief that Allah has got a child is accepted by the Christians, a group of the Jews, and some pagans. All of them believe that He has chosen a child for Himself.

Sura At-Taubah, No. 9, verse 30 says: " The Jews call 'Uzair (Ezra) a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!"

Also, about the pagans, Sura Yunus, No. 10, verse 68 says: "They say: ' Allah has begotten a son! ' Glory be to Him! He is Self-Sufficient! ..."

There are many other verses in the Holy Qur'an that refer to this inappropriate idea of theirs.

To condemn this superstition, the first verse of the verses under discussion says:

" They said: ' Allah has taken to Himself a son '. Glory be to Him! ..."

Why would Allah need to take a son for Himself? Is He in need of one? Is He limited? Does He need to be helped? Or, is it necessary for Him to have any descendants?

"...Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth; ..."

"... all are obedient to Him."

* * * *

He is not only the Possessor of all things and creatures in the world of existence, but also, " Originator (is He) of the heavens and the earth; ..."

And He has created all of them without any previous design, preparation, or without being in need of any pre-existing material.

What necessity is He forced by to have a child while everything is immediately ready for Him?

"... and when He decrees a matter to be, He only says to it ' Be ' and it is."

Explanation

Besides the above verse, the phrase / kun fayakun / ' Be! and it is ' has occurred in several verses of the Qur'an, including the followings:

1. Sura 'Al-i-'Imran, No. 3, verse 47

2. Sura 'Al-i-'Imran, No. 3, verse 59

3. Sura Al-An'am, No. 6, verse 73

4. Sura An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 40

5. Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 35

6. Sura Yasin, No. 36, verse 82

7. Sura Qafir, No. 40, verse 68

This phrase is about the Will of Allah and His Absolute Sovereignty on the subject of creation.

To understand this well, we should know the meaning of the Unity of Acts and the creation of all created beings by Allah's Will. Precisely, Unity of Acts, in terms of His acts, does not need any help or helper from outside Himself. Should He use any means for that purpose, the means itself is created by Him and used by Him. It is not that he needs some help from outside Himself which is not connected to Him, and to bebrought from somewhere else, or if so Allah would not be able to do whateverHe wants to. No, it is not like that at all. Allah, Acts need none but Himself and His Will alone.

The explanation is that the objective meaning of the phrase / kun fayakun /('Be! ' and it is ) is ot that Allah issues a verbal command with the word ' Be ', but the reality is that when He wills something to exist it exists. there will be no time between that will and its existence, not even a moment.

In other words, the phrase / Kun fayakun / (' Be! ' and it is ) is only to bring home to the human mind the Omnipotent Will which, properly speaking, can never be ruanlated into any verbal expression. Amir-ul-mineen Ali ibn-AbiTalib (a.s) of whom the holy prophet (p.b.u.h.) had declared:'I (i.e. the holy prophet himself) am the city of knowledge and Ali is its Gate ', in referring to the phrase mentioned in this verse; regarding the Divine Omnipotence and the execution of His Will says:

" Not by sound uttered, nor by voice heard, His Word, blessed be He, is Action proceeding from Him " . (1)

There is a similar idea in a tradition from Hadrat Musa-ibn-Ja'far, the seventh Imam (a.s.), cited in Al-Kafi as well as in Touhid Saduq. (2)

This meaning, with a slightly different explanation, is also mentioned in Tafsir-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 146.

---

(1) Nahjul-Balaqah, Arabic version by Subh-i-Salih, p. 274
(2)Tafsir-us-Safi, vol. 1, p. 167

(118) وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلاَ يُكَلِّمُنَا اللّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
(119) إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلاَ تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ

118. " And the ignorant said: ' Why does Allah not speak to us or a Sign comes not to us? ' Even thus said those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are all alike. Indeed We have made clear the Signs to people who are sure."

119. " Verily, We have sent you ( O' Muhammad) with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner and you shall not be questioned about the inhabitants of the Blazing Fire."

Commentary :

Another Pretext

Similar to the pretexts of the Jews, in the initial verses of the above group of verses, another party of pretext-seekers are referred to, whom, apparently, were the Arab pagans. It says:

" And the ignorant said: ' Why does Allah not speak to us or a Sign comes not to us? '..."

This group of unbelieving people, whom the Qur'an has referred to as / allaoina la ya'lamuna / ' the ignorant ' had, indeed, two illogical demands:

1. Why does Allah not speak to them ?

2. Why does a Sign not come to them ?

In answer to these selfish demands, the Qur'an says:

"... Even thus said those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are all alike. Indeed We have made clear the Signs to people who are sure."

If they truly intend to understand the Truth, these very verses revealed to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) are clear Signs to the rightfulness of his Call. Why should some verses be independently and directly revealed to each individual separately? And, what does it mean that a person insists that Allah must speak to him, himself, directly?

A similar idea to this is also stated in Sura Al-Muddaththir, No. 74, verse 52, thus: " Forsooth, each one of them wants to be given scrolls (of revelation) spread out! "

This manner, in principle, besides that it is not necessary, contrasts with Divine Wisdom, because firstly, the rightfulness of the prophethood of prophets has been proved to all peoples by way of the verses which were revealed to them themselves. Secondly, it is not possible for verses and miracles to be revealed to every individual, for this needs a special kind of eligibility, preparation, and purity of soul. It closely resembles to a situation in which all the wires of the vast electrical system of a city (the strong thick wires and the very thin ones) be expected to receive the same extraordinarily high amount of electricity that immediately arrives into the initial thick wires directly from the main generator. This expectation is certainly a vain, incorrect expectation. The engineer who has arranged these various wires for different purposes has calculated the capability of each wire. Some of them convey the electricity directly and immediately from the generator, while some others do it by means of some intermediary wires and with a variety of voltages.

h3>* * * *

The next verse addresses the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and defines his duty regarding their demands for miracles and other pretexts. It says:

" Verily, We have sent you ( O' Muhammad) with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner ..."

That is, O' Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) your responsibility is that you proclaim Our commandments to all people, to illustrate the miracles, and to express the facts logically and with clear statements. This action should coincide with persuading the good doers and warning the evil doers. This is your duty.

"... and you shall not be questioned about the inhabitants of the Blazing Fire."

* * * *

Explanation :

Their Hearts are All Alike!

In the above verses we learnt that the Qur'an declares: " Even thus said those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are all alike." This idea points to the fact that the passing of time and the instructions of prophets (p.b.u.h.) should have had such an effect that the later generations could gain a larger portion of knowledge so that they would put aside vain statements which are a sign of ignorance. But unfortunately, this group of people usually have no share in the process of development. They are always retrogressive so that it seems as if they belonged to thousands of years ago, and the passing of time has not affected the least change in their minds.

* * * *

Two Instructive Principles

' Glad tidings ' and ' warning ' or ' encouragement ' and ' threat ' form a great part of the motives of educational and social affairs. A person should be both encouraged for his good deeds and punished for his wrong actions, in order to be prepared for paving the first path and avoiding the second route.

Mere encouragement is not enough for the attainment of improvement in an individual or a society, because in this condition the individual is sure that committing sin does not harm him.

The present followers of Christ (a.s.), for example, believe in 'ransom'. They think that Jesus (a.s.) has been sacrificed for their sins. Even their clergymen sometimes promise them Heaven, and forgiveness for their sins on behalf of the Lord. It is evident that such a group of people may easily commit sins.

In a Guide to Christian Workers of the New American Standard Version Bible (pg. 1295), it is cited about Christ (a.s.):

" He tasted death for me, thus He bore the supreme penalty of my sins."

Surely this incorrect idea makes its followers bold in committing wrongs and corruption.

In short, those who think mere encouragement is enough in training men (irrespective of children or adults) and threats, punishment and revenge have no place and should be completely put aside, are completely wrong. On the other hand, those who, neglecting the encouraging aspect, think that training is based only on threats and terror are on a wrong path as well.

These two groups have a mistaken conception of Man, because they do not have this fact in mind: that Man is made up of a combination of hope and fear, love of living and hatred of destruction. His nature is to attract gain and to repel loss.

Observing the parallel between these two principles is particularly essential since if encouragement and hope goes beyond limits, it results in boldness and negligence. And when threats and punishment is abundant, it produces despair and extinguishes the flames of love and vitality.

For the exact same reason, in the verses of the Qur'an, the terms ' glad tidings ' and ' warning ' have occurred in conjunction with each other. It has happened that the term ' glad tidings ' has sometimes preceded the term ' warning ', like in the verse under discussion; and sometimes it is vice versa, as in Sura Al-A'raf, No. 7, verse 188, which says:

"... I am a warner and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have Faith."

In fact, in the majority of these verses of the Qur'an, 'glad tidings ' has preceded ' warning '. This may be because, in general, the Mercy and Grace of Allah have preceded His Wrath and punishment, as we call Him in supplications: " O' He Whose Mercy precedes His Wrath."

(120) وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ
(121) الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

120. " For, never will the Jews be pleased with you nor the Christians unless you follow their religion. Say: ' Behold Allah's guidance is the only (true) guidance.'

And verily if you follow their desires after the knowledge has come to you, you shall have from Allah neither protector nor helper."

121. " Those to whom We have given the Book read it as it ought to be read, they are the ones that truly believe in it, and whoever disbelieves in it, they shall (surely) be the losers."

Occasion of Revelation :

On the occasion of revelation of the first of the above verses, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Jews in Medina and the Christians from Najran expected that the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) would traditionally accept the same Qiblah as they had. When Allah altered the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah, they became disheartened with the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.). (Perhaps, some of the Muslim believers, too, criticized that they should not do anything that would offend the Jews and the Christians).

The above verse was revealed and informed the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that that group of Jews and Christians would be satisfied with him neither by coming into agreement upon the Qiblah nor by anything else except that he would follow their creeds. (1)

Some others have narrated that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) insisted very much on convincing them to accept Islam. The above verse was revealed telling him (p.b.u.h.) to disregard that idea because never would they be pleased with him unless he followed their religion. (2)

There are also various narrations upon the occasion of revelation of the second of the above verses. Some of the commentators believe that this verse was revealed about those people who came with Ja'far-ibn-AbiTalib from Abyssina to Medina. They had joined Islam and accompanied him when he left there. They were 40 men, thirty-two of whom were from Abyssina and eight men were from the monks of Syria among whom there was a famous Christian monk by the name of Bahira. (3)

Some other commentators believe that the verse was revealed about some people from among the Jews such as Abdillah-ibn-Salam, Shu'bat-ibn-'Amru, Tamam-ibn-Yahuda, and so on who accepted the invitation of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and became true believers. (4)

* * * *

Commentary :

Two Unsatisfiable Groups !

The previous verse relieves Hadrat Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) of any responsibility concerning those stubborn misguided people. Now, this verse, elaborating on the same idea, informs the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) of the reason why it is so:

" For, never will the Jews be pleased with you nor the Christians unless you follow their religion. ..."

"... Say: ' Behold Allah's guidance is the only (true) guidance'. ..."

Allah's guidance is a guidance which is not adulterated with superstitions and wrong thoughts of ignorant people. Yes, such pure noble guidance should be followed. Then, it adds:

"... And verily if you follow their desires after the knowledge has come to you, you shall have from Allah neither protector nor helper."

* * * *

But, since some of the Jewish and Christian truth-seekers accepted the invitation of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and embraced Islam, the Holy Qur'an, after scorning the aforementioned group, commemorates this group well by saying:

" Those to whom We have given the Book read it as it ought to be read, they are the ones that truly believe in it, ..."

"... and whoever disbelieves in it, they shall (surely) be the losers."

These people were those who truly read their Divine Book as it ought to be read and followed it accordingly. This manner of striving resulted in their being guided. Therein, they had studied the glad tidings of the advent of the promised prophet and they found those attributes congruous with Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), so thereby they submitted, and Allah, therefore, appreciated them.

* * * *

Explanation :

The phrase / wa la 'initaba'ta 'ahwa'ahum /, ' and verily if you follow their desires ', may prompt the readers of the verse to ask this question: Was it possible that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) would, with his inerrant position of prophethood, follow the desires of those misguided Jews?

In answer to this question we say that these statements, which are frequently cited in the verses of the Qur'an, do not contradict with the state of inerrancy of prophets (p.b.u.th.), because on one hand, it is a conditional sentence, therefore the mentioning of the protasis does not mean that the action will definitely be performed.

On the other hand, the state of being immune from sin does not refute the capability of committing sin and err by prophets (p.b.u.th.). Although prophets and Imams (p.b.u.th.) are able to commit sin and their free will is not taken away from them, they would never contaminate themselves with corruption or even taint their souls with a single sin. In other words, they can commit sins but their belief, knowledge, and virtue is so intense that they never dras near to any sin.

Therefore, such admonishments as the above are completely appropriate for them.

Therdly, this statement, although addressing the holy prophet (p.b.u.h.), may envelop all believers entirely.

* * * *

Pleasing Enemies has its Limits

It is true that one should attract the enemis' attention towrds his invitation with the magnetic power of excellent ethice and superior charcter, but there are some who never accept the truth, they are not worth worrying about. They will never believe in the true path, hence, endeavouring to attract their attention is a waste of time.

* * * *

Allah's Guidace is the Only True Guidance

Tis fact is also understood from the above verses that the only law which can lead man towards salvation and happiness is the law and guidace of Allah, because to whatever extent the knowledge of man progresses, it is still interwoven with ignorance, doubt anddeficiency from the pointsof view of variouse aspects. Hence, the guidance which comes forth uder the shade of such incomplete knowledge connot be considered an absolute guidance. The only One who can provide ' Absolute Guidance' is the One Who possesses' Absolute Knowledge' without anygnorance or imperfection. This Attribute applies only to Allah.

How should the Book be Read?

This meaning is an expressive one which defines a clear path for us regarding the Holy Qur'an, the divine Book. Now, those who read the verses of the Qur'an are defined in several groups:

One of these groups emphasize of the forms of pronunciation and artifculation of the phonemes and morphemes and also the overall intonation of the verses of the Qur'an with their own proper Arabic points of articulation. They always think of linguistical regulations for the Arabic pronunciation of the signs and soundes, pauses and extensions, and finally, for observing the special letters in the Qur'an known as / yarmalun /.They usually are not particularly concerned with the meaning and the content of the verses they read. When they disregard the meaning of the Qur'an, their actions accordingly are obvious. The example of this kind of people is depicted in the Qur'an saying: "...is as the likeness of the ass bearing books...", (Sura Al-Jumu'ah, No. 62, verse 5).

The second group are those who, in addition to the verbal utterances, pay close attention to the meanings of the verses and contemplate over the elegancies and exquisite points of the Qur'an. They try to understand the sciences described therein, but they do not actually comply with its ordinances.

The third group are those true believers who accept the Qur'an as a mandate of action and use it as a comprehensive program for their lives. They consider the recitation of this great Book, contemplation over its meanings, and conception of its purposes as preliminary for their actions. That is why whenever they recite the Qur'an, a fresh and pleasing state encompasses their souls allowing them to make new decisions with vigorous intention and a strong inner feeling of preparedness for their actions. This is, perhaps, the privilege granted for reading the Book in the way in which it ought to be read.

A tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), commenting on this verse, says: " They recite its verses slowly, and understand it, and act according to its orders, and hope for its promises, and are afraid of its threats, and take lessons from its stories, and obey its commandments, and desist from what it prohibits. By God, it does not mean memorizing its verses, and studying its letters, and reciting its chapters, and learning its one-tenths and one-fifths. They remembered its words and neglected its boundaries. And what it means is meditating on its verses and acting according to its orders. Allah, the High, has said: ' (It is) a Book We have sent down to you abounding in good,so that they may ponder over its verses'...", (38: 29), (Irshadul-Qulub, ad-Daylami). (5)

---

(1) Abul-Futuh Razi, Commentary, vol. 1, p. 308
(2) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. , p. 197
(3) Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 198
(4) Ibid, & Tafsir Abul-Futuh Razi, vol.1 , p.310
(5) Al-Mizan, commentary, vol.2, p.70 (English version)

(122) يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
(123) وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ تَنفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

122. " O' Children of Israel ! call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I made you excel all the nations (of that time)."

123. " And guard yourselves against a day when no one in the least shall avail another, neither shall any ransom be accepted from any one, nor shall intercession profit any one, nor shall they be helped (from outside)."

Commentary:

Once again, in these verses, Allah addresses the Children of Israel and reminds them of His favours bestowed on them; particularly that He preferred them to all other nations of their time.

" O' Children of Israel ! call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I made you excel all the nations (of that time)."

* * * *

But, since every blessing is followed by a corresponding responsibility, and, therefore, Allah gives man a duty or a responsibility to undertake for each bounty which is given him, in the next verse He threatens him by saying:

" And guard yourselves against a day when no one in the least shall avail another, ..." "... neither shall any ransom be accepted from any one, ..." "... nor shall intercession profit any one, ..."

And, if you think that anyone can help others that day, save Allah, you are mistaken, because He says:

"...nor shall they be helped (from outside)."

Therefore, none of the means of rescue that they would grope for in this world to save themselves, will be available there. There will be only one way open to them which is the path of Faith, good action, repentance of sins, and self-improvement.

These two verses are quite similar to verses 47 and 48 of the current Sura, where we explained the idea of intercession in detail. Here, it is referred to, again, reminding that the warning, i.e. that 'intercession shall not be of any avail ', does not at all mean that the intercession by the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) or any other of his divine allies will also be ineffective on the Day of Judgement. It is a warning against the disbelievers who, as a figment of their own fanciful imaginations, think that their guardian deities, gods or goddesses will come to their aid,or to those of the Jews and Christians who stubbornly claim the intercession of Moses (a.s.), or that Christ's (a.s.) blood has been paid as a ransom for the sins of his followers. This verse clearly denies any such ransom for sins or intercession for the sinners who do not believe in the divinely promised Last Apostle of Allah,Muhammad Mustafa (p.b.u.h.), and reject faith in the truth which he preached. But, as it was mentioned before, the intercession of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) or the other holy ones (a.s.) will be accepted by the leave of Allah (s.w.t.).

(124) وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

124. " And (remember) when his lord tested Abraham with words (of command) which he fulfilled. he said: ' verily, I have appointed you an Imam (leader) for mankind.' (Abraham) pleaded: ' and of my offspring (as well)? ' he, (Allah) said: ' my covenant does not include the unjust '."

Commentary :

Imamat, the Climax of Abraham's (a.s.) Honour

From this verse on, the topics of discussion are Abraham (a.s.), the honourable prophet of Allah and the hero of monotheism, the structure of the ka'bah, the sacred site of worship, and the importance of this great monotheistic center. these subjects are referred to in the next eighteen verses. three main ideas were the objectives of these verses:

The first aim was that they might provide people with the necessary preparation for the change of the direction of the Qiblah and to inform muslims that the ka'bah is a legacy of Abraham (a.s.), the idol-breaker. if pagans and idol-worshippers used it as an idol temple, it was only temporarily and it did not decrease the glorious high rank of the ka'bah at all.

The second goal was to address the problem of the jews and christians who were claiming to be the heirs of Abraham (a.s.) and his religion. these verses, reflecting back on the numerous former verses about the jews, clarify how very unfamiliar they were with the creed of Abraham (a.s.).

The third purpose was that arab pagans believed in a special incessant ancestral link between them and Abraham (a.s.). they, too, had to be made to understand that their belief systems and codes of behavior had no similarity with that of Abraham (a.s.), the iconoclastic prophet. In this verse, at first, it says:

" And (remember) when his lord tested Abraham with words (of command) which he fulfilled. ..."

Yes, this verse speaks about the important occurrences in Abraham's life, i.e. his great tests and how he passed them successfully, which illustrates his high rank and superior personality and manifests the worthiness of his being.

When Abraham (a.s.) passed these trials successfully, Allah saw fit to give him a gift as a prize. therefore, addressing him:

"...He said:' verily, I have appointed you an Imam (leader) for mankind.'..."

In order that this divine gift would continue in his seed, and prophethood and ' Imamat ' would not come to an end with his death:

"... (Abraham) pleaded: ' and of my offspring? '..."

The answer to this question was :

"...He (Allah) said: ' my covenant does not include the unjust '."

That is, i accepted your plea, but only for those of your offspring who are doers of righteous deeds and are pure and sinless i.e. those who are worthy of this rank.

* * * *

Explanation :

What does ' Words ' Mean ?

Studying the verses of the qur'an and noting the great and important deeds that Abraham (a.s.) fulfilled and, hence, being appointed to the position of Imamat by Allah, leads us to the conclusion that the term / kalimat / meaning ' words ', or the divine commandments by which Abraham (a.s.) was tried, were not those of the usual sort. it clearly indicates that the tests were not connected with matters of ordinary reasoning or faith. they can never be considered ordinary tests. the purpose of the ' words ' was a series of heavy, hard, laborious, grave duties which were given to Abraham, the sincere pure prophet (a.s.), and he was the only one who had the qualifications to successfully complete them. some of those commandments were such as the followings :

One trial was concerning the steadfastness of his faith in Allah. Abraham (a.s.) was commanded through a vision in a dream to slay his son ishmael. when he awoke, he unhesitatingly acted as he was bidden, (37: 105-108). this indicates that Abraham (a.s.) already knew that he was Allah's prophet and what he saw in the vision was no other than Allah's command. with such a certainty in his mind, he was willing to do, by Allah's command, something that no other loving or sensible father possibly could slay his own son.

In another incident, by Allah's command, he took and left his wife and his infant son to an area of dry land, where no food and water or any inhabitants could be found.

He also stood against the idol-worshippers of babylon and very bravely defended monotheism in his historical trial after he had broken their idols. he miraculously held firm in faith and patience when he was thrown into the midst of fire.

Recalcitrating, he emigrated from the land of idol-worshippers, and went to a faraway region in order to proclaim his prophecy. he did many things similar to those mentioned above and each of those trials was, indeed, heavy and difficult for a man to undertake, but he, with the power of faith, was able to perform them successfully thereby proving himself worthy of the position of ' Imamat ', divine leadership.

* * * *

Eligibility for Imamat

Precisely speaking, it is understood from the above mentioned verse that the position and rank of Imamat which was bestowed upon Abraham (a.s.), only after successfully enduring those frequent difficult trials, was above and beyond the rank of prophethood.

The primary sense of meaning of the term / Imam / is that of being foremost, but it also has other different meanings including:

A) leadership in the worldly social affairs of people, (as the sunnite school of thought believes).

B) Authority over the religious affairs of people in this world (as some others of them have interpreted).

C) Responsibility of bringing religious duties into action, whether it is through the establishment of government in its vast meaning or performing the commandments and ordinances of Allah, and the execution of social justice along with the training of souls, both outwardly and inwardly. the rank of Imamat is higher than the rank of prophethood, because prophethood and messengership is only a matter of receiving some commandments from Allah and preaching them as glad tidings and warnings. all of these are true in the case of Imamat, in addition to practicing the divine ordinances and training the souls of individuals, outwardly and inwardly. (it is clear, of course, that many of the prophets had had the rank of Imamat, too.)

Imamat, in fact, is the position of presenting the aims of religion practically, and guidance is ' attaining the ideal ' not merely ' showing the way '.

Besides that, Imamat includes ' divine guidance ', too. it means the innate quality of the Imam's spiritual influence and the attracting glow of his pureness encompassing, deeply touching, and truly effecting the realm of receptive people's hearts which results in their spiritual guidance.

From this point of view, an Imam is just like the sun that, with its life-giving light, fosters and gives vitality to all living creatures. the function of an Imam in spiritual aspects is the same as the physical function of the sun.

The holy qur'an says: " he it is who sends blessings on you, as do his angels, that he may bring you out from the depths of darkness into light: and he is full of mercy to the believers ", ( sura al-ahzab, No. 33, verse 43).

It is well understood from this verse that the special mercies of Allah and the hidden aid given by his angels can lead the believers and those who trust in him to come out from ' darkness ' into ' light '.

This is also true about an Imam. the innate authority of an Imam and the great prophets (a.s.) who had also possessed the rank of Imamat as well as their vicegerents, had a deep effect on receptive individuals by which they could train them and therefore bring them from the depths of ignorance and error into the light of guidance.

There is no doubt that the purpose of Imamat in this verse is the third meaning, because it is understood from many of the verses of the qur'an that the concept of ' guidance ' lies within the meaning of Imamat, as sura as-sajdah, No. 32, verse 24 says:

" And we appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in our signs."

This guidance does not mean merely ' showing the way ', because, in principle, Abraham (a.s.) had the rank of prophethood and messengership for giving guidance in the sense of ' showing the way ' before becoming an Imam.

However, the qur'an clearly attests to this fact that Imamat was bestowed on Abraham (a.s.) when he persevered with patience in tolerating the difficulties which he encountered as he paved the path of certitude alongside his faith, and passed his various great tests successfully. this rank was above and beyond the rank of guidance with the meaning of preaching glad tidings and warning people.

Therefore, guidance within the concept of Imamat is nothing save ' attaining the ideal ', cherishing the soul of religion and bringing forth training programmes for the individuals who are prepared to grasp them.

This meaning is cited in an expressive tradition from Imam sadiq (a.s.) which says: " verily, Allah, the blessed, the sublime, took Abraham (a.s.) as his slave before he took him as a prophet. and verily Allah took him as his prophet before he took him as a messenger. and Allah took him as his messenger before he made him a confident (khalil). Allah took him as a confident before he appointed him as an Imam. when he had brought all these things together in him: he (Allah) said: ' verily, i have appointed you an Imam (leader) for mankind'."

The Imam (a.s.) continued: " since this was something very great in the eyes of Abraham, he said: ' and of my offspring (as well)? ' he (Allah) said: ' my covenant does not include the unjust '."

The Imam (a.s.) concluded: " a stupid person cannot be the Imam of the pious." (1) this means that only those seed of Abraham (a.s.) who were pure and infallible were worthy of being Imam.

* * * *

Prophethood, Messengership, Imamat and their Differences

As it is understood from the verses of the qur'an and various ideas existing in traditions and islamic literature, those who were commissioned by Allah had different ranks.

A. Prophethood means the ability to receive revelation from Allah. then, a prophet is one on whom the divine revelation comes down and whatever he receives by revelation he delivers to people.

B. Messengership means to preach the divine revelation, to spread the ordinances of Allah, and to train the souls and minds of individuals through education and acknowledgement. therefore, a messenger is he who is commissioned, by effort and endeavour and utilizing any acceptable and proper means available to him, to invite people unto Allah and his commandments in order to elicit an ideological, convictional, educational and mental transformation in them.

C. Imamat, means to guide and lead people. in fact, an Imam is he who tries to execute, actually, Allah's ordinances by acquiring the power necessary to organize a godly government; and if he is not able to organize a formal government, he does his best in carrying out the ordinances of Allah, both personally and socially.

In other words, an Imam is commissioned to execute Allah's commandments and assure their performance, while a messenger is commissioned to preach those commandments. again, in other words, a messenger shows the path but an Imam, besides his other heavy responsibilities which were pointed out before, paves the path for 'attaining the ideal '.

let it not remain unsaid that it is clear that many of the prophets, like the prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), were possessors of all three ranks. they had divine revelation bestowed upon them. they preached the commandments of Allah, and endeavoured in organizing godly governments for executing his ordinances, while they were training the souls of people according to their own religions.

In brief, Imamat is the essence of leadership in all aspects: materially and spiritually, physically and theologically, apparently and hiddenly. Imam is the chief of government as well as the leader of the society, a guide in religious affairs, and a teacher of ethics to train people both inwardly and outwardly.

It is the Imam who, with his mysterious spiritual strength, guides receptive persons forward along the path of inner development, instructs the ignorant ones with his ability and knowledge, and, by means of his government or other executive resources enforces the principles of justice.

(8)

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