A Comparative Study of the Fulfillment of the Promise of the Succession of the Believers on Earth in the Light of Verse 55 of Surah An-Nur
Document Type : مقاله پژوهشی
Authors
1 Academic staff
2 student
10.22084/qss.2025.31043.1139
Abstract
Abstract
Verse 55 of Surah An-Nur is one of the key Qur’anic verses concerning God’s promise to the believers of succession and the establishment of authority on earth. This study, using an analytical and comparative approach, examines the interpretative perspectives of both Shi‘a and Sunni exegetes regarding the fulfillment of this divine promise. The findings reveal that Sunni commentators—such as al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, and al-Qurṭubī—generally view the realization of this promise as having occurred during the early Islamic era, particularly in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. In contrast, Shi‘a exegetes, including Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī and Ayatollah Makārim Shīrāzī, interpret the full and final fulfillment of the verse as a future event, to be realized during the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AJ). Both schools, however, identify faith, righteous deeds, and pure monotheism as essential conditions for the fulfillment of this promise. The study concludes that while both traditions affirm the principle of divine succession (istikhlāf), they diverge significantly regarding its final application and scope—differences rooted in their distinct theological and narrative foundations. These distinctions offer fertile ground for further research in comparative Qur’anic studies and Mahdism.
Verse 55 of Surah An-Nur is one of the key Qur’anic verses concerning God’s promise to the believers of succession and the establishment of authority on earth. This study, using an analytical and comparative approach, examines the interpretative perspectives of both Shi‘a and Sunni exegetes regarding the fulfillment of this divine promise. The findings reveal that Sunni commentators—such as al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, and al-Qurṭubī—generally view the realization of this promise as having occurred during the early Islamic era, particularly in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. In contrast, Shi‘a exegetes, including Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī and Ayatollah Makārim Shīrāzī, interpret the full and final fulfillment of the verse as a future event, to be realized during the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AJ). Both schools, however, identify faith, righteous deeds, and pure monotheism as essential conditions for the fulfillment of this promise. The study concludes that while both traditions affirm the principle of divine succession (istikhlāf), they diverge significantly regarding its final application and scope—differences rooted in their distinct theological and narrative foundations. These distinctions offer fertile ground for further research in comparative Qur’anic studies and Mahdism.
Keywords
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Volume 4, Issue 1
September 2025Pages 186-211
- Receive Date: 27 May 2025
- Revise Date: 29 July 2025
- Accept Date: 31 July 2025