90 - فَضلُ الإمامَةِ عَلى النُّبُوّةِ

90. The Superiority of Imama over Prophethood

(وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى‏ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِماتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قالَ إِنِّي جاعِلُكَ لِلنّاسِ إِماماً) .¹

"And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said, 'I am making you the Imam of mankind." ²

290.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إنَّ اللَّهَ تبارَكَ وتعالى‏ اتَّخَذَ إبراهيمَ عَبْداً قَبْلَ أنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ نَبِيّاً ، وإنَّ اللَّهَ اتَّخَذَهُ نَبِيّاً قَبْلَ أنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ رَسُولاً، وإنَّ اللَّهَ اتَّخَذَهُ رَسُولاً قَبْلَ أنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ خَليلاً، وإنَّ اللَّهَ اتَّخَذَهُ خَليلاً قَبْلَ أنْ يَجْعَلَهُ إماماً ، فَلَمّا جَمَعَ لَهُ الأشياءَ قالَ : إنّي جاعِلُكَ لِلنّاسِ إماماً .³

290.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily Allah, Blessed and most High, took Abraham ⁴ as a slave before He took him as a prophet, and verily Allah took him as a prophet before He took him as an apostle, And verily Allah took him as an apostle before He took him as a friend. And verily Allah took him as a friend before He made him an Imam. And when all these ranks came together in him, He said, "I am making you the Imam of mankind." ⁵