Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority

Al-Kāfi - The Book about people with Divine Authority Chapter: The Categories of the Prophets, the Messengers and the Imams (a.s.) َّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ أَبِي السَّفَاتِجِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الله اتَّخَذَ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَبْداً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ نَبِيّاً وَاتَّخَذَهُ نَبِيّاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ رَسُولاً وَاتَّخَذَهُ رَسُولاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ خَلِيلاً وَاتَّخَذَهُ خَلِيلاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهُ إِ٠َعَ لَهُ هَذِهِ الاشْيَاءَ وَقَبَضَ يَدَهُ قَالَ لَهُ يَا إِبْرَاهِي٠ُ إِنِّي جاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِ٠ِهَا فِي عَيْنِ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ يَا رَبِّ وَ٠ِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قالَ لا يَنالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِ٠4.

Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ishaq ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from abu al-Saffah from Jabir from abu Ja‘far (a.s.) has said the following. “I heard the Imam saying, ‘Allah chose Abraham as a servant before He chose him as a prophet. He chose him as a prophet before He chose him as a messenger. He chose him as a messenger before He chose him as a friend of His. He chose him as a friend of His before He chose him as an Imam.

When all of these things gathered in him (the Imam holding his hands said, “Allah said, ‘O Ibrahim I have appointed you as the Imam (leader) of the people.” Because of the greatness of the position Abraham them asked, “O Lord, can it be in my descendants also?” The Lord said, ‘My covenant does not go to the unjust ones.”