وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَٰتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
“And (remember) when his Lord tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed thee a leader for mankind. (Abraham) said: And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My covenant includeth not wrong-doers.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
This text transmits very different narrations regarding what the 'words' are through which Ibrahim was tested: some count ten matters related to bodily cleanliness (the Sunnah practices, nail cutting, shortening the mustache, etc.), some count the rituals of pilgrimage, some count the sacrifice of his son, fire, and trials like stars-sun-moon. Taberî lists these views through various chains of transmission from the Companions and Successors, and also notes that the lexical meaning of the word 'ibtila' (trial) is 'testing/examination.'
لم يبتل أحد بهذا الدين فأقامه إلا إبراهيم، ابتلاه الله بكلمات فأتمهن؛ قال: فكتب الله له البراءة
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the verse 'My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers' shows, whether interpreted as the covenant of prophecy or the covenant of imamate, that ultimately the prophet/imam cannot commit sin; because the imam is the person who is followed, and while there is an obligation to obey him, his committing sin would lead to contradiction. Furthermore, the verse shows that the position of imamate and leadership in religion will not reach the wrongdoers, and those who seek this position must abandon fanaticism and stubbornness.
والآية على جميع التقديرات تدل على أن النبي لا يكون مذنبا ، أما المخالف فقد تمسك في كل واحد من المواضع الأربعة التي ذكرناه بآيات
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Kurtubî sometimes explains Ibrahim's supplication 'and also from my offspring' as a wish and sometimes as a question; Allah informed him that among his offspring there would be those who rebel and are wrongdoers, and therefore it was commanded that 'My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers.' In this context, the word 'ahd' (covenant) has been interpreted in different ways as prophecy, imamate, faith, mercy, or Allah's religion; moreover, from the verse it has been concluded that the imam must be from those of justice and virtue, and that unjust and immoral persons are not fit for imamate.
قال بن عباس : سأل إبراهيم عليه السلام أن يجعل من ذريته إمام فأعلمه الله أن في ذريته من يعصي فقال : لا ينال عهدي الظالمين
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, various views are transmitted regarding the expression 'words'; some have interpreted it as thirty praiseworthy qualities, some as the rituals of pilgrimage, some as ten Sunnah practices, and some as specific trials like stars-moon-sun, Sunnah practices, the sacrifice of his son, fire, and emigration. Because Ibrahim fulfilled these commandments completely and properly, Allah made him an imam for mankind; however, this imamate does not reach the wrongdoers, because imamate is a trust and covenant from Allah, and the wrongdoer is not worthy of it. The text also notes that this constitutes evidence that prophets are protected from major sins and that the immoral person is not fit for imamate.
وأنهم لا ينالون الإمامة لأنها أمانة من الله تعالى وعهد، والظالم لا يصلح لها، وإنما ينالها البررة الأتقياء منهم. وفيه دليل على عصمة الأنبياء من الكبائر قبل البعثة، وأن الفاسق لا يصلح للإمامة.
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, the expression 'some of my offspring' in Ibrahim's supplication is limited by the qualifier 'some' because Allah had informed him that disbelievers would come from his offspring. Furthermore, the text emphasizes that good and evil are not dependent on lineage-stock (race/element), that good and bad offspring can be born from good or bad persons; that a person is only blamed for their own deeds, and is not held responsible for the condition of their ancestors or children.
وإنما بعض لأنه علم بإعلام الله أنه يكون في ذريته كفار
Comparison
Common ground
Most exegetes acknowledge that the expressions 'words' and 'covenant' are polysemous; the idea that Ibrahim's trials are connected with imamate/covenant not reaching wrongdoers forms common ground. Furthermore, the emphasis that the position of imamate-leadership requires certain moral qualities (justice, obedience, sinlessness) is repeated in many exegetes.
Differences
While Taberî contents himself with arranging many different narrations regarding the content of the 'words' in a narration-focused manner, Râzî and Beydâvî transfer the matter through theological/jurisprudential reasoning to the discussion of imamate-infallibility. While Kurtubî combines narration, linguistic analysis, and jurisprudential reasoning, Zemahşerî directs the verse toward contextual reading and a moral-social principle (that it is deed, not lineage, that is determinative); these differences stem from the methodological preferences of the exegetes (narration, language, theology, context).
Historical context
While the early-period exegete Taberî limited himself to compiling multi-voiced narration materials, later-period exegetes (Zemahşerî, Râzî, Kurtubî, Beydâvî) systematized this material through theological and jurisprudential discussions (conditions of imamate, the question of infallibility); the foundational narration core remained stable, while the depth of interpretation and theoretical framework developed over time.
Modern connection
This comparative reading reminds us that a person's worth comes not from their lineage or surroundings, but from their own effort and consistency; this also points to the importance of patience and sincerity in education and the transmission of values within families. Furthermore, the idea that taking on leadership and responsibility is a moral trust offers a general reminder in our time of the value of service-oriented and just conduct.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar