God Will Make Those Who Believe, Do Good Deeds Successors on Earth
The Quranic plan is annually organized in summer with the aim of promoting memorization of the Holy Book and spreading the Quranic culture and teachings in society.
This is the 1455th year since the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and hence the name ‘1455’.
In this plan, every week some verses of the Quran with special themes are selected and their interpretations are discussed in various TV and radio programs.
Then a competition is held about the lessons and discussions.
Following is an interpretation of verse 55 of Surah Al-Noor of the Holy Quran, given in the “1455 Quranic Plan”:
“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good works that He will indeed make them successors in the land as He made those who were before them successors, and that He will indeed establish their religion for them; that which He has approved for them, and will exchange safety for them after their fear. They worship Me and associate nothing with Me. After that, those who disbelieve are the impious.”
Many interpreters of the Quran have said about the Shaan Nuzul (context of revelation) of this verse that when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Muslims migrated (to Medina) and were welcomed by the Ansar, all Arab tribes rose against them for this so that they had to keep their weapons with them all the time, even at night. This was not easy for some of them to bear and soon some complained, saying how long it was going to last. “Will there come a time when we can rest at night with ease and can see peace and security and not fear anyone but Allah? So this verse was revealed which gave them the good news that, yes, it will come.
In this verse, God has given three pieces of good news to the Muslims who have faith and do good deeds:
1- God will surely make them successors on the earth as He made those who were before them successors.
2- He will establish their religion for them; that which He has approved for them.
3- God will exchange safety for them after their fear.
Therefore, it says, they worship God and associate nothing with Him. And After that (establishment of the rule of Tawheed and the religion of God and removal of all insecurity and anxiety and Shirk), those who disbelieve will be the impious.
But who is the addressee of this promise? Certainly it addresses the Muslims in the early days of the advent of Islam, but not just them. Surely, the rule of Hazrat Mahdi (May God his glad advent), which, according to Muslims, both Shia and Sunni, will fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it had been filled with tyranny and oppression, is also a true instance of what this verse is referring to. But this verse can also apply to all times. Namely, whenever the bases of faith and good deeds become strong among Muslims, they can achieve a strong and influential rule.
It is also important to note that the rule of the pious and establishment of the true religion does not mean that there would be no sinners in society, but it means that the rulers will be the pious faithful people and the society is generally free from Shirk. There can be sins and deviated persons even in the best societies run through Divine teachings as long as human beings have free will.
It should also be emphasized again that the outcome of the efforts of all messengers of God, which will be the rule of Tawheed, establishment of full security and worshipping without any Shirk on the earth will be materialized when Imam Mahdi (AS) reappears, the one about whom all Muslims have narrated this Hadith from the Holy prophet (PBUH):
“If there remains only one day from this world, Allah will prolong that day to such an extent that He will raise a man from my progeny whose name will be similar to that of my name and he will fill the earth with justice and equity.”
