Has the issue of Imamate been mentioned in Quran?

In many verses of Quran, the issue of Imamate and the leadership of people and being appointed to this position by God have been mentioned; some of them are as follows: God says: “And when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: ‘surely I will make you an Imam of men. Abraham said: ‘and of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust.’ said He.”(1) It is cleared by this verse that Imamate is a divine position which God bestows it on whoever He pleases (I will make you an Imam of men) and it is also appeared that Imamate is a divine covenant which includes only His righteous servants whom has been chosen for this purpose by God. God says: “and We appointed from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they preserved with patience and continued to have faith in Our verses.”(2) God also says: “and We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs.”(3) Perhaps some people assume that in these verses Imamate means the Prophecy but it is not true. Because a messenger of Allah (a prophet) can be both an imam and a prophet but an imam can’t be a prophet. Therefore in the Holy Quran, the Glorious God has said that His righteous servants can ask Him to appoint them to this honorable position in order to guide people and gain a great reward. God says regarding this: “and they who say: ‘O our Lord! Grant us in our wives and our offspring the joy of our eyes and make us guides to those who guard (against evil).”(4) It is appeared that the same word- Imamate- is applied to the tyrant rulers whom have misled their followers and nations and made them to have great chastisement in this world and in the Hereafter. In the story of Pharaoh and his army God says: “and We made them (Pharaonics) Imams who call to the fire”(5) (6) ___________________________________ 1- Qur´an- Surah 2: 124. 2- Qur´an- Surah 32: 24. 3- Qur´an- Surah 28: 5. 4- Qur´an- Surah 25: 74. 5- Qur´an, Surah 28: 40-42. 6- With truthful people, p.73. /106