Subsequent to mentioning the story of rescuing Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Lut and granting Ibrahim (as) with righteous children, the Quran reflects on the Imamah and leadership of this great Prophet and a quantity of values, plans and qualities pertaining to this divine position: “And we made them leaders, guiding (mankind) by our command, and we inspired in them the doing of good deeds, performing salat, and the giving of zakat and of us (alone) they were worshippers.”
The above ayah indicates that the five qualities of the Imam are as follows:
1. Calling the people to God.
2. Inspired to do good and righteous deeds.
3. Honoring the ritual of prayer (salat).
4. Giving of zakat (charity).
5. Merely worshipping God.
Precisely speaking, Imamah is the manifestation and fulfillment of all divine plans, in other words Imamah is the implementation of takwini (generative) and tashri’i (legislative) guidance, which can be portrayed as the sun, that cultivates each and every living creature with it’s light.
The first quality of the Imam is that: he guides the people to our noble cause (يهدون بامرنا), not only does he direct them to the right path; he actually walks those worthy through the path all the way to the final destination.
The second, third and fourth endowment and quality of the Imam is that we inspired in them the doing of good, performance of prayer and giving of zakat (و اوحينا اليهم فعل الخيرات و اقام الصلوة و ايتاء الزكاة).
This type of revelation can be a matter of tashri’i revelation, meaning that we included a variety of good deeds, the act of prayer and zakat in their religious doctrine, or it can be a matter of takwini revelation, indicating that we granted them the tawfiq (), ability and strength to perform such things.
And in the fifth and last phrase, the Quran reflects on their obedience, saying: And of us (alone) they were worshippers (و كانوا لنا عابدين).
Additionally, the expression (كانوا), that which implies continuance and persistence on this particular matter, suggests that they were pious and righteous believers prior to becoming prophets or imams and that it was for this very dedication to the divine that prepared them for new blessings from God.
