"MY COVENANT WILL NOT REACH THE UNJUST" [2:124] AND INFALLIBILITY (ISMA')

[Rajaee]

NOTICE: The following article is a direct translation of an article with the same topic in Farsi from the official website of The Imamate Cultural Foundation.

Does the verse “My covenant will not reach the unjust” [1] indicate the necessity of the Imam's infallibility? How?

The Origins and Explanation of the Shubha:

Shia scholars have long used the aforementioned verse to argue for the necessity of the Imam's infallibility. However, some opponents of the Shia faith, such as Nasir ibn Abdullah al-Qaffari, have not accepted this view and have criticized it. Nasir al-Qaffari, in his book "Principles of the Shia Imamiyyah Ithna-Ashariyyah Faith," has raised objections to the Shia argument for the Imam's infallibility based on this verse, which can be summarized as follows:

• The scholars differ in their understanding of the meaning of "covenant"; some interpret it as prophecy, some as Imamat, and others as safety from punishment. Therefore, the majority opinion is not in favor of Imamate.
• The verse negates the Imamate of the unjust. Therefore, it affirms the Imam's justice, not his infallibility, which the Shia believe in, and includes infallibility from errors, mistakes, and forgetfulness.
• One who has committed a wrong and then repented is not called a unjust. [2]

 

Therefore, in this article, we will examine his criticisms and objections and prove the necessity of infallibility by arguing from the aforementioned verse, in two parts Insha'Allah.

 

The Answer:

The argument from this verse depends on understanding the meaning and purpose of the two words "my covenant" and "the unjust" as intended by God Almighty. Therefore, we will first examine these two words and then present the main argument.

The meaning of "my covenant":

The significance of "my covenant" in the verse, given the context of Abraham's appeal to Allah (s.w.t) and Allah's reply, is indicative of Imamate. This is because after Allah (s.w.t) informs Abraham that "Indeed, I am making you an Imam for the people," [3] and Abraham seeks Imamate for his descendants [4], God Almighty responds by saying, "My covenant will not reach the unjust." [5] It is evident that this response can only be related to Abraham's request if the covenant refers to Imamate. Otherwise, there would be a discrepancy between the request and the response.

Many Sunni commentators have also interpreted the meaning of "my covenant" as Imamate. Tabari, in his commentary, which Ibn Taymiyyah considers one of the greatest and most valuable commentaries [6], writes under the aforementioned verse:

“This verse from Allah (s.w.t) states that unjust will not attain Imamate, which is followed by benevolent people. It is also a response to Abraham's request to Allah (s.w.t) to appoint Imams from his descendants, just as He had appointed him as an Imam. Therefore, God Almighty assured him that this request would be fulfilled for the non-unjust among Abraham's descendants. This is because God does not appoint unjust as Imams, nor does He honor them with Imamate or place them in the position of His close friends. Imamate is reserved for the close friends and obedient people of God, not for His enemies and disbelievers.” [7]

 

Ibn Jauzi also writes in “Zad al-Masir”:

There are seven opinions about the covenant here: one of these opinions is Imamate, which Abu Saleh has narrated from Ibn Abbas. Also, Mujahid and Saeed ibn Jubair believe in it... and the first opinion (Imamate) is more correct. [8]

Fakhr al-Razi also writes:

They have mentioned several aspects regarding the covenant: one of these aspects is that the covenant is the same Imamate that was mentioned earlier... The first opinion (Imamate) is more worthy; because Abraham's speech 'and from my descendants' is a request for the same Imamate that God had promised him with his speech 'Indeed, I am making you an Imam for the people.' Therefore, 'My covenant will not reach the unjust' will only be a response to that request if the meaning of the covenant is Imamate. [9]

Also, Baydawi writes:

"He said: My covenant will not reach the unjust" is a response to Abraham's request and indicates that there will be unjust from Abraham's descendants, and the unjust will not reach Imamate; because Imamate is a trust and covenant of God, and the unjust is not worthy of it, and only the good and pious from his descendants will reach this position. Also, this verse is a proof for the infallibility of prophets from major sins before their mission and a proof that the immoral is not worthy of Imamate. [10]

Abu al-Barakaat al-Nasafi also writes in his commentary:

"He said: My covenant will not reach the unjust" means that the people of oppression, namely the disbelievers from your descendants, will not reach Imamate. God has stated that the Imamate of Muslims will not be for the people of disbelief, and He has also stated that some of Abraham's descendants are Muslims and some are disbelievers. [11]

Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi also writes in al-Bahr al-Muhit fi al-Tafsir:

What appears from these opinions is that the meaning of the covenant is Imamate; because Imamate is what is mentioned at the beginning of the verse. Therefore, God Almighty informed Abraham that Imamate would not reach the unjust. Some of the people of knowledge have said that Abraham's speech "and from my descendants" is interrogative; as if he said: Will you appoint an Imam from my descendants? while we said in the past: The apparent meaning is that this sentence is in the form of a request; meaning, appoint (an Imam) from my descendants.

The response that God gives to Abraham is the kind of response that is beyond the question and request; because Abraham requested Allah (s.w.t) to appoint an Imam from his descendants; then Allah (s.w.t) responds: Imamate will not reach the unjust. The correct meaning of this response is that His covenant reaches those who are not unjust; as a result, this means that Abraham's descendants are divided into unjust and non-unjust.

One of the reasons that the meaning of the covenant is Imamate is the apparent meaning of God's speech "My covenant will not reach the unjust" in response to Abraham's speech 'and from my descendants' in the form of appointment; because if it were in the form of prohibition, He would have said: No, or He would have said: My covenant will not reach your descendants and your lineage, and He would not have made the prohibition conditional on unjust. [12]

Therefore, considering the context of the verse and the interpretation of scholars such as Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Saeed ibn Jubair, and the explicit statements of the great Sunni commentators, the meaning of "covenant" in this verse is Imamate.

The meaning of "the unjust"

Dhulm or injustice in Arabic language means placing something in a place other than its proper place. [13] Therefore, they say: "One who resembles his father has not committed injustice"; meaning, he has not placed resemblance in a place other than its proper place. [14]

Therefore, disbelief, polytheism, disobedience, and even error, mistake, and forgetfulness are among the examples of injustice; because in all these cases, putting something in a place other than its specific place occurs. For example, if someone, believing that he has the right to kill a person, kills him while he is mistaken and should not have killed him, based on the linguistic meaning, he is a unjust.

 

The Argument by the Verse on Imam's Infallibility

After explaining the previous matters, it becomes clear that this verse indicates the Imam's infallibility; because God Almighty, in this verse, has negated the reaching of Imamate to the unjust, and as explained, disbelief, polytheism, disobedience, error, mistake, and forgetfulness are among the examples of the concept of oppression; especially in the matter of Imamate, which is a very great and important position and is related to guiding people and having control over their lives, property, and honor. A position that Abraham reached after reaching the position of prophethood and after successfully completing the divine tests. Therefore, the aforementioned verse indicates the Imam's infallibility; the infallibility that the Shia believe in; namely, infallibility from sin, error, mistake, and forgetfulness.

It should be noted that even if we ignore the verse's indication of the Imam's infallibility from error, mistake, and forgetfulness, infallibility from sins remains, and infallibility from sins is different from justice; because justice is avoiding major sins and not insisting on committing minor sins. [15] This means that committing a sin, even if it is minor, is possible for a just person. [16] While the aforementioned verse negates the Imamate of the unjust, and disobedience and sin - whether major or minor - are undoubtedly one of the examples of oppression; as God Almighty says: "And whoever transgresses the limits of God, they are the unjust." [17] Therefore, contrary to Qaffari's claim, the aforementioned verse does not prove the Imam's justice.

It is necessary to mention that according to the meaning of the verse, one who has committed disobedience and oppression, even if he has repented, does not deserve the position of Imamate and will not reach divine Imamate; because upon committing disobedience and oppression, the verse's ruling - which is the non-reaching of Imamate to unjust - applies to him; like the ruling of cutting the hand in the verse: "And the thief, male or female, cut off their hands," [18] which applies to him upon the truth of the title of thief, even if this title is not true for him in later times. [19]

Another way to enhance the understanding of the argument for the Imam's infallibility from the beginning to the end is to consider that people, based on intellectual division, are logically divided into four groups:

1. Those who are always unjust;
2. Those who are never unjust;
3. Those who are unjust at the beginning of their lives but not at the end;
4. Those who are not unjust at the beginning of their lives but are unjust at the end.

The rank of Abraham is higher than that of requesting Imamate for the first and fourth groups from his descendants. So two groups remain, and God negates the Imamate of one of them; namely, the group who were unjust at the beginning of their lives but stopped being unjust at the end. As a result, only one group remains, and they are the ones who Imamate reaches, and they are those who have never committed any oppression. [20]

 

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Footnotes:

[1]. Surah Baqarah: Verse 124.

[2]. Nasir ibn Abdullah al-Qaffari, Principles of the Shia Imamiyyah Ithna-Ashariyyah Faith - Presentation and Criticism, 1414, Vol. 2, 783-786.

[3]. Surah Baqarah: Verse 124.

[4]. Surah Baqarah: Verse 124.

[5]. Surah Baqarah: Verse 124.

[6]. Ibn Taymiyyah Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abdul Halim, Majmu al-Fatawa, Abdul Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim and Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Muhammad (al-Madinah al-Munawwarah: Majma al-Malik Fahd for Printing the Holy Quran, 1425), Vol. 13, 361.

[7]. Abu Jaafar Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan an Ta'wil Ay al-Quran), Dar Hijr for Printing, Publishing, Distribution, and Advertising, 1422), Vol. 2, 511.

[8]. Abu al-Faraj Abdul Rahman ibn Ali al-Jauzi, Zad al-Masir fi Ilm al-Tafsir, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Arabi, 1422, Vol. 1, 108.

[9]. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar, al-Tafsir al-Kabir (Miftah al-Ghayb), Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1420, Vol. 4, 37.

[10]. Nasir al-Din Abu Saeed Abdullah ibn Umar al-Baydawi, Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil (Tafsir al-Baydawi), Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1418, Vol. 1, 104.

[11]. Abu al-Barakat Abdullah ibn Ahmad Hafiz al-Din al-Nasafi, Tafsir al-Nasafi (Madarik al-Tanzil wa Haqaiq al-Ta'wil), Beirut: Dar al-Kalam al-Tayyib, 1419, Vol. 1, 128.

[12]. Athir al-Din Abu Hayyan Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Andalusi, al-Bahr al-Muhit fi al-Tafsir, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1420, Vol. 1, 603-604.

[13]. Abu Nasr Ismail ibn Hammad al-Jawhari, al-Sahaah Taj al-Lughah wa Sahaah al-Arabiyyah, Beirut: Dar al-Ilm lil-Malyun, 1407, Vol. 5, 1977; Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Faris al-Razi, Mujam Maqayis al-Lughah, Dar al-Fikr, 1399, Vol. 3, 468; al-Raghib al-Asfahani Abu al-Qasim Hussein ibn Muhammad, al-Mufridat fi Garib al-Quran, Damascus - Beirut: al-Dar al-Shamiyyah - Dar al-Qalam, 1412, 537.

[14]. Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Faris al-Razi, Mujam Maqayis al-Lughah, Vol. 3, 468.

[15]. Abu Zakariya Muhyi al-Din Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi, Rawdat al-Talibin wa Umdat al-Muftiyin, al-Maktab al-Islami, 1412, Vol. 11, 225.

[16]. Amir Sanani writes about this: "Shafi'i has expressed a beautiful speech about justice, in such a way that many wise people after him have considered it good. He says: If a just person was someone who never sinned, we would not find any just person..." Abu Ibrahim Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Amir al-Sanani, Thamarat al-Nazhar fi Ilm al-Athar, al-Riyadh: Dar al-Asimah lil-Nashr wa al-Tawzi, 1417, 72.

[17]. Surah Baqarah: Verse 229.

[18]. Surah Ma'idah: Verse 38.

[19]. Cf. Sayyid Ali Husayn al-Milani, عصمت از منظر فریقین شیعه و اهل سنّت, Qom: Intishaarat al-Haqaiq, 1394, 122.

[20]. Al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn al-Tabatabai, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran, Qom: Manshuraat Jama'at al-Mudarrisin fi al-Hawzah al-Ilmiyyah, 1417, Vol. 1, 274.