In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
God has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that, of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth, in the same way as He caused those who lived before them to accede to it; and that, of a certainty, He will firmly establish for them the religion which He has chosen for them; and that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a state of security. They will thus worship Me alone and associate with Me no partners whatsoever. Those who, after this, choose to disbelieve are indeed wicked.(Light, Al-Noor: 24: 55)
This verse outlines a clear promise given by God, who never fails to honor His promises. The promise is to give power on earth to those who believe and do good deeds. We concluded our article last week with the question about the nature of faith and the practical fulfillment of this promise by God. We then said that true faith, which ensures that God’s promise comes true, is great indeed. It influences all human activity and defines its direction. Once faith is well established in a person’s heart, it begins to manifest itself in the form of positive and constructive action undertaken for God’s sake and addressed to Him. It means full compliance with His orders in all matters, big and small. It transforms a believer’s desires and inclinations so as to make them all in line with the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him), because such guidance has been given to him by God.
It is the sort of faith that fills the whole entity of a human being, his feelings, aspirations, natural inclinations, actions, movements, as well as his behavior at home, in society and with his Lord. All these must be addressed or dedicated to God alone. This is mentioned in the verse we are discussing as justification for giving believers power and establishing them on earth: “They will thus worship Me alone and associate no partners with Me whatsoever.” Idolatry could have different shapes and forms, and could creep into a person’s mind through different ways and means. To address any action or feeling to anyone other than God is an aspect of idolatry.
Belief in God is a complete way of life, incorporating all divine orders including the provision of all means, taking all precautions and ensuring all that is necessary to fulfill the great trust, which is being in charge of the earth and building human life on it. So what does that involve in reality?
It is not merely being in power and forming a government. It involves all that with the proviso that it will all be used for promoting a sound human life and the implementation of the way of life God has chosen for mankind. It is only through such implementation that humanity can achieve the level of perfection that befits the species God has honored.
The trust given to man on earth is an ability to build and promote goodness, not to corrupt and destroy. It involves ensuring justice and happiness for all, resorting to no injustice or suppression. It leads to the elevation of humanity and human life, not letting them sink to the level of animals.
It is such power and such trust that God has promised the believers who do good deeds. He has promised to give them power on earth, as he gave it to earlier communities of believers, so that they would put into practice the constitution He has chosen for mankind, establish justice and enable humanity to attain sublimity. People who spread corruption and injustice, and promote carnal desires are not in the position of trustees. They are subjected to a test or are the means to test others. All this is done to fulfill God’s purpose.
What proves our understanding of the nature of giving power to the believers as promised in this verse is the fact that the promise is followed in the same verse by a further one: “of a certainty, He will firmly establish for them the religion which He has chosen for them.” The firm establishment of the religion means that it will have a firm hold on people’s hearts on the one hand, and it will be the basis on which all life affairs are conducted. In other words, God has promised the believers who do righteous deeds to grant them power on earth and to make their faith govern human life. Their faith bids them to do well, establish justice, shun worldly desires, and build a happy human life making good use of all the resources God has placed in the earth. It also bids the believers to dedicate all this to God alone.
Furthermore, God’s promise to the believers stipulates “that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a state of security.” The Prophet’s companions went through a long period of time in which they were in a state of fear. They could not put down their arms at any time, even after the Prophet and his companions had migrated to Madinah, the city that served as the first base for Islam in history.
Al-Rabee’ ibn Anas quotes Abu Al-Aliyah’s comments on this verse: “The Prophet and his companions remained in Makkah for around ten years calling on people to believe in God and to worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him. But they did that in secret, as they were in a state of fear and were prevented from fighting. When they later migrated to Madinah, God bid them to fight for their cause. This meant that they were again in a state of fear, wearing their body armor day and night. They persevered for as long as God willed. One of his companions asked the Prophet: “Are we to remain in fear for the rest of time? Will there come a time when we could put our armaments aside?” the Prophet said: “It will not be long before any one of you could sit among a huge crowd with nobody carrying a piece of arms.” Soon afterward, God revealed this verse. The Prophet was able to establish his authority over the whole of Arabia and his followers were in a state of security.
They put down their arms. Sometime later, the Prophet passed away, and Muslims remained in security during the reigns of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. Then friction occurred between them and God allowed fear to creep into their midst. They had to employ guards and policemen. When they changed their overall stance, their conditions also changed.”
