Hawzah News Agency- The Holy Quran says in verse 55 of Surah An-Nur: “Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this, these it is who are the transgressors.”
This verse is addressed to all Muslims, among whom there are both hypocrites and believers; and among believers there are those who do good deeds and those who do not. The promise mentioned in the verse is specific to the second group.
The meaning of “Caliphate” (successors) in this verse is to assign the land to them and make them dominant over the land, as God has said in this sense: “The earth belongs to Him and He has made it the heritage of whichever of His servants He chooses.” (Verse 128 of Surah Al-Aaraf)
God has also said: “The righteous among My worshipers shall inherit the earth.” (Verse 105 of Surah Al-Anbiya)
Based on this possibility, the meaning of “the caliphs before them” is the believers from the past nations such as the people of Noah (AS), Hud (AS), Salih (AS) and Shuayb (AS).
In short, God Almighty promises those who believe and do righteous deeds that He will soon create for them a society that is righteous in every sense and is free from any contamination of disbelief, hypocrisy and immorality; a society that inherits the earth and in the beliefs and actions of its people nothing but the religion of truth prevails.
They live in security and have no fear of any internal or external enemy; they are free from the deceit of the deceitful, the oppression of the oppressors and the bullying of the bullies.
Such a virtuous society has never been realized in the world before, and the world has not seen such a society since the day the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sent as a messenger of God. Therefore, if there is an example for it, it will only be in the time of the Promised Mahdi (May God hasten his glad advent), because Mutawatir (numerously reported) Hadiths from the Messenger of God (PBUH) about the characteristics of that Imam inform of the realization of such a society.
Some may pose the question why the verse was addressed at the time of revelation with “those among you who believe and do righteous deeds,” while Imam Mahdi (AS) was not present on that day.
This question arises from the fact that the questioner has confused individual addresses with social addresses. Addresses are of two types; one is to address individuals, because their own characteristics are in question, and the other is to address the same individuals, but because they are a group with certain characteristics. In the second type, individuals are not involved at all, the address is directed to those who have those characteristics. Most of the Quranic addresses to believers or disbelievers are of this type; Like the promise given to the Jews:
“When the prophecy of your second transgression will come to pass, sadness will cover your faces,” (Verse 7 of Surah Al-Isra) or the promise in the words of Dhul-Qarnayn: “… when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.” (Verse 98 of Surah Al-Kahf)
So if we want to express the true meaning of the verse (55 of Surah An-Nur) and put aside all prejudices, this noble verse cannot be applied to any society except the society that will soon be realized thanks to the advent of Imam Mahdi (AS).
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