The Concept of Mahdism in the Qur'an A Reflection on Verse 55 of Surah An-Nur

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‌ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بي‌شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ

Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them. And He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them and will replace their fear with security. They will worship Me and not associate anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that — they are defiantly disobedient.(Holy Quran : Surah An-Nur, Verse 55)

One of the Qur'anic verses that Shi'a exegetes and theologians have cited as evidence for the advent and rule of Imam Mahdi is verse 55 of Surah An-Nur. In this verse, Almighty God promises the believers that He will appoint them as successors on the earth and grant them a secure environment in which they can worship Him without fear.
In contrast, some Sunni scholars interpret the fulfillment of this divine promise as referring to the era of the first four caliphs—Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Imam Ali. However, other Sunni scholars have accepted the views of Twelver Shi’a scholars, interpreting the promise in this verse as a reference to the future rule of Imam Mahdi.

Terminology

Defining key terms in any research is essential for a clearer understanding of the concepts and foundations that support the study's objectives. Below are the definitions of the key terms used in this research:

يَسْتَخْلِف = Yastakhlif(Designation of successor)

This verb is derived from (خَلَفَ = khalafah). According to Ibn Faris, this root carries three primary meanings:
For something to come after another as its successor;
To be behind, in opposition to the front;
To undergo change or transformation.
Al-Farahidi defines the term khalifah (caliph/successor) as someone who takes the place of another,
assuming their position or role.

تَمْكِين = Tamkin(Obedience)

The term tamkin originally means "to place something firmly in a specific location." Al-Raghib writes: “[For example,] I placed an object in a spot, and it settled and became stable there.”
‘Allameh Tabataba'i interprets tamkin al-din (the establishment of religion) as a metaphor for strengthening and stabilizing the religion in such a way that its core principles do not weaken due to disagreement, its laws are not neglected, and its rulings are actively implemented.

Shi'a Perspective

Shi'a Quranic scholars hold differing views regarding the timing and specific application of this verse. Some interpret the fulfillment of this divine promise—based on related verses and narrations—as referring specifically to the era of Imam Mahdi's reappearance. Others, however, consider the promise to have multiple fulfillments and applications throughout history.

First View:

Exclusive Fulfillment of the Promise During the Era of Imam Mahdi’s Reappearance.
This interpretation aligns with the consistent message found in all narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet Muhammad, his noble daughter, and the twelve Imams) regarding this verse, indicating that the divine promise will be fulfilled in the age of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance.
This view is naturally prevalent among hadith scholars such as Allama Majlisi and is found in hadith-based exegetical works as well as in interpretive commentaries that follow the narrative method. Moreover, a number of scholars who employ other exegetical methodologies have also adopted this view.
The earliest Shi’a exegetical work that appears to support this interpretation is Majma‘ al-Bayān by the late al-Ṭabarsi. In discussing the various opinions regarding the meaning of this verse, he critically evaluates them and writes:
“There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of this verse. Some have said it refers to the companions of the Prophet, while Ibn ‘Abbās and Mujāhid maintained that the verse has a general application to the entire Muslim community. However, what has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt is that this verse refers to Imam Mahdi from the family of Muhammad.
In Majma‘ al-Bayān, under this verse, a narration from Imam Zayn al-Abidin (the fourth Shi’a Imam) is cited:
"By Allah! This group refers to our followers, to whom Allah will fulfill this promise through a man from our family—he is the Mahdi of this ummah."
Notably, al-Tabarsi supports this interpretation not only with traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt but also by drawing upon the internal implications of the verse. He explains:
“The meaning of ‘He will surely grant them succession in the land’ is that Allah will make them heirs of all lands held by disbelievers, both Arabs and non-Arabs, and will establish them as rulers and sovereigns of the earth. The phrase ‘He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them’ means that Allah will make Islam prevail over all other religions.”
He then quotes the Prophet Muhammad as saying:
“The entire earth was shown to me, and I saw its eastern and western extents, and I saw that the rule of my nation will reach all that I was shown.”
Abu al-Fotuh al-Rāzi, a sixth-century AH commentator, after analyzing and rejecting the other views, also interprets the verse as referring specifically to Imam Mahdi. He states that three opinions exist regarding the identity of the khalifah (successor) mentioned in the verse:
Some believe it refers to the entire Muslim community, others say it refers to the Prophet's companions—namely Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Ali—while the third view, based on the interpretation of the Ahl al-Bayt, holds that it refers to Imam Mahdi, whose future appearance was foretold by the Prophet and upon whose emergence there is consensus, even though there may be disagreement regarding the specifics of his identity.
Abu al-Fotuh dismisses the first two views and concludes:
“This verse refers solely to the caliphate and leadership of Imam Mahdi, whom the Prophet gave glad tidings of and whose coming has been unanimously affirmed by the Muslim community, despite differences regarding the precise identity.”
Allameh Tabataba’i, after examining and critiquing the various interpretations, similarly concludes that the verse promises sincere believers—those who act righteously—that God will establish a pure society for them, free from disbelief, hypocrisy, and strife. This society will inherit the earth, and their beliefs and actions will be governed solely by divine teachings. They will live in complete security, without fear of internal or external threats.
He further states that such a virtuous and sacred society has never been realized in history—not since the Prophet’s mission began—and if the verse is to be applied to a specific case, then unquestionably it must refer to the era of Imam Mahdi, as described in numerous authentic narrations from the Prophet and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.
In another passage, Allameh Tabataba’i emphasizes that: “This pure society, with its qualities of virtue and holiness, has never been established in the world to this day, from the time of the Prophet's mission until now. Therefore, if there is to be any true instance of it, it will certainly be in the era of Imam Mahdi, as indicated by the many well-attested narrations about his characteristics and the conditions of his time. The truth of the matter is that if we are to put aside all biases and genuinely seek the intended meaning of the verse, we find that no society truly aligns with it—except the one that will be formed through the reappearance of Imam Mahdi.”
As can be seen, although Shi’a exegetes may differ in certain methodological details, they ultimately agree in concluding that the divine promise mentioned in the verse finds its full and true realization in the age of Imam Mahdi’s reappearance .

Second View:

Fulfillment of the Promise in Multiple Instances According to this position, the Divine promise has been realized at least once in the early Islamic era, and the era of the Mahdi’s reappearance represents one of these fulfillments—or indeed its most complete manifestation.
Among the Twelver Shi’a mufassirin, Shaykh Tusi inclines toward this view. In his commentary on the verse, he writes:
“In this verse Allah has given the believers among the Companions of the Prophet—those who perform righteous deeds—the promise that He will make them caliphs on the earth; that is, He will make them heirs to the lands of the polytheists, both Arab and non‑Arab, just as He brought the Children of Israel into their cities and settled them therein after destroying the oppressors…”
Shaykh Tusi further critiques the claim made by some Sunni commentators regarding a consensus that this verse exclusively refers to the first four caliphs. He writes:
“Not all commentators accept this opinion. Mujāhid says that the intended group in this verse is the ummah of Muhammad. Ibn Abbās and others have expressed similar views. Moreover, the Ahl al-Bayt state that this verse refers to Imam Mahdi, who will appear after a time of fear and will attain power after a period of weakness. Therefore, the claim of consensus among commentators—and the exclusive application of the verse to the first four caliphs—is unfounded. In fact, the very assertion of such a consensus is itself the beginning of the debate.”
Thus, Shaykh Tusi does not reject the narrations interpreting the verse as referring to Imam Mahdi; on the contrary, he presents them as the interpretation given by the Ahl al-Bayt.
Tafsir-e Nemuneh(Sample interpretation), the monumental exegesis by Ayatollah Makārem Shirazi and others, does not limit the application of the verse exclusively to the era of the Mahdi. Instead, it sees the verse as describing a general divine tradition. Nevertheless, it affirms that the most complete and perfect fulfillment of this promise will occur during the rule of Imam Mahdi.

Sunni Perspective

Sunni commentators are nearly unanimous in their view that the address in the verse “Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds” is directed specifically at the Prophet’s Companions. According to them, God made this promise to the Prophet’s contemporaries, the believers who lived during his time.
The basis for this interpretation lies in certain solitary reports cited in the context of the verse’s revelation. Among them is the narration transmitted by Ibn Jarir al-Ṭabari through his own chain of transmission from Abū al-Aliyeh:
“The Prophet of God (PBUH) spent ten years in fear and danger in Mecca, inviting people—both publicly and privately—to the worship of the One God. Then, God commanded him to migrate to Medina. Even in Medina, the Prophet and his companions lived in fear, constantly bearing arms. One day, a man said to the Prophet , ‘Will there ever be a time when we can live in peace and lay down our weapons?’ The Prophet replied, ‘It will not be long before you find safety, and a man among you will sit peacefully among a large group without carrying any weapons.’ Following this incident, God revealed this verse.” Abu al-Aliyeh continues:
“God caused His religion to dominate the Arabian Peninsula, and its people embraced the faith. But eventually, they turned away in rebellion. Therefore, God took away the blessing of security, because they disbelieved in His favor.”
The Sunnis have attempted to interpret certain parts of the noble verse in such a way that the fulfillment of the promise mentioned therein would not only apply to the four rightly guided caliphs, but also be limited exclusively to them. For instance, in interpreting the word "minkum" (from among you), they believe that the address in the phrase "Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds..." refers specifically to the Prophet’s companions and those present during his time. Thus, they argue that this divine promise was only given to the righteous believers among those individuals.
Fakhr al-Razi writes in this regard:
"This verse indicates the leadership of the four caliphs, because God Almighty has promised those who believed and performed righteous deeds, in addition to being present during the time of Muhammad." Based on this perspective, some Sunni exegetes have excluded Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) from the application of the verse, arguing that he was not present during the time of its revelation.
Al-Alusi wrote in this regard:
"At the time of the verse's revelation, Imam Mahdi certainly did not exist; therefore, he cannot be considered a referent of the verse."
However, the aforementioned views do not represent the stance of all Sunni exegetes and scholars. Some of them do not limit the "promised people" to the Prophet's Companions but interpret it as encompassing the entire Muslim community. Among them is al-Shawkani (d. 1250 AH = 1835 AD), who not only accepts the fulfillment of this promise for the whole ummah but also argues for the possibility of its recurrence in later generations. He states:
“This promise applies to the entire Muslim ummah. It has been said that it is limited to the Companions, but there is no valid evidence for such a restriction. Since faith and righteous deeds [the key characteristics of the promised people] are not exclusive to the Companions, the realization of this promise is possible for any member of this community. Among the various opinions, the view that restricts the promise to the four caliphs or the Muhajirun is farther from reality, for what matters is the generality of the wording, not the specific circumstance of revelation.”⁽⁵⁾ Ibn Kathir of Damascus can also be considered part of this interpretive trend. After citing hadiths from the two Sahihs—al-Bukhari and Muslim—in his commentary on this verse, he writes:
“These traditions indicate that there must be twelve just caliphs. Four of them appeared consecutively: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. After them, a time gap occurred. Then, more of the twelve caliphs appeared according to the will of God, and the rest of them will come in the future—at a time known only to God. Among them is the Mahdi of this ummah, who shares the name of the noble Prophet of Islam. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it had been filled with oppression and tyranny.”⁽⁶⁾
A similar interpretation is found in the Tafsir of Kabuli, who considers the final caliph among the twelve to be Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him).⁽⁷⁾
Ibn Kathir considers this divine promise—which began toward the end of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) mission—as still ongoing, extending to the eras of later caliphs and eventually culminating in the time of Imam Mahdi’s (PBUH) reappearance, when a new fulfillment of this promise will take place⁽⁸⁾.

Critique of the Sunni Viewpoint

The late Amin al-Islam Tabarsi, contrary to the Sunni interpretation that limits the meaning of the word "menkom" (from among you) to the four rightly guided caliphs, interprets the verse differently based on the hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt. He explains that the intended meaning of “those among you who believe and do righteous deeds” refers to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his Ahl al-Bayt (household). This verse gives them glad tidings of divine succession over the entire earth, establishment in the land, and the removal of fear—events that will be fulfilled during the time of Imam Mahdi .
Accordingly, the divine analogy mentioned in the phrase "just as He granted succession to those before them" refers to righteous successors previously appointed by God on earth—such as Prophet Adam, David, and Solomon (PBUT). The Qur’an confirms this in verses such as:
“Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successor” (Surah al-Baqarah, Verse 30),
“O David! Indeed, We have made you a successor upon the earth” (Surah Sad, Verse 26),
and “We gave the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom” (Surah al-Nisa, Verse 54).
Moreover, the consensus of the Ahl al-Bayt regarding the interpretation of the verse as referring to the Prophet and his household is further supported by the well-known Hadith al-Thaqalayn, which affirms the authoritative role of the Ahl al-Bayt in interpreting divine scripture.
Hadith al-Thaqalayn(The meaning of the two most precious things is) is a well-known narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the guiding role of the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family), emphasizing the necessity of following both. The text of the hadith is as follows:
“O people, truly I am leaving among you two precious things; as long as you hold firmly to both, you will never go astray. These two are the Book of God (the Qur’an) and my Ahl al-Bayti(my family). Indeed, these two will never separate until they meet me at the Pond (of Kawthar).”
Since, as historical evidence shows, during the time of the caliphs—especially during the reigns of Uthman and Imam Ali—there was no complete security in which Muslims were entirely free from all fears, and no absolute safety from both external and internal enemies, the attempt by some Sunni commentators to apply this characteristic solely to the era of the four caliphs (or only the first three caliphs) is unacceptable and refuted.
Mufadhdhal ibn Umar narrates that he asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): “O son of the Messenger of God! These Nawasib⁽⁹⁾ believe that this verse was revealed about Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali.” Imam Sadiq replied:
“No, may God never guide the hearts of the Nawasib! At what time was the religion of God firmly established anad beloved by the Messenger, His command widely spread among the community, fear absent from hearts, and doubt nonexistent in breasts? During the reign of which of them was this so? Even during the time of Ali, given the apostasy of some Muslims and the ensuing civil strife and wars between them and the disbelievers, such security did not exist.”
This noble hadith explicitly emphasizes that the removal of fear and the presence of complete security did not occur during the era of any of the four rightly guided caliphs.

Footnotes:

1 - Such as the introduction to the exegesis attributed to ʿAli ibn Ibrāhim al-Qummi, Al-Burhān by Sayyid Hāshim al-Baḥrāni, and Nūr al-Thaqalayn by ʿAli ibn Jumʿah al-Ḥuwayzi.
2 - Such as Al-Ṣāfi and Al-Aṣfi by the late Fayḍ al-Kāshāni, and Al-Wajizah written by ʿAli son of Abi Jāmiʿ al-ʿĀmili.
3 - Shaykh al-Tusi, known as "Shaykh al-Tāʾifah" (995–1068 AD), was one of the greatest Shi'a scholars of hadith and jurisprudence.
4 - Tafsir Nemuneh, Vol. 4, pp. 531–532.
5 - Muhammad son of ʿAli al-Shawkāni, Fatḥ al-Qadir, Vol. 4, p. 47.
6 - Ismāʿil ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran, Vol. 3, p. 301.
7 - Muhammad Ḥusayn Divbandi, Tafsir Kāboli, Vol. 4, p. 374.
8 - Ismāʿil son of Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran, Vol. 3, p. 301.
9 - A Nāsebi is one who harbors enmity toward Imam ʿAli (a) or any of the Ahl al-Bayt and openly expresses this hostility. Denying their virtues, cursing or insulting the Imams, and hostility toward their followers are all considered forms of Nāṣibi behavior.

The Twelfth Imam