Tafsir

The Duties of the Muslims when They attain Power

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Uthman bin `Affan said, "The Ayah:الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَّكَّنَّـهُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ أَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَـوةَ وَأَمَرُواْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْاْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ(Those who, if We give them power in the land, (they) establish the Salah, enforce the Zakah, and they enjoin the good and forbid the evil.) was revealed concerning us, for we had been expelled from our homes unjustly only because we said: `Our Lord is Allah.' Then we were given power in the land, so we established regular prayer, paid the Zakah, enjoined what is good and forbade what is evil, and with Allah rests the end of (all) matters. This is about my companions and I." Abu Al-`Aliyah said, "They were the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ." As-Sabah bin Suwadah Al-Kindi said, "I heard `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz give a speech and say:الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَّكَّنَّـهُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ(Those who, if We give them power in the land....) Then he said, "This is not obligatory only for those who are in authority, it also applies to those who are governed by them.

Shall I not tell you what you can expect from your governor, and what duties those who are ruled owe to him Your rights over your governor are that he should check on you with regard to your duties towards Allah and restore the rights that you have over one another, and that he should guide you to the straight path as much as possible. Your duties towards him are that you should obey him without cheating and without resentment, and you should obey him both in secret and openly." `Atiyah Al-`Awfi said, "This Ayah is like the Ayah:وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى الاْرْضِ(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 land) 24:55.وَلِلَّهِ عَـقِبَةُ الاٍّمُورِ(And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters.) This is like the Ayah:وَالْعَـقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ(And the good end is for those who have Taqwa) 28:83.

Zayd bin Aslam said:وَلِلَّهِ عَـقِبَةُ الاٍّمُورِ(And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters.) "And with Allah will be the reward for what they did."

Qur’ anic prophecy about the Rightly Guided Caliphs ( خُلفأے راشدین ) and its fulfillmentالَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Those who, when We give them power in the land - 22:41) In this verse the word (those) refers to those people who have been mentioned in the preceding verse: الَّذِينَ أُخْرِ‌جُوا مِن دِيَارِ‌هِم بِغَيْرِ‌ حَقٍّ (Those are the ones who were expelled from their homes without any just reason - 22:40). Referring to such people the verse says that if they are placed in authority in this world, they will use it to promote good deeds, will set up prayers, pay the obligatory charity, enjoin people to do good and abstain from evil deeds. It has already been mentioned that these verses were revealed soon after Hijrah, at a time when the Muslims did not exercise dominion anywhere on earth, which means that Allah Ta’ ala had already made it known that when, at a future date, they would come to power and establish their government, they would serve the Faith in the manner described in this verse.

Sayyidna ` Uthmane ؓ said referring to this verse, ثنَا قَبلَ بَلَاء that this verse praises those people before they actually perform the praise-worthy deeds. In due course Allah Ta’ ala's prophecy was fulfilled in that the four Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Muhajirin (emigrants) from Makkah were indeed those whom the Qur'an described by the words الَّذِينَ أُخْرِ‌جُوا (those who were expelled - 22:40) and when they established their government and held sway over vast territories, they used their power and authority in setting up prayers, strengthening the system of Zakah, enjoining good and forbidding evil deeds. Many scholars are of the view that this verse is a clear evidence of the fact that accession to power of the four Caliphs (خُلفَاے راشدین) is a direct fulfillment of Allah's Prophesy, and the system of caliphate which was set up by them was in accordance with His will.

(Ruh ul-Ma’ ani)Having discussed the factual aspect of the circumstances leading up to the revelation of this verse it must, at the same time, be emphasized that where the Qur'an uses general words and phrases, their purpose is not restricted to a particular situation, but is universally applicable to all similar situations. Following this reasoning, Dahhak says that this verse contains an injunction for all those whom Allah Ta’ ala grants power and authority to do all those things which the Four Caliphs did when they controlled the rule. (Qurtubi)

الذين وعدناهم بنصرنا هم الذين إنْ مكَّنَّاهم في الأرض، واستخلفناهم فيها بإظهارهم على عدوهم، أقاموا الصلاة بأدائها في أوقاتها بحدودها، وأخرجوا زكاة أموالهم إلى أهلها، وأمروا بكل ما أمر الله به مِن حقوقه وحقوق عباده، ونَهَوْا عن كل ما نهى الله عنه ورسوله. ولله وحده مصير الأمور كلها، والعاقبة للتقوى.

قال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبي ، حدثنا أبو الربيع الزهراني ، حدثنا حماد بن زيد ، عن أيوب وهشام ، عن محمد قال : قال عثمان بن عفان : فينا نزلت : ( الذين إن مكناهم في الأرض أقاموا الصلاة وآتوا الزكاة وأمروا بالمعروف ونهوا عن المنكر ) ، فأخرجنا من ديارنا بغير حق ، إلا أن قلنا : " ربنا الله " ، ثم مكنا في الأرض ، فأقمنا الصلاة ، وآتينا الزكاة ، وأمرنا بالمعروف ، ونهينا عن المنكر ، ولله عاقبة الأمور ، فهي لي ولأصحابي .وقال أبو العالية : هم أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم .وقال الصباح بن سوادة الكندي : سمعت عمر بن عبد العزيز يخطب وهو يقول : ( الذين إن مكناهم في الأرض ) الآية ، ثم قال : إلا أنها ليست على الوالي وحده ، ولكنها على الوالي والمولى عليه ، ألا أنبئكم بما لكم على الوالي من ذلكم ، وبما للوالي عليكم منه؟

إن لكم على الوالي من ذلكم أن يؤاخذكم بحقوق الله عليكم ، وأن يأخذ لبعضكم من بعض ، وأن يهديكم للتي هي أقوم ما استطاع ، وإن عليكم من ذلك الطاعة غير المبزوزة ولا المستكرهة ، ولا المخالف سرها علانيتها .وقال عطية العوفي : هذه الآية كقوله : ( وعد الله الذين آمنوا منكم وعملوا الصالحات ليستخلفنهم في الأرض [ كما استخلف الذين من قبلهم ] ) [ النور : 55 ] .وقوله : ( ولله عاقبة الأمور ) ، كقوله تعالى ( والعاقبة للمتقين ) [ القصص : 83 ] .وقال زيد بن أسلم : ( ولله عاقبة الأمور ) : وعند الله ثواب ما صنعوا .