A032
Surah: 035 - Ayah: 032
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35:32
Awrathna al-kitab (We made inheritors of the Book, i.e. the Qur'an)
It is said in verse (35:32): "Then We gave the Book as inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants." Thus, as long as the Book, i.e. the Qur'an is in this world, its inheritor is also present, and he is the Imam of the time.
Question: What is the proof that only the Imam of the time is its inheritor?
Answer: The proof is that there cannot be found any other example of the way God has granted the Imam the luminosity and ta’wil of the Qur'an. Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the worlds!
The true heir of the Prophet is Imam Ali and his progeny, whom God has chosen to inherit His heavenly Book according to the Qur'anic verse (35:32), so that after the demise of the Prophet they may live and be present in this world [as] a practical example of the Divine will and guide deserving Muslims and mu’mins on the straight path.
According to verse (35:32), the inheritance of the heavenly Book is confined to those chosen by God, and Mawlᾱnᾱ cAlī says: “We (rightful Imams) are those chosen by God.” Thus it is evedent that the inheritor and owner of the heavenly Book is the Imam of the time and this means that without the help of the concept of imᾱmat, it is not possible to reach the deep wisdoms of Qur’ᾱnic verses.
The seventh proof: “Then We gave (the knowledge and wisdom of) the Book as inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants.” (35:32). By the inheritors of the knowledge and wisdom of the Book, i.e. the Quraan, are meant the holy Imams from the progeny of Hazrat Muhammad (s.a.s), because it is they who are chosen from among the servants of God and it is they who are the treasurers of the Quraan, as it is clear from the following verse: “indeed, We gave to Ibrahim’s progeny the Book and wisdom and we gave them a great kingdom.”(4:54). There is no doubt that in this verse in the order of Hazrat Ibrahim progeny is first mentioned Hazrat Ismail and Hazrat Ishaq and all the Prophets and Imams from their children, then the Holy Prophet and the Imams from his progeny. However, ‘giving the Book” does not mean that a separate book was revealed to each of the Prophets and the Imams of his progeny, rather it means that the collective reality of the famous revealed books is like one Book, which is called “the Book” by God and which, in order to invite people towards God and teach them knowledge and wisdom, is given from one Prophet to the following Prophet or from one Imam to another Imam, because the spiritual kingdom i.e. Prophethood and Imamat , continues in their chain. This shows that the great inheritance of knowledge and wisdom of the Quraan is given to Mawlana Ali after the holy Prophet and then it continues in their progeny.
Q467 It is said in verse (35:32): “Then We gave the Book as inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants.” Who are those chosen by God and given the Book (the Qur’an) as inheritance? What is the proof of this inheritance?
A467
- They are the Imams from the progeny of the holy Prophet whom God has chosen from among His servants and made them the inheritors of the Qur’an.
- It suffices here to quote just two proofs of this inheritance: Firstly, God has made the progeny of Abraham(c) and the progeny of Muhammad(s) the inheritors of the heavenly Book (4:54); secondly, the Qur’an’s spirit and spirituality and ta’wili wisdom cannot be received except from the Imams from the progeny of the holy Prophet, for it is they whom God and His Prophet have appointed for this task.
This verse has been referred 7 times.