ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hayat Al-Qulub Vol.3 Part 33: Imam or Ummah in the Quran Verses that mention Imam or Ummah; Their interpretation First verse: وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ. And among from you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and those it is that shall be successful.

(Surah Ale-Imran 3:104) Shaykh Tabarsi has narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that he used to recite this verse in this way: And among from you there should be Imams… It means that there should be an Imam and leader amongst you, having these qualities.[^1] Second verse: كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمْ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ… You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) man, you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah, and if the followers of the book had believed it would have been better for them, of them (some) are believers.

In another authentic tradition from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) in the explanation of this verse it is mentioned that it is the nation on which the prayer of Ibrahim became incumbent, as the Almighty Allah says: وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنْ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ. رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ.