Quran 38:26: Allah (swt) chooses those in Authority

Reference: Quran: Saad 38:26

Quran: Saad (38:26)
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We instructed him: “O David! We have surely made you an authority in the land, so judge between people with truth. And do not follow ˹your˺ desires or they will lead you astray from Allah’s Way. Surely those who go astray from Allah’s Way will suffer a severe punishment for neglecting the Day of Reckoning.”

‏يَدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَكَ خَلِيفَةًۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۢ بِمَا نَسُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْحِسَابِ
Reference  : Quran: Saad 38:26
 
Quran 2:124: Allah declared Ibrahim an Imam, after he was a Messenger and after he was tried. Allah's covenant of inheriting Imamah extends only to those children of Ibrahim that are not wrongdoers (Dhalimeen).
Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:124
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with words [i.e. commands] and he fulfilled them. [Allah] said, "Indeed, I will make you an Imam (leader) for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [Allah] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."

وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَهِۦمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَتٍۢ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًۭا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّلِمِينَ
Reference  : Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:124
 
Quran 2:30: Allah's human Authority on Earth is "Successive"
Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:30
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Remember˺ when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place a successive ˹human˺ authority on earth.” They asked ˹Allah˺, “Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?” Allah responded, “I know what you do not know.”

‏وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Reference  : Quran: Al-Baqarah 2:30
 
Quran 32:24: Allah appoints the Imams, and they guide by His command
Quran: As-Sajdah 32:24
Translation: Pikthall

And when they became steadfast and believed firmly in Our revelations, We appointed from among them Imams who guided by Our command.

‏وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةًۭ يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا۟ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ
Reference  : Quran: As-Sajdah 32:24
 
Quran 4:59: Obey Allah, Obey the Messenger and those in Authority among you

Reference: Quran: An-Nisa 4:59

Quran: An-Nisa 4:59
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.

‏يَٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍۢ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۚ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
Reference  : Quran: An-Nisa 4:59

Note: 1. Obeying, by definition is unconditional. To obey unconditionally, those in authority among you must be infallible, else we could be committing a sin. Hence, we can conclude that the only types of people this can possibly apply to are the Ahlulbayt, who Allah (swt) has purified in Quran 33:33.

2. Allah (swt) reminds us in Quran 14:22: Be careful of who you take as your leader, if they misguide you, they will not be able to protect you on the day of judgement.

3. It's evident that those in authority of the Muslim ummah did order Muslims to sin, for example, Abd Rabb al-Ka'ba testifies that Mu'awiayh ordered them to unjustly consume wealth and kill one another. Clearly, Allah (swt) cannot be telling us to obey such people unconditionally.

4. The Quran also tells us in Quran 11:113: Do not incline to those who do wrong, and therefore this verse can only refer to those who are infallible, the AhlulBayt.

 
Quran 11:113 Do not incline to those who do wrong

Reference: Quran: Hud 11:113

Quran: Hud 11:113
Translation: Saheeh International

And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped

‏وَلَا تَرْكَنُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
Reference  : Quran: Hud 11:113
 
Quran 33:33: Only the Ahlul-Bayt have been purified by Allah (swt), and only they can meet the criteria established by Allah (swt) for leadership and authority.

Reference: Quran: Al-Ahzab 33:33

Quran: Al-Ahzab 33:33
Translation: Pickthall

Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O AhlulBayt (Folk of the Household), and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.

 
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah only intends to keep ˹the causes of˺ evil away from you and purify you completely, O AhlulBayt (members of the ˹Prophet’s˺ family).

 
Translation: Saheeh International

Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the AhlulBayt (Prophet's household), and to purify you with [extensive] purification.

‏وَقَرْنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلْجَهِلِيَّةِ ٱلْأُولَىٰۖ وَأَقِمْنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِعْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۚۥٓ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًۭا
Reference  : Quran: Al-Ahzab 33:33
 
Quran 14:22: Be careful of who you take as your leader, if they misguide you, they will not be able to protect you on the day of judgement.

Reference: Quran: Ibrahim 14:21

Quran: Ibrahim 14:21
Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They will all appear before Allah, and the lowly ˹followers˺ will appeal to the arrogant ˹leaders˺, “We were your ˹dedicated˺ followers, so will you ˹then˺ protect us from Allah’s torment in any way?” They will reply, “Had Allah guided us, we would have guided you. ˹Now˺ it is all the same for us whether we suffer patiently or impatiently, there is no escape for us.”

‏وَبَرَزُوا۟ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا فَقَالَ ٱلضُّعَفَٓؤُا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًۭا فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّغْنُونَ عَنَّا مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَيْنَكُمْ ۖ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَجَزِعْنَآ أَمْ صَبَرْنَا مَا لَنَا مِن مَّحِيصٍۢ

Reference  : Quran: Ibrahim 14:21
 
Imam Ali by name in the Quran
Quran 26:83-84: Ibrahim asks Allah for a "Tongue of Truthfulness" among future generations.
Quran.com: Ash-Shu'ara 26:83-84
Translation: Arberry & Saheeh International

[Abraham says:] My Lord, give me Judgment, and join me with the righteous,

 

and appoint me a tongue of truthfulness among the later generations.

رَبِّ هَبْ لِى حُكْمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّلِحِينَ

وَٱجْعَل لِّى لِسَانَ صِدْقٍۢ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ

Note: Tongue of Truthfulness is a verbatim transation.

 
Quran 19:49-50: Allah responds: and We appointed unto them a tongue of truthfulness, Ali-ya
Quran: Maryam 19:49-50
Translation: Arberry

So when he had left them and those they worshipped other than Allah, We gave him Isaac and Jacob, and each [of them] We made a prophet.

 

and We gave them of Our mercy, and We appointed unto them a tongue of truthfulness, Ali-ya.

فَلَمَّا ٱعْتَزَلَهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا نَبِيًّۭا

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيًّۭا

Reference  : Quran: Maryam 19:49-50

Note: 1. Ali-ya is translated by Arberry as sublime, but we see from the previous verse (19:49) that Allah (swt) mentions Isaac and Jacob by name, and therefore can infer that Ali-ya is indeed the name of Imam Ali.

2. A sublime or high tongue of truthfulness (لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيًّۭا) is not an idiom or expression used in vernacular, poetic nor historical Arabic. Therefore, it must be a name.

3. Inventing an idiom could contradict Quran 12:2

4. Why is not more explicit? Mu'awiyah invoked the "Sunnah" of cursing Imam Ali from the pulpit during Jummah prayers every Friday. This sunnah continued for approximately 70 years and would have resulted in the Quran being changed by Banu Ummayah.