4. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Ishaq ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from abu al-Saffah from Jabir from abu Ja‘far has said the following. “I heard the Imam saying, ‘Allah chose Abraham as a servant before He chose him as a prophet. He chose him as a prophet before He chose him as a messenger. He chose him as a messenger before He chose him as a friend of His. He chose him as a friend of His before He chose him as an Imam. When all of these things gathered in him (the Imam holding his hands said, “Allah said, ‘O Ibrahim I have appointed you as the Imam (leader) of the people.” Because of the greatness of the position Abraham them asked, “O Lord, can it be in my descendants also?” The Lord said, ‘My covenant does not go to the unjust ones.”