Surah An-Noor (24) — Ayah 55

(Ayah 55) ➊ { وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ … :} Despite all the excesses of the hypocrites, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would overlook them so that people would not say that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) kills his own companions and those who give him refuge. Now, on one side was the enmity of all the disbelievers of Arabia, and on the other side were the conspiracies of the hypocrites who claimed Islam. As a result, the Muslims remained extremely worried and fearful. At this point, after describing the behavior of the hypocrites and admonishing them, Allah Almighty gave several glad tidings to the sincere believers. Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions came to Madinah and the Ansar gave them shelter, the whole of Arabia attacked them with one bow, so the Muslims would spend their nights armed and their days in the same state, until they began to say: "Do you think we will live to see the time when our nights will pass in peace and tranquility, and we will fear none but Allah?" Then this verse was revealed: «{ وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْاَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِيْنَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضٰى لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ اَمْنًا يَعْبُدُوْنَنِيْ لَا يُشْرِكُوْنَ بِيْ شَيْـًٔا وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْفٰسِقُوْنَ}» [ النور : ۵۵ ] [مستدرک حاکم : 401/2، ح : ۳۵۱۲، قال الحاکم صحیح الإسناد وقال الذھبي صحیح ] In this hadith, it is also mentioned that the meaning of {’’ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ ‘‘} is, whoever is ungrateful for the blessing after this. The state of fear of the Muslims is depicted in the best manner in Surah Al-Anfal (26).

➋ { وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ …:} That is, do not be distressed by the enmity of the open and hidden enemies, the disbelievers and hypocrites; Allah Almighty has promised those among you who are sincere believers and adorned with righteous deeds that He will make them inheritors of the land of the disbelievers and polytheists of Arabia and non-Arabs, they will be their successors and rulers, just as He previously granted the rule of the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and Syria to the descendants of Ismail and Israel after the disbelievers and polytheists. Allah Almighty fulfilled this promise to the believers in a very short time, within ten years after the migration, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was still alive, Allah granted him victory over Makkah, Khaybar, Bahrain, Yemen, and the entire Arabian Peninsula. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to receive jizyah from the Magians of Hajar and several regions of Syria, and the king of Rome, Heraclius, the king of Egypt, Muqawqis, and the king of Abyssinia, Najashi, sent gifts to him. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) departed from this world, the caliphs of Islam took on this responsibility and, following his way, conquered much of the East and West. They seized the throne of the strongest ruler of the time, Kisra, and expelled Caesar from his territories such as Syria, so that he had to take refuge in Constantinople. The flag of Islam began to wave from China in the East to Africa in the West. Muslims became masters of their necks and their treasures, and the prophecy of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was fulfilled: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ زَوٰی لِيَ الْأَرْضَ، فَرَأَيْتُ مَشَارِقَهَا وَ مَغَارِبَهَا، وَ إِنَّ أُمَّتِيْ سَيَبْلُغُ مُلْكُهَا مَا زُوِيَ لِيْ مِنْهَا، وَ أُعْطِيْتُ الْكَنْزَيْنِ الْأَحْمَرَ وَالْأَبْيَضَ ] [ مسلم، الفتن، باب ھلاک ھذہ الأمۃ بعضہم ببعض : ۲۸۸۹ ] "Allah folded the earth for me so I saw its eastern and western parts, and the dominion of my Ummah will reach as far as what was folded for me, and I was given the two treasures, the red and the white."

➌ { وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِيْنَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضٰى لَهُمْ:} This is the second promise, that Allah Almighty will grant authority to the Muslims for the religion which He has chosen for them, that is, the Muslims will receive such authority in which there will be complete dominance of Allah's religion, Islam, and not of any other constitution or law; in it, Allah's word will be the highest and His command will be supreme. The authority of the religion will be over the whole world. Tamim Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: [ لَيَبْلُغَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرُ مَا بَلَغَ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَلاَ يَتْرُكُ اللّٰهُ بَيْتَ مَدَرٍ وَلَا وَبَرٍ إِلَّا أَدْخَلَهُ اللّٰهُ هٰذَا الدِّيْنَ بِعِزِّ عَزِيْزٍ أَوْ بِذُلِّ ذَلِيْلٍ، عِزًّا يَعِزُّ اللّٰهُ بِهِ الْإِسْلَامَ، وَ ذُلًّا يُذِلُّ اللّٰهُ بِهِ الْكُفْرَ ] [ مسند أحمد : 103/4، ح : ۱۶۹۵۹، قال محقق المسند إسنادہ صحیح علی شرط مسلم ] "This matter, i.e., the religion of Islam, will reach wherever night and day reach, and Allah will not leave any house made of bricks or of silk except that He will cause this religion to enter it, honoring the honorable and humiliating the humiliated. Honor with which Allah will honor Islam, and humiliation with which Allah will humiliate disbelief." Most of this prophecy was fulfilled at the hands of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Umayyad Caliphs, and the Ottoman Caliphs, and what remains will also be fulfilled; the return to religion and the awakening of the spirit of jihad among Muslims are glad tidings of the coming bright morning.

➍ {وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ اَمْنًا :} This is the third promise, that Allah Almighty will change the state of fear of the Muslims into peace. By means of jihad, the disbelievers will either accept Islam and become its protectors, or they will become subjugated and pay jizyah. By acting upon Allah's commands, there will be an era of prosperity, and by the blessing of the enforcement of Allah's limits, all regions under the rule of Islam will benefit from the blessing of peace. 'Adi bin Hatim Tai (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came and complained to him of hunger, then another came and complained of robbery and highwaymen. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed me and said: 'Adi! Have you seen Hira (city)?' I said: 'I have not seen it, but I have heard about it.' He said: 'If your life is long, you will see a woman riding a camel, traveling from Hira until she circumambulates the Ka'bah, fearing none but Allah.' I said to myself, where will the mischief-makers of Banu Tai go, who have set the cities on fire? (He further said:) 'And if your life is long, you will conquer the treasures of Kisra.' I said: 'The treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz?' He said: 'Yes, the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz, and if your life is long, you will see a man going out with his hands full of gold or silver, seeking someone to accept it from him, but he will find no one to accept it...' 'Adi (may Allah be pleased with him) says: 'Then I saw a woman riding a camel, traveling from Hira until she circumambulated the Ka'bah, and I was among those who conquered the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz, and if your life is long, you will also see what the Prophet Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'A man will take out charity with his hands full of gold and silver.'" [ بخاري، المناقب، باب علامات النبوۃ في الإسلام : ۳۵۹۵ ]

➎ { يَعْبُدُوْنَنِيْ۠ لَا يُشْرِكُوْنَ بِيْ شَيْـًٔا :} That is, those with whom the promise of earthly caliphate, dominance of religion, and peace after fear is made are those who are adorned with faith and righteous deeds, who worship only Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Obviously, those who lack any of these qualities or are completely devoid of them, even if they attain rule, will not be granted the dominance of religion and the blessing of peace.

➏ This verse is a great and clear proof of the legitimacy of the caliphate of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, because although in this verse the promise of caliphate, establishment of religion, and peace after fear is for all those who adhere to faith and righteous deeds, in any era, but its first addressees were the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and Allah Almighty addressed them saying: «{ وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ }» that Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds. Therefore, its first and foremost referents are also them, and no one can deny that Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) were granted caliphate on earth by Allah, in their time religion prevailed, Allah's limits were established, Muslims enjoyed peace, and all the disbelievers of the world were subdued and overawed. After them, those caliphs who continued jihad, acted upon Allah's limits, and were not tainted by any kind of shirk, they too are included in this, and in their times as well, religion prevailed and Muslims enjoyed the blessing of peace. Those who say that the caliphate lasted only thirty (30) years, their statement is correct to the extent that those of the highest qualities were these caliphs, because they were directly trained by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and had the honor of precedence in faith and migration, those after them did not possess all these virtues, so their caliphate was not of the highest degree, but it is wrong to say that after that the Muslim Ummah was deprived of Allah's promise. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself prophesied that even after these thirty (30) years, there would be such caliphs in whose time religion would prevail. Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), my father was with me, I heard him say: [ لَا يَزَالُ هٰذَا الدِّيْنُ عَزِيْزًا مَنِيْعًا إِلَي اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ خَلِيْفَةً ] "This religion will remain strong and protected until twelve caliphs." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said something which the people did not let me hear, I asked my father what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, so he told me: [كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ ] "They will all be from Quraysh." [ مسلم، الإمارۃ، باب الناس تبع لقریش : 1821/9 ] In the narration of Abu Dawood (4279), these words are also present: [ كُلُّهُمْ تَجْتَمِعُ عَلَيْهِ الْأُمَّةُ ] "The Ummah will be united upon all of them." Allamah Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared these words weak.

Whether these twelve caliphs are meant to be consecutive, or to come with some intervals, Allah knows best, but there is no doubt that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prophesied that after unworthy people, the caliphate on the Prophetic way would be established again in the Muslim Ummah, until in the end times, Mahdi will be a rightly guided caliph. Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ تَكُوْنُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيْكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَّرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُوْنُ خِلَافَةً عَلٰی مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ فَتَكُوْنُ مَا شَاءَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَّرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُوْنُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا فَيَكُوْنُ مَا شَاءَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَّكُوْنَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَّرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُوْنُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُوْنُ مَا شَاءَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَّرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُوْنُ خِلَافَةً عَلٰی مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ، ثُمَّ سَكَتَ] [مسند أحمد : 273/4، ح : ۱۸۴۳۶، مسند احمد کے محقق اور شیخ البانی نے صحیحہ (۵) میں اسے حسن کہا ہے] "Prophethood will remain among you as long as Allah wills, then when He wills to remove it, He will remove it, then there will be caliphate on the way of Prophethood and it will remain as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be biting kingship and it will remain as long as Allah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be oppressive kingship and it will remain as long as Allah wills, then when He wills to remove it, He will remove it, then there will be caliphate on the way of Prophethood." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) fell silent."

In the light of this verse and these ahadith, Muslims should always remain hopeful that whenever Muslims adhere to faith and righteous deeds, repent from shirk with Allah, turn away completely from the laws of others in their daily lives, economy, politics, in short, everything, and begin to act upon the command of Allah alone and make decisions accordingly, abandon all others besides Allah as granters of needs and removers of difficulties and seek help and aid from Allah alone, and, instead of cowardice and love of the world, become passionate for martyrdom and engage in jihad, then Allah will surely grant them the blessing of caliphate on the Prophetic way, because He seeks such servants adorned with faith and righteous deeds who are the practical embodiment of {’’ يَعْبُدُوْنَنِيْ۠ لَا يُشْرِكُوْنَ بِيْ شَيْـًٔا ‘‘}, that is, they worship only Him and do not associate anyone with Him. However, it is also necessary to keep in mind that as long as the current state of Muslims does not change, that in their courts the law of the disbelievers is enforced, their trade is based on usury, their system of government is taken from the disbelievers, in their society the customs of Hindus and Jews and Christians are prevalent, in their mosques the worship of solid graves is taking place, instead of believing in one Allah as the granter of needs and remover of difficulties, everyone has made their own separate patron and helper, instead of being one Ummah they are divided into different sects. Until this current state changes, the attainment of this blessing of caliphate is nothing but a beautiful dream mentioned in this verse.

➐ Some people have made it part of their religion to declare all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) disbelievers except for four Companions. Someone should ask them, in this verse, the promise Allah made to grant caliphate to those with faith and righteous deeds, how and through whom was it fulfilled? If they claim their twelve self-made Imams as the true caliphs, then let them tell, except for Ali and Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them), in which region of the earth did the other ten caliphs and Imams rule, and which of them ruled in peace? The state of these Imams is such that they themselves say that their twelfth Imam, out of fear of enemies, hid in a cave and has not appeared till today. Then through whom was Allah's promise fulfilled? For the falsehood of these people, it is also a clear and decisive proof that in the center of Islam, Makkah and Madinah, for fourteen and a half centuries, those who ruled were the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), or those who loved them. To this day, Allah has not allowed the impure feet of the enemies of the Companions to be established in this pure land.

➑ { وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْفٰسِقُوْنَ:} There are several levels of fasiq (open sinner); the complete fasiq is the one who leaves faith altogether. The meaning of the verse is that after this caliphate, those who disbelieve and die upon disbelief, these are the complete sinners. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Whoever denies the caliphate (and their virtue and honor) of the four caliphs, his state is understood from these words."