Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:124

Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 124

"And [mention] when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them."

When the Almighty concluded the discussion regarding the favors bestowed upon the Children of Israel, followed by their reprehensible deeds in religion and action, concluding that section with the statement about their eternal dwelling and their inability to be helped (referring to the preceding verses), He then commenced a new form of exposition by recounting the story of Abraham, peace be upon him, and the circumstances surrounding him.

The Wisdom in Recounting Abraham's Story:

The reason for mentioning Abraham (PBUH) is that he is a figure whose virtue is acknowledged by all sects and nations:

1. The Polytheists (Mushrikūn): They acknowledged his virtue and prided themselves on being his descendants and the custodians of his sanctuary (the Ka'bah).
2. The People of the Book (Jews and Christians): They also recognized his virtue and were proud of their lineage from him.

By narrating Abraham's experiences, Allah intends to compel the polytheists, Jews, and Christians to accept the message of Muhammad (PBUH), acknowledge his religion, and submit to his law. This is evident in several ways:

1. Attainment of Imamate: When Abraham (PBUH) fulfilled certain divine commands, he attained Prophethood and the Imamate (leadership). This serves as a reminder to the Jews, Christians, and polytheists that success in this world and the Hereafter is only achieved through abandoning rebellion and obstinacy and submitting to God's rulings and commands.
2. Exclusion of the Unjust from Imamate: When Abraham requested the Imamate for his offspring, Allah responded, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." This indicates that the high office of religious leadership and authority is not granted to the unjust. Therefore, if they seek this position, they must abandon stubbornness and fanaticism for falsehood.
3. The Sanctity of Hajj: The rites of Hajj are specific characteristics of the religion of Muhammad (PBUH). By recounting that Allah commanded these things of Abraham, it serves as an argument compelling the Jews and Christians to submit to these rites.
4. The Qiblah (Direction of Prayer): When the Qiblah was shifted to the Ka'bah, this caused distress for the Jews and Christians. Allah clarified that this House is the Qiblah of Abraham, whose reverence they acknowledge and whose example they ought to follow. This should alleviate the anger in their hearts.
5. The Trials (Kalimāt): Some commentators interpret the "words" by which Abraham was tested as matters related to physical purification (like circumcision, trimming nails, etc.). This necessitates that the polytheists, who acknowledged Abraham's virtue, adopt this path and abandon their practices of defilement and lack of cleanliness (such as spilling blood). Other commentators interpret these "words" as the trials Abraham endured in the path of God: contemplating the stars, moon, and sun; debating idolaters; and then submitting to God's command regarding sacrificing his son and being cast into the fire. This requires the Jews, Christians, and polytheists who recognize his virtue to emulate him by abandoning envy, tribalism, and aversion to submitting to Muhammad (PBUH).

These are the reasons why Allah mentioned the story of Abraham (PBUH).

Allah recounted matters concerning Abraham (PBUH) that relate partly to the difficult obligations placed upon him, and partly to the great honors bestowed upon him. We will explain these in detail, God willing. This verse indicates a test/obligation followed by an honor.

The obligation is stated in: "And [mention] when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them."

Issue 1: The Grammar of Idhā (When)

The operator governing idhā (when) is either an implied verb, such as “Remember when…” or “When He tested Abraham, such and such happened,” or it is the following verb, “I will make you…”

Issue 2: The Meaning of "Testing" (Ibtilā’)

Allah described His command to Abraham as a balwā (test/trial). This description is used metaphorically because such trials—testing, proving, and affliction—are typically employed when one does not know the outcome from the one commanding. Since this usage became common, it is permissible for Allah to describe His commands and prohibitions metaphorically.

Theological Debate on Divine Knowledge:

Allah, the Exalted, cannot be subject to testing or examination because He possesses infinite knowledge of all things in detail from eternity to perpetuity.

• Hishām ibn al-Ḥakam's View: He argued that Allah knew the essences and realities of things eternally, but He only knows contingent events (their coming into existence) when they occur. He used this verse and others as evidence:
  • Scriptural Evidence: Verses like "We will surely test you until We know those who strive among you and are patient" (Qur'an 2:155), "that He may test you as to which of you is best in deed," and "We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger" (2:155) suggest testing to ascertain knowledge. Also, "So speak to him a gentle word; perhaps he may remember or fear" (20:44) uses la'alla (perhaps/maybe), implying uncertainty, and "that you may become righteous" (2:21) uses la'alla again.
  • Rational Evidence (Arguments against Pre-existing Knowledge of Contingents):
    1. If Allah knew the occurrence of things beforehand, it would negate the power of the Creator and the creation, which is impossible. Knowledge of an event occurring implies that the event must occur, as knowing its non-occurrence is contradictory. If Allah knew all particulars beforehand, some things would be necessary to occur and others impossible to occur, negating all power for both the Creator and the creation. This is impossible because the world is contingent, requiring an agent, and that agent must have power. Furthermore, we intuitively find ourselves capable of acting or refraining from acting.
    2. The attachment of knowledge to one known object differs from its attachment to another. We can comprehend one attachment while being heedless of the other. If the attachments were one, this would be impossible, as one cannot be known and simultaneously be heedless of it. If Allah knew all particulars, He would have infinite knowledge or infinite attachments, necessitating the simultaneous existence of infinite entities, which is impossible (as an infinite set cannot be equal to itself minus a finite number).
    3. Of these infinite pieces of knowledge, does Allah know their number? If He knows the number, they are finite. If He does not know the number, He does not know them in detail, which is what we are discussing.
    4. Every known object is distinct in the mind from others. Everything distinct from others is outside it, and everything outside it is finite. Thus, every known object is finite, making it impossible for the infinite to be known.
    5. An object is known only if knowledge has a relation or connection to it. This relation requires the object to have a definite reality (ta'ayyun) in itself. An object not yet existing has no definite reality, making it impossible for knowledge to relate to it as such. (The objection that we know impossibilities or composites before existence is a counter-argument, not a refutation of the core logic.)

• Conclusion on Hishām's View: Hishām concluded that these rational arguments show no need to deviate from the literal meaning of the verses suggesting testing. (Note: Al-Rāzī mentions Hishām was the leader of the Rāfiḍah [early Shi'a sect].)

The Majority View (Jumhūr):

The majority of Muslims agree that Allah knows all particulars before they occur. Their proof is that we ourselves know things before they happen (e.g., "The sun will rise tomorrow"). Since we can know them before they occur, it is possible for Allah to know them. Because Allah's knowledge attaches to what is knowable by its very nature, His attachment to one knowable thing is no more preferential than to another. If He were to single out some, a specific determiner (mukhassiṣ) would be required, which is impossible. Therefore, if He knows any, He must know all.

Rebuttals to Hishām's Objections:

• Rebuttal to Objection 1 (Knowledge negates Power): Knowledge of occurrence is dependent on occurrence, and occurrence is dependent on power. The dependent does not negate the primary; knowledge does not negate power.
• Rebuttal to Objection 2 (Infinite Sets): This is refuted by the analogy of infinite numerical series.
• Rebuttal to Objection 3 (Knowing the Number): Allah does not know their number, but this does not imply ignorance. Ignorance would mean there is a definite number that He does not know. If there is no number inherent in the things themselves, saying Allah doesn't know the number does not establish ignorance.
• Rebuttal to Objection 4 (Distinction Requires Knowing Others): It is not a condition for knowledge that the knower knows the object's distinction from everything else, as knowing the distinction requires knowing those "others." If knowing a thing required knowing infinite others, one could never know a single thing.
• Rebuttal to Objection 5 (Reality of Relation): Refuted by the counter-example mentioned earlier (impossibilities/composites).

Thus, the arguments supporting Allah's comprehensive, eternal knowledge remain sound.

Issue 3: The Grammar of the Pronoun (Ḍamīr)

A pronoun must refer back to a previously mentioned antecedent. The antecedent can be:

1. Prior in both word and meaning: Generally considered impermissible by grammarians, though Ibn Jinni permitted it, citing poetry and reason (the relationship between agent and patient is strong enough to allow either order).
2. Later in both word and meaning: Undisputed (e.g., “Zayd struck his slave.”).
3. Prior in word, later in meaning: (e.g., “His slave Zayd struck.”). This is permissible because the object pronoun (ghulāmihi) is conceptually subordinate to the subject (Zayd), making the implied order “Zayd struck his slave.”
4. Prior in meaning, later in word: This is the case here: "And [mention] when his Lord tested Abraham..." The subject (his Lord) is conceptually prior to the object pronoun (Abraham), but the pronoun appears later in the sentence structure. This is permissible and elegant.

Issue 4: Readings of the Verse

1. Ibn ‘Āmir reads: Ibrāhām (with an alif between the hā’ and mīm). The rest read Ibrāhīm. Both are valid linguistic forms.
2. Ibn ‘Abbās and Abū Ḥaywah read: Ibrāhīmu Rabbuhu (Abraham as the subject, Rabbuhu as the object). This implies that Allah called upon him with words, and Abraham was testing whether Allah would answer him.

Issue 5: What are the "Words" (Kalimāt)?

There is disagreement on whether the literal wording implies the specific acts:

View 1: The words refer to the subsequent obligations mentioned: These include the Imamate, purifying the House, raising its foundations, and praying for the sending of Muhammad (PBUH). These are all severe obligations:

• Imamate: Here it means Prophethood, which entails immense hardship in conveying the message, even unto death. This is why the Prophet's reward is greater.
• Building/Purifying the House: The difficulty of building the Ka'bah is well-documented in tradition. It also includes the rites of Hajj, where Abraham was tested by Satan during the stoning of the pillars.
• Praying for Muhammad's Mission: This requires absolute sincerity to Allah and complete eradication of envy.

The evidence for this view is that the verse immediately follows with the statement: "Then He said, 'Indeed, I will make you an Imam for mankind,'" without an intervening conjunction, suggesting the fulfillment of the test is the attainment of the Imamate through these specific acts.

• Objection (Al-Qāḍī): This would only be valid if the verse read: "When his Lord tested Abraham with words, and Abraham fulfilled them, then Allah said, 'I will make you an Imam...'" But the text places the fulfillment (fa-atammahunn) before the promise of the Imamate.
• Response: The "words" encompass the Imamate plus building the House and praying for Muhammad (PBUH). Allah first mentioned the test generally, then stated it was fulfilled, and then provided the detailed explanation.

View 2: The verse does not specify the words: This view has two sub-possibilities:

1. The words were commands and prohibitions Allah imposed upon him.
2. The words were things Abraham spoke to his people to convey the message.

Those who hold View 1 (commands/obligations) differ on what those obligations were:

• Ibn ‘Abbās: Ten characteristics obligatory in his law, which are Sunnah in ours: Five related to the head (rinsing the mouth, sniffing water into the nose, parting the hair, trimming the mustache, using the siwāk), and five related to the body (circumcision, trimming pubic hair, plucking armpit hair, clipping nails, ritual cleansing with water).
• Others: Thirty characteristics of Islam (ten mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah, ten in Al-Ahzāb, ten in Al-Mu’minūn, and ten in Al-Ma'ārij, totaling forty points according to one narration from Ibn ‘Abbās).
• Qatādah and Ibn ‘Abbās: The rites of Hajj (Tawāf, Sa'ī, stoning, entering the state of iḥrām).
• Al-Ḥasan: Seven things: The stars, moon, sun, circumcision in old age, the fire, sacrificing the son, and the Hijra (migration). He fulfilled all, hence the verse: "And Abraham who fulfilled [his covenant]" (53:37).
• Another View: The command to submit: "When his Lord said to him, 'Submit,' he said, 'I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds'" (2:131).
• Another View: Debates on monotheism with his father and Nimrod, prayer, zakāh, fasting, division of spoils, and hospitality/patience therein.

Al-Qaffāl's Conclusion: The test encompasses everything difficult and arduous. If the narrations confirm all suggested acts, all must be included. If only some are confirmed, there is conflict, necessitating suspension of judgment.

Issue 6: Timing of the Test (Before or After Prophethood?)

• Al-Qāḍī's View (Before Prophethood): Allah made Abraham's fulfillment of these acts the reason for making him an Imam. The cause must precede the effect. Fulfillment requires abandoning worldly desires, speaking truth against false beliefs, and enduring harm—all immense hardships. Therefore, Allah tested him with difficult obligations, and upon fulfillment, granted him the robe of Prophethood and Message.
• Other Scholars' View (After Prophethood): Abraham could not know he was obligated to these specific duties except through revelation. Revelation must precede his knowledge of these obligations.
• Al-Qāḍī's Rebuttal: Allah might have revealed these difficult obligations to him via Gabriel, and upon completion, made him a Prophet sent to mankind.

If we accept Al-Qāḍī's reasoning, the "words" could include the contemplation of the celestial bodies (which occurred before Prophethood, according to Al-Ḥasan), while the sacrifice of the son, the fire, and the Hijra occurred after Prophethood. Circumcision is also reported to have been done by Abraham himself at age 120. If textual evidence strongly points to these specific acts, then the fulfillment mentioned in the verse implies that Allah knew from his state (even before Prophethood) that he would fulfill them, thus warranting the grant of the Imamate.

Issue 7: The Pronoun in Fa-atammahunn (And he fulfilled them)

In one reading, the hidden pronoun refers to Abraham, meaning he performed them perfectly, without negligence or slackness, similar to "And Abraham who fulfilled [his covenant]" (53:37).

In the other reading, it refers to Allah, meaning Allah gave him exactly what he requested, not withholding anything.

Imām is a noun derived from i’timām (to be followed), like izār (loincloth) is derived from i’tizār (to wrap oneself). It means those who follow him in his religion.

Issue 1: The Meaning of Imamate

The most authoritative view is that Imām here means Prophet. Evidence:

1. Universality: "for mankind" implies he is a leader for all people. One who holds this status must be a Messenger from God, independent in law. If he were subordinate to another Prophet, he would be ma’mūm (one being followed) by that Prophet, not an Imām to all, invalidating the universality.
2. Scope: The term implies leadership in everything, which necessitates Prophethood.
3. General Usage: Prophets are Imams because people must follow them (e.g., "And We made them leaders, guiding by Our command" [21:73]). Rulers (Khulafā’), judges, and jurists are also called Imams because people must follow their rulings. The person leading the prayer is also called an Imam.

The term Imām is used for anyone deserving of religious emulation. It can also be used for leaders of falsehood, but only when qualified (e.g., "And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire" [28:41]). The unqualified term Imām refers only to the true leader, just as Ilāh (God) refers only to the true object of worship. Since Prophets hold the highest rank of Imamate, and Allah mentions this as a favor (imtinān), it must refer to Prophethood to justify the magnitude of the favor.

Issue 2: Fulfillment of the Promise

Allah fulfilled this promise to Abraham until the Hour of Judgment. Despite the vast differences and contradictions among religions, all groups revere Abraham (PBUH) and claim honor through lineage or adherence to his pure religion (Ḥanīfiyyah). Even idolaters revered him. The Muslim nation is commanded to follow his path (16:123, 2:130) and concludes their prayers by invoking blessings upon Abraham and his family, just as they do upon Muhammad and his family.

Issue 3: Imamate by Divine Designation (Naṣṣ)

Those who hold that the Imamate can only be established by explicit divine designation (naṣṣ) cite this verse, comparing it to "Indeed, I will make in the earth a successor [Khalīfah]" (2:30). They argue that Abraham only attained the station of Imamate through this explicit designation. This is weak because:

1. We established that Imāmah here means Prophethood.
2. Even if it means general leadership, the verse confirms that naṣṣ is a way to attain leadership, which is undisputed. The debate is whether leadership can be established without naṣṣ, which this verse neither affirms nor denies.

Issue 4: Infallibility of the Imam

The statement "Indeed, I will make you an Imam for mankind" implies that Abraham (PBUH) was infallible regarding all sins. An Imam is one to be followed; if he committed a sin, following him in that act would become obligatory, meaning committing sin would become obligatory, which is impossible (as sin is defined as what is forbidden to do).

Issue 1: Definition of Descendants (Dhurriyyah)

Descendants include one's children and the children of one's children. The word is derived from dhara’a (to create/scatter), with the hamza dropped for ease, similar to barriyyah (wilderness). Another possible derivation is from dharr (atom/speck).

Issue 2: Grammatical Structure

"And from My descendants" is coordinated ('aṭf) with the kāf (you) in the preceding promise, as if saying: "I will make you an Imam, and I will make some of your descendants Imams."

Issue 3: Abraham's Knowledge and the Divine Response

Some say Allah informed him that there would be Prophets among his descendants, and Abraham sought clarification on whether all of them would be fit for this station. Allah informed him that the unjust among them would not attain it. Others say Abraham asked this as an inquiry, and Allah answered clearly that Prophethood is not attained by the unjust.

Was Abraham Authorized to Ask? If authorized, why was his request partially rejected? If unauthorized, was it a sin?

Response: The phrase "And from My descendants" indicates he requested that some of his descendants become Imams. Allah fulfilled this request for the believers among his progeny: Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Job, Jonah, Zechariah, John, and Jesus, culminating in Muhammad (PBUH), the best of Prophets and Imams, who is also from his lineage.

Issue 1: Readings of the Verse

1. Ḥamzah and Ḥafṣ (from ‘Āṣim) read: ‘ahdī (with a quiescent yā’). The rest read it with a fatḥah on the yā’.
2. Some read: Lā yanālu ‘ahdī aẓ-ẓālimūn (The wrongdoers do not attain My covenant), meaning any wrongdoer among your descendants will not attain My covenant.

Issue 2: Meaning of the Covenant (‘Ahd)

1. The Imamate: This is the most likely meaning, as it directly answers Abraham's request for the Imamate mentioned previously.
2. My Mercy (Raḥmatī): According to ‘Aṭā’.
3. My Obedience (Ṭā‘atī): According to Al-Ḍaḥḥāk.
4. My Promises (Amānī): According to Abū ‘Ubayd.

The first meaning is strongest because the question was about the Imamate promised in the preceding verse.

Issue 3: Implication of Divine Grant

The verse implies that Allah will grant the Imamate to some of his descendants. If He were to grant it to none, the answer would have been simply "No," or "Your descendants will not attain My covenant."

Why did Abraham ask if he already knew Prophets are not unjust? He knew the principle, but he did not know the condition of his specific descendants. Allah clarified that some among them would be unjust, and thus unfit for the Imamate.

Issue 4: The Rāfiḍah Argument Against Abū Bakr and ‘Umar (RA)

The Rāfiḍah used this verse to attack the Imamate of Abū Bakr and ‘Umar (RA) on three grounds:

1. Past Disbelief: They were disbelievers (and thus unjust) during their disbelief. If they were permanently barred from the covenant at that time, they are permanently unfit for Imamate.
2. Inner Sin: Anyone with hidden sins is unjust. Since their inner state (absence of sinlessness/infallibility) is not proven, their Imamate cannot be confirmed.
3. Shirk: They were polytheists (mushrikūn), and every polytheist is unjust (since shirk is the greatest injustice, 31:13). Therefore, they cannot attain the covenant.

Refutation of the Rāfiḍah Arguments:

The core of their argument rests on the idea that the description "unjust" applies eternally once committed.

• Counter-Argument (The Sleeping Believer): A sleeping person is called a believer even though belief (assent) is absent during sleep. This shows the name persists based on a prior state. Similarly, they argue, the past injustice persists.
• Counter-Argument (Linguistics of Derivations): Speech (kalām) is a sequence of letters; walking (mashy) is a sequence of movements. The totality of these sequences does not exist simultaneously. If the current occurrence of the derived action were necessary for the derived name to be real, then the speaker and walker would never truly be named as such. This is false.
• The Correct Rebuttal (Based on Context):
  • If someone swears not to greet a disbeliever but greets a believer who was a disbeliever years ago, he does not break his oath.
  • A repentant person is no longer called a disbeliever, nor a repentant sinner an oppressor.
  • The verse "Do not incline toward those who wrong themselves" (11:113) refers to inclining toward them while they persist in wrongdoing.
  • Furthermore, since Imāmah here means Prophethood, anyone who disbelieves even for a moment is unfit for Prophethood.

Issue 5: The Jurists' View on the Sinner (Fāsiq)

The majority of jurists and theologians hold that a fāsiq (openly sinful person) cannot be appointed as Imam (leader). They debate whether subsequent sin invalidates an existing Imamate.

Arguments for Invalidity based on this Verse:

1. Imamate is the Covenant: As established, the covenant here is the Imamate. Every sinner is unjust to himself. Thus, the verse means: "The unjust do not attain the Imamate."
   • Shi'a response: This proves the necessity of infallibility (inner and outer).
   • Majority response: We accept the implication regarding outer justice (‘adālah), even if we do not enforce the requirement of inner purity.
   • Countering the Yunus/Adam objection: Jonah said, "There is no god but You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers" (21:87), and Adam said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves" (7:23). The injustice mentioned here is absolute injustice, which was not the case for these Prophets.

2. Covenant as Command (Amr): The word ‘ahd sometimes means command (e.g., "Did I not take a covenant from you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan?" [36:60], meaning "Did I not command you?"). If Allah's covenant is His command, then "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers" means:
   • Wrongdoers are not commanded (False, as Allah commands everyone).
   • Wrongdoers are not fit to be the recipients of God's commands (i.e., they cannot be leaders whose commands are followed). This proves the invalidity of the fāsiq's Imamate.

This verse proves the fāsiq cannot be a ruler, his judgments are not enforced, his testimony is not accepted, he cannot issue religious rulings (fatwā), nor can he lead the prayer (though prayer behind him might be valid if he is the only option).

Clarification on Abū Ḥanīfah's Position: Some mistakenly believe Abū Ḥanīfah permitted a fāsiq to be Caliph but not a judge. This is incorrect. Abū Ḥanīfah required justice for both. The confusion arises because if a judge is inherently just but appointed by an unjust ruler, his rulings are valid because he is treated as one of the ruler's assistants, and assistants do not require the same level of justice as the principal authority.

Issue 6: Proof of Prophetic Infallibility

The verse proves the infallibility of Prophets in two ways:

1. If the covenant is Imamate, and every Prophet is an Imam (one to be followed), and the verse states the Imam cannot be a sinner, then the Prophet cannot be a sinner.
2. If the covenant is Prophethood, then no one who is unjust can attain it. Since every sinner is unjust to himself, no sinner can attain Prophethood.

Issue 7: The Mutual Covenants

Allah clarifies that there is a covenant from Him to Abraham, and a covenant from Abraham to Him: "And fulfill My covenant, and I will fulfill your covenant" (2:40).

• Abraham's Covenant (Obligation): Fulfilling trusts and covenants (177:2, 23:8, 5:1). Saying what one does not do is detested (61:2-3).
• Allah's Covenant (Promise): He fulfills His covenant (9:111). He made a covenant with Adam (20:115), with the Children of Israel (3:183), and with the Prophets (125:2).

The extreme emphasis on this mutual covenant requires examining its reality:

• Abraham's Covenant: The covenant of service and servitude (‘ubūdiyyah).
• Allah's Covenant: The covenant of mercy and Lordship (Rubūbiyyah).

When a rational person reflects, he finds only his own breach of covenant and his Lord's fulfillment of His covenant.

1. First Instance: Allah's first favor is creation, life, intellect, and means, all intended for obedience and servitude ("I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me" [51:56]). Allah fulfilled His covenant of Lordship by creating and sustaining us. If we fail in service, we breach our covenant of servitude while Allah has fulfilled His.
2. Second Instance: Lordship requires granting guidance and success (tawfīq); servitude requires diligence. Allah fulfilled His part by making every particle a guide to truth ("And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] with praise" [17:44]). We have not fulfilled our part of obedience.
3. Third Instance: The greatest favor is faith (īmān). If we lacked it, we would be eternally wretched. This favor is from Allah ("And whatever of blessing you have is from Allah" [16:53]). Yet, He thanks us for it ("their effort was ever appreciated" [17:19]). It is more fitting that we thank Him for His guidance. Instead, we show ingratitude ("Perish man! How ungrateful he is!" [80:17]).
4. Fourth Instance: Allah promises to bestow blessings if we spend them in ways pleasing to Him. We have failed to spend His blessings in His way. ("Nay! Indeed, man transgresses, when he sees himself self-sufficient" [96:6-7]).
5. Fifth Instance: He blessed us so we would be charitable. Instead, we used His blessings to harm and alienate people ("who are stingy and enjoin stinginess upon the people" [57:24, 4:37]).
6. Sixth Instance: He gave us great blessings to turn to His praise, yet we praise others. If a great Sultan bestowed a precious robe upon you, and you turned away from him in his presence to serve a low person, you would deserve reprimand.

We cannot fully detail how Allah fulfills His covenant of beneficence while we breach our covenant of sincerity. From birth to death, we are constantly enveloped in His graces, each demanding separate thanks and service, which we fail to provide. Yet, despite our increasing negligence, He increases His grace, mercy, and generosity. Our faults increase, while His merits increase eternally.

The verse "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers" is a severe warning. We pray: O Allah, what proceeded from You was fitting for Your generosity, pardon, mercy, and grace, and what proceeded from us was fitting for our ignorance, treachery, shortcomings, and laziness. We ask You by Your immense grace to overlook our faults, O Most Merciful of the merciful.

"And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying]: 'Purify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who are staying [therein] for devotion, and those who bow and prostrate.'"