سورة النُّور
Surah Al-Nûr 24:55
The Light · Verse 55 of 64
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Abdul Mannan Omar
Allâh has promised those of you who believe and do deeds of righteousness that surely, He will make them successors (vouchsafed with both spiritual and temporal leadership) on the earth as He made successors (from among) their predecessors, and that He will surely establish for them their Faith which He has approved for them, and that He will surely replace their state of fear with a state of security and peace. They will worship Me (alone) and they will not associate anything with Me. And those who show ingratitude for all the favours done to them after that (His promise is fulfilled), it is they who will be reckoned as the worst disobedient.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.
Ahmed Ali
God has promised to make those of you who believe and do the right, leaders in the land, as He had made those before them, and will establish their faith which He has chosen for them and change their fear into security. They will worship Me and not associate any one with Me. But those who disbelieve after this will be reprobates.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
God has promised those of you who believe and do good, righteous deeds that He will most certainly empower them as vicegerents on the earth (in the place of those who are in power at present), even as He empowered those (of the same qualities) that preceded them, and that, assuredly, He will firmly establish for them their Religion, which He has (chosen and) approved of for them, and He will replace their present state of fear with security (so that they can practice their Religion freely and fully and in peace). They worship Me alone, associating none with Me as partners (in belief, worship, and the authority to order their life). Whoever turns ungrateful after that, such indeed are the transgressors.
Daryabadi
Allah hath promised those of you who believe and work the righteous works that he shall make them successors on the earth even as He had made those before them successors, and that he shall surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and that he shall surely exchange unto them after their fear a security, provided they worship Me, associating not aught with Me; and whosoever will disbelieve thereafter, then those! they are the transgressors.
Faridul Haque
Allah has promised those among you who believe and do good deeds, that He will certainly give them the Caliphate in the earth the way He gave to those before them; and that He will certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and will turn their prior fear into peace; they must worship Me and not ascribe anything as a partner to Me; and whoever is ungrateful after this – it is they who are the disobedient.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will surely make them rulers in the earth as He made those before them rulers, and that He will surely establish for them their religion, which He has chosen for them, and that He will surely give them security in exchange after their fear. They will serve Me, not associated aught with Me. And whoever is ungrateful after this, they are the transgressors.
Maulvi Sher Ali
ALLAH has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that HE will, surely, make them successors in the earth, as HE made Successors from among those who were before them; and that HE will, surely, establish for them their religion which HE has chosen for them; and that HE will, surely, give them in exchange security and peace after their fear; They will worship ME and they will not associate anything with ME. Then whoso disbelieves after that, they will be the rebellious.
Muhammad Asad
God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will cause them to accede to power on earth, even as He caused [some of] 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 been pleased to bestow on them; and that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a sense of security - [seeing that] they worship Me (alone], not ascribing divine powers to aught beside Me.
Muhammad Musin Khan
Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).
Muhammad Pickthall
Allah hath promised such of you as believe and do good work that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those who were before them to succeed (others); and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He hath approved for them, and will give them in exchange safety after their fear. They serve Me. They ascribe no thing as partner unto Me. Those who disbelieve henceforth, they are the miscreants.
Muhammad Sarwar
God has promised the righteously striving believers to appoint them as His deputies on earth, as He had appointed those who lived before. He will make the religion that He has chosen for them to stand supreme. He will replace their fear with peace and security so that they will worship God alone and consider no one equal to Him. Whoever becomes an unbeliever after this will be a sinful person.
Muhammed ali Shakir
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.
Rashad Khalifa
GOD promises those among you who believe and lead a righteous life, that He will make them sovereigns on earth, as He did for those before them, and will establish for them the religion He has chosen for them, and will substitute peace and security for them in place of fear. All this because they worship Me alone; they never set up any idols beside Me. Those who disbelieve after this are the truly wicked.
Shabbir Ahmed
God has promised that those of you who will believe in the Divine laws and strengthen human resources, He will make them rulers on earth, as He granted rule to the previous nations. He will certainly establish for them the System of Life that He has approved for them, and will replace their fear with peace and security. All this because they obey Me alone. They ascribe no partner to Me. But all those who, after this, deny these laws will drift out (of the community of living nations).
Commentary 24:55 The verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will be vouchsafed in terms of both spiritual and temporal leadership, and the establishment of a Divine…
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ
24:55 The verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will be vouchsafed in terms of both spiritual and temporal leadership, and the establishment of a Divine kingdom and its permanence. In the words Azan Allâh-u أَذِنَ اللَّهُ in 24:36, there is also a reference to the Divine promise to raise reformers among the Islamic ummah. From “among their predecessors” particularly relates to the followers of Moses (Baidzawî; cf: 73:15), but may also include the followers of all other Prophets. This prophecy contains an oblique allusion to the Divine Law, which invariably makes the rise and fall of nations dependent on their moral qualities. This verse is also explanatory of the verse 15:9 and furnishes the reply to the question pertaining to how the Qur’âns benefits and effects will be safeguarded.
Khalîfah is the one who literally or spiritually follows someone before him, a successor, and supreme ruler, someone who inherits, a vicegerent (cf. 2:30). In this verse the khalîfah is the one who treads along the Mohammadan path and takes his light from the Mohammadan light (cf. Nûr ‘alâ Nûrنُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ, Light upon Light over and over). Allâh will continue to raise khalîfah from among the righteous and the believers, just as he raised similar khalîfah before—for example, among the followers of Moses (Baidzawî, cf.: 73:15). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) also said, “Allâh will raise up for the Islamic ummah in the beginning of every century one that will revive Allâh’s religion” (Dâûd 36.1). They will not be “Prophets” who bring new Divine Law, as the Holy Prophet (pbuh) set a seal on prophethood and has brought the final perfect Divine Law as foreseen by Allâh. Rather they will be Mujaddads (reformers) who will renew the troubled religion of Allâh brought in its perfect form by the Holy Prophet (pbuh). It will be at the time of extreme danger and weakness in Faith when such people shall appear under Divine command and re-establish the Faith, which He has chosen. They shall end the believers state of fear and restore security and peace. By these qualities he can be recognized. The words “Promise of Allâh” (وَعَدَ اللَّهُ) makes it clear that this spiritual status is granted in accordance with the Divine Will (cf. 6:124) and not awarded through votes or elections nor passed on by inheritance. Allâh will assist the reformer, and his power will be derived from the Power of Allâh. Under His care he will succeed in the mission entrusted to him. His people oppose him in the beginning, just as Adam, the appointed khalîfah was opposed (2:30), but the “Angels” will recognize him, and bow down before him, and ultimately he will gain acceptance with people, except the Iblîs-natured persons.