An Inquiry into the Implication of the Verse of Trial for the Divine Appointment of the Imam, with Emphasis on a Critique of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Views

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Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Al-Mustafa University, Qom, Iran.

2 Department of Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Level 4 Student of Islamic Theology, Ayatollah Khoei Seminary, Khorasan Seminary, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Graduated from the Level 4 of Islamic Theology, Ayatollah Khoei Seminary, Khorasan Seminary, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Verse 124 of Sūrat al-Baqarah, widely known as the “Verse of Trial” (Āyat al-Ibtillāʾ), is among the most fundamental Qur’anic verses in explicating the status and nature of Imamate. After recounting a series of trials endured by Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), the verse speaks of the bestowal of the مقام of Imamate upon him—a station whose nature and scope have been the subject of extensive theological debate. The central question of this study is whether the Imamate mentioned in the verse is synonymous with prophethood or whether it denotes an independent and superior rank, and what relation it bears to divine appointment and the condition of infallibility. This research employs an analytical–critical method.
The findings indicate that the general purport of the verse and the theological presuppositions derived from it suggest that Abraham (peace be upon him) already possessed the مقام of prophethood prior to being granted Imamate; therefore, the Imamate referred to in this verse cannot be reduced to prophethood. Furthermore, based on the statement, “My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers” (lā yanālu ʿahdī al-ẓālimīn), only one completely free from any form of wrongdoing is worthy of this office. This conclusion points to the necessity of infallibility (ʿiṣmah), purity, and divinely bestowed knowledge for the Imam. Accordingly, in the Verse of Trial, Imamate is understood as a divine reality signifying religious, spiritual, and social leadership, as well as legislative and ontological guidance—whose realization is possible only through divine appointment and the station of infallibility.

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Theology Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 December 2027

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