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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Taqwa (Piety) Advice of What Is Promise? ==================== The word, ’Ahd’ means to promise to do something. One of the main examples of it is the ‘Ahd’ with God Almighty, the Messenger of Allah, or God’s ‘Ahd’ with His servants. Both cases have been mentioned in the Holy Quran. Addressing the Children of Israel, God says: “O children of Israel!

Call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and be faithful to (your) Covenant with Me, I will fulfill (My) Covenant with you; and of Me alone, should you be afraid. And believe in what I have revealed, verifying that which is with you, and be not the first to deny it, neither take a mean price in exchange for My communications; and Me, Me alone should you fear.” [^1] One of the other examples of ‘Ahd’ is prophethood and Imamate.

When Prophet Ibrahim (AS) observed the position of Imamate in himself (he was ready to sacrifice his son for the sake of God) as Imam Sadiq (AS) has reported: “God Almighty chose Ibrahim as His servant before choosing him as a prophet. God chose Ibrahim as a prophet before making him a Messenger, and He made him a Messenger before making him His friend (Khaleel). God made Ibrahim His friend before making him as an Imam, for Ibrahim (AS) had prepared all the devices of Imamate.

God said: “And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely, I will make you an Imam for mankind.” [^2] As Imamate was something great to Ibrahim, he asked God: And my issues? God said: My ‘Ahd: covenant’ does not include the unjust. An insane man cannot be the leader of the pious. The Imam has also been reported as saying: One who has worshipped an idol cannot be an Imam.”[^3] Prophet Ibrahim (AS) wished Imamate for some of his children.

God said: “My covenant does not include the unjust.” [^4] This is the greatest proof of showing that prophets and their successors must be infallible. Hence, a tyrant or wrongdoer cannot be a leader to people, for he cannot keep the covenant, which he undertakes, in all states and conditions. An Imam is one who has self-restraint in all conditions.

Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “I have not seen a thing without having seen Allah with, before, and after it.” It was this state that produced a perfect immunity for him.