54 Preface أَم يَحسُدونَ النّاسَ عَلىٰ ما آتاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضلِهِ ۖ فَقَد آتَينا آلَ إِبراهيمَ الكِتابَ وَالحِكمَةَ وَآتَيناهُم مُلكًا عَظيمًاAli Quli QaraiOr do they envy the people for what Allah has given them out of His grace? We have certainly given the progeny of Abraham the Book and wisdom, and We have given them a great sovereignty.1 A reference to the Imamate, as mentioned in 2:124. According to the traditions of the Imams of the Prophet’s descent (who represent Abraham’s progeny, through Ishmael), by the ‘great sovereignty’ is meant the office of the Imamate, because to obey the Imam is to obey Allah and to disobey the Imam is to disobey Allah. See the commentaries of Furāt al-Kūfī, ʿAyyāshī, Qummī and Ḥibrī.