وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me. And whoever is ungrateful after that – it is they who are the transgressors.

EXEGESIS

Waʿada (has promised) can be used either for guaranteeing good results, such as in the verse, Is he to whom We have given a good promise (waʿd) (28:61), or bad ones, Shall I inform you about something worse than that? The fire which Allah has promised (waʿada) the faithless (22:72).[1]

La-yastakhlifanna-hum (he will surely make them successors) is from the infinitive istikhlāf, which means something to come and take the place of another thing. [2] The prefix la and suffix anna are the emphatic devices used to emphasise the verb. The suffixed pronoun hum means ‘them’. It can have the meaning of allowing one nation to remain after another nation has passed away, or removing one nation and replacing it with another.

La-yumakkinanna (he will surely establish) is from the infinitive tamkīn, meaning to establish with power, resulting in things such as grandeur, rule, authority, and so on,[3] like in the verse, And We desired to show favour to those who were abased in the land, and to make them imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish (numakkina) them in the land (28:5-6).[4] Again, the prefix la and suffix anna are the emphatic devices used to emphasise the verb.

Kafara (is ungrateful): kufr literally means to hide something or cover it.[5] It is used for disbelief, since the one who denies God’s signs and His message has covered up the truth that has come to them. It also means ingratitude, as the ungrateful seeks to ‘hide’ or ‘cover’ the favour granted to them. It is possible that in this verse it intends disbelief.[6] The majority of the exegetes have interpreted it here as ingratitude.  

Fāsiqūn (transgressors) is the plural active participle of fasaqa which originally means to leave or go out into that which is harmful. The root meaning of fisq (pl. fusūq), commonly translated as transgression, comes from the outgrowth of the date from its skin^[7] and is used with the figurative meaning of any kind of crossing of limits and exiting of boundaries, be it natural, rational, or religious.[8] It is also said to originally refer to the camel who strays from the path.[9]

EXPOSITION

The address now turns away from the hypocrites and those of weak faith to speak of those of pure faith. As we discussed in previous verses, this is the culmination of the build-up of several verses. It is intimately linked with the main theme of the surah and an example of how God’s ‘clear command’ guides the Muslim community to live a life of submission to the will of God and harmony amongst themselves and with the rest of creation, in a way that serves everyone’s best interests. The perfection of this divine promise will manifest itself with the coming of the awaited Imam al-Mahdī (a), who will establish a society that will, with God’s aid, establish the true virtues of Islam as they were intended to be practiced, a society of justice, equity, love, and welfare. That society will not be composed of angels, but rather the same human beings as before. It will in effect be an example of what could have been all along, had humans only listened to God’s command and structured their societies based on that, instead of greed, vice, and sin. Before we can appreciate that conclusion though, we should first examine the verse itself.

Allah has promised: God gives the promise both to instil hope and to also allow the Muslims to prepare for that.[10] Awaiting the fulfilment of God’s promise should be an active state.

Those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds: the qualifier those of you (minkum) implies that not all Muslims are included in the promise, since among them are those who have weak faith or act unrighteously and contrary to their faith.

Those of you especially stands out when compared to the rest of the verse which is in the third person plural. While the verse would have made sense without it – and could have merely stated that God promises the believers who do good deeds – those of you makes it much more intimate and allows each reader to connect with the promise of God given in the verse.

That He will surely make them successors in the earth: considering the next statement, it is clear that this rule does not need to be over all of the earth for it to be considered successorship, as no previous nation ruled over all of it.[11]

Again, alternative opinions have also been presented as to what this successorship entails and what is meant by the earth. Some have said it means:

1. He will aid them against their enemies.[12]
2. It means the Arabian Peninsula.[13]
3. He will make them inherit all the earth, whether that belonging to Arabs or non-Arabs, making them rulers over it and its inhabitants.[14]

As is obvious, there is no basis for any such specifications and they are merely speculative.

Just as He made those who were before them successors: it is hope-giving when you consider that the verse is saying in reality: look at how previous powerful nations fell and were replaced by other nations. Do not think that the powers arrayed against you are any different, they too will fall and it is God’s promise that the true believers will emerge as a new power.

Again, there is also disagreement as to whom are those who were before them. Some have said it refers to the Children of Israel,[15] others that it is the kingdoms given to Prophet David (a) and Prophet Solomon (a),[16] like in the verse, O David! Indeed, We have made you a vicegerent (khalīfah) on the earth (38:26). See the Review of Tafsīr Literature section for more discussion on these claims.

And He will surely establish for them their religion: they will be able to practice their religion freely[17] in the sense that no enemies and no source of kufr will prevent that from happening.[18] This hence requires God’s aid, which allows them to overcome the forces of evil, thereby being secure from the threat, persecution, oppression, and war which they faced because of those forces.[19] The perfection of this establishment also entails that all the religion will be one, as disagreement about faith is described in the Quran as transgression: and none differed in it except those who had been given it, after the manifest proofs had come to them, out of envy among themselves (2:213).[20]

Noteworthily, unlike successorship, the establishment of the religion is not mentioned as something that God also did for previous nations. This suggests that the establishment to be granted the Muslim ummah will be unlike any given to previous nations, which He has promised in the Quran, It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polytheists should be averse (61:9).

Calling individuals to the truth of God’s religion will always result in some of them accepting that call, however to truly make it available to the general public requires the firm establishment of religion. This is why the great prophets of God sought to establish religion on a state level, as did Prophet Muhammad (s) when migrating to Medina.[21]

Which He has approved for them: that is the religion of Islam, as in the verse, and I have approved Islam as your religion (5:3), which is the only religion that God is pleased with, thus Should anyone follow a religion other than Islam, it shall never be accepted from him (3:85), although they may be pardoned due to excusable ignorance.

This emphasis is meant to increase the believers in their faith.[22] It is described as their religion, as a show of respect to them.[23]

And that He will surely change their state to security after their fear: it is reported from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb that this verse was revealed after the Muslims migrated to Medina where they still suffered from the constant threat of attack and war, to the extent that they would sleep with their swords by their sides and spend their days so as well. They wished a day would arrive that they could live in safety. This verse was then reportedly revealed.[24] According to another report, the Prophet then told them: ‘It will not be long before some of you will sit cross-legged in great gatherings where no one carries any blade.’[25] Having said all that, as always, the occasion of revelation should not be seen as a limiting factor to the generality of the verse. The promise given in it is extended to Muslims in later times as well, who might be living in fear and oppression, as long as they meet the conditions of the verse.

While they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me: as they were already described in the beginning of the verse to be righteous believers, this is an interjection of praise. It means that they will not pervert their faith with idolatry or polytheism.[26] They will be humble in front of God and obey His commands and prohibitions.[27] There is in reality a triple emphasis here on their sincere monotheistic worship. First, it is mentioned that they worship God. Second, that they do not ascribe partners to Him. Finally, it ends with the indefinite shayʾan (any), which expands the scope of the statement to not only exclude shirk in the sense of polytheism or idolatry, but in its absolute sense, encompassing both blatant (jalī) and unpronounced (khafī) forms of shirk.[28] This indicates that the establishment of religion alluded to in the verse will be more than what was established in the history of Muslims; a history mired in transgression, competition for power and property, and filled with bloodshed and corruption. It is the promise of a future free of such faults and flaws.

Furthermore, the usage of the expression worship Me instead of ‘worship God’ is to emphasise God’s love and care for them and His closeness to them.

And whoever is ungrateful after that – it is they who are the transgressors: after that means after the realisation and manifestation of the promise that preceded.[29] Kufr (translated here as ungrateful) is mentioned before transgression (fisq). It is said this is to indicate that after their faithlessness they will do even worse things, because transgression means going to something worse.[30]

In conclusion, the verse gives good news to the righteous believers of the coming of a day when they will overcome their foes, being able to live in security, no longer fearing them. They will be able to practice their religion without interference from the faithless or the enemies of God’s religion. They will be a community of believers who sincerely worship only Him, not ascribing any partners to Him.

A question remains: when will this promise occur? Or has it already occurred? The exegetes have offered many different opinions regarding this.

As we mentioned, some of the scholars were of the opinion that this was in reference to the conquest of the Arabian Peninsula. On the opposite end of the spectrum there was the opinion attributed to Ibn Abbas, that God in this verse promises the Muslims that He will make them conquer all other lands and make Islam overcome all other religions.[31]

Amongst the tābiʿī exegetes, we find that it has been attributed to Muqātil ibn Sulaymān that the promise of this verse has already occurred, and that it was fulfilled for the companions of the Prophet and all others after them from his ummah.[32]

However, these views are not acceptable because, as we discussed, we cannot find the qualities mentioned in the verse to have been present in the history of the Muslims and their practice. That is why Ṭabrisī argues that the promised establishment has not yet happened, but it will happen, because God promises it. He asserts that the verse is giving good tidings to the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt of their eventual successorship and establishment that will occur with the coming of Imam al-Mahdī (a). He adds that this understanding is binding as it is based on the consensus of the Ahl al-Bayt.[33]

Zamakhsharī and others posit that this promise was manifested in the time of the first four caliphs.[34] Ibn al-ʿArabī adopts the same position, saying that if it was not their rule to which this verse refers then who else could it be, as there has been no one better than them to this day.[35] Zamakhsharī and others mention the report attributed to the Prophet, that the caliphate will last for thirty years after him, following which there will be monarchies. He says that after the era of caliphate the Muslims were ungrateful for the blessings of God and became transgressors and spilled blood and took wealth without right.[36] Rāzī links it in a similar fashion to the first caliphs, emphasising the conquests made during their time – although he then specifies that during the caliphate of Imam Ali (a) there were no external conquests as he was busy fighting ‘those who pray’ (ahl al-ṣalāh).[37]

These views are also based on false information and prejudiced interpretation of history. We know that strife did not exist only during the time of Imam Ali’s (a) caliphate, but all four first caliphs ruled over a time of insecurity and war. Abū Bakr had to deal with the Ridda Wars in which many memorisers of the Quran were killed, ʿUmar and ʿUthmān were both killed because of internal strife, and Imam Ali (a) was to deal with the civil wars of Jamal and Ṣiffīn, as well as the Kharijites that later plagued Muslim lands. Thus, three of the four caliphs were assassinated as a result of the internal disputes amongst the Muslims. And all these were because of the unpronounced shirk in the hearts of many who claimed faith.

Ibn al-ʿArabī relates this problem and dismisses it as being a question only a hypocrite could ask, saying that security does not mean lack of war, but rather political independence. So, when the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina, Ibn al-ʿArabī argues they achieved security and dignity.[38] While it is true that in comparison to their situation in Mecca the Muslims were much freer to practice their faith in Medina, Ibn al-ʿArabī’s reply is in contradiction with the fact that this surah is a Medinan one and it is in contradiction to the report (that we quoted earlier) that he himself also relates, that the Muslims in Medina complained to the Prophet about their lack of security even after migrating and in consolation to which this verse was reportedly revealed.

Qurṭubī quotes Ibn al-ʿArabī’s opinion about the verse relating to the first four caliphs and then criticises it, saying there is no evidence for such a restriction and that it is addressed to the whole ummah.[39] Ibn Kathīr relates the hadith of the Prophet where he says: ‘The affairs of people will continue prosperously as long as twelve men are their guardians,’ later adding that all twelve will be from Quraysh.[40] Ibn Kathīr says that the hadith is evidence that twelve leaders must emerge from Quraysh for the Muslims, but these twelve are not the twelve Imams of the Shias, as most of them did not rule over people. Rather he argues that the first four of these were the first four caliphs and the rest are unknown and need not have followed consecutively. The last of them he concludes must be the awaited Mahdī (a), whose name will be the name of the Prophet and who will fill the earth with justice and fairness, as it was filled with injustice and oppression.[41]

Ālūsī relates the opinion of some that the verse cannot be referring to the imamate of the Mahdī (a) since he was not born at the time when the verse was revealed.[42] This is only a valid criticism if we limit the scope of the verse to the contemporaries of the Prophet, yet, as we argued earlier, this is not the best approach.

Ālūsī also adds that according to the majority view of the Shias, their Imams had to practice dissimulation (taqiyyah) and could not preach without fear. He concludes that only the first three caliphs can be meant by the verse.[43]

Actually, this is the clearest evidence that the true manifestation of the promise of this verse has not yet occurred. Who could be considered more righteous believers than the holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt? Yet we see that during the dynasties of the Umayyads and Abbasids they were constantly in fear, that they were either cursed from the pulpits like Imam Ali (a) was, martyred like Imam al-Husayn (a) was, imprisoned like Imam al-Kāẓim (a) was, or placed under intense scrutiny and house arrest, as were many of the pious believers who followed them. Certainly, if God promises in this verse that the righteous believers should be able to practice their faith without fear or persecution, we cannot say that it occurred during those times in its true and full meaning.

Hence, Ālūsī’s criticism is valid, and we must accept that even the previous Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt did not manage to establish a nation like the one that would fit the true manifestation of the verse. The reality is that the true manifestation of the promise of the verse has not happened yet and can only occur when the final Imam, the awaited Imam al-Mahdī (a), arrives.

Even so, Tabatabai argues that there is no reason to limit the scope of the verse to the Prophet, or the companions, or the Ahl al-Bayt, and the address is general to the believers who do good deeds.[44] However, he also argues that the promised society that enjoys complete freedom to practice Islam, has no fear of enemies, and sincerely only worships God, has not yet manifested itself, not in the time of Prophet Muhammad (s), or the companions, or the Imams. He concludes that it can only manifest itself during the time of Imam al-Mahdī (a).[45] Faḍl-Allāh argues similarly that the verse is general in its scope and is meant to give hope to the believers that God will aid them to victory if they abide by His commands.[46]

Tabatabai then raises the objection of some, namely: how can Imam al-Mahdī (a) be intended as he was not born or present during the time of the revelation of the verse? He answers this by saying the address is not to the contemporaries only, but in general to those who have the same qualities of being righteous faithful. He gives as example several verses, such as the statement about the hour: It will not overtake you but suddenly (7:187). It is clear that none of the contemporaries addressed by this verse lived to see the final hour, yet the address is a general one to all who deny it or seek to escape remembering it.[47]

The best approach then is to understand the promise of this verse as being something that extends to all righteous believers. The central message of the surah, of God’s ‘clear command’ guiding the Muslims to create a society of righteous believers, is not something that was only addressed to the companions of the Prophet, or the Imams, or even just the time of Imam al-Mahdī (a). Rather it is an address to all Muslims and a promise to all of them who abide by the stipulations of having faith and doing good deeds, O you who have faith! If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady (47:7). God will give His aid to the sincere believers. Nevertheless, the final manifestation of that and its perfection will be realised only when the awaited Imam al-Mahdī (a) will come to fill the earth with God’s religion, security, justice, and brotherhood in a perfect manifestation of the union of material and spiritual benefits that Islam brings to all human society. This does not mean that the victory of the true believers over their enemies during the time of the Prophet, or later at other points in history, were not limited manifestations of this promise.[48]

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Imam al-Sajjād (a), that he recited this verse and said: ‘By God they are the Shias of the Ahl al-Bayt. They will achieve this by the hands of a man from amongst us, who is the Mahdī of this ummah. He is the one about whom the Messenger of God – blessings be upon him and his family – has said: “If there was only one day remaining of this world, God would lengthen that day, until a man from my progeny would come, whose name is my name. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness, as it was filled with injustice and oppression.”’[49]
2. From Imam al-Bāqir (a), that this verse is addressed to the ones in positions of authority (wulāt al-amr), that God is saying: ‘I have appointed you as successors for My knowledge, My religion, and My worship after your Prophet, just as I appointed the successors of Adam after him until the prophet who follows him is sent. They worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me … They will worship Me with faith, with no prophet after Muhammad (s).’[50]
3. From the Prophet: ‘There will not remain on the face of the earth a single house made of mud or reeds, but that Islam will enter it, whether by mighty honour or lowly humility.’[51] In another version it continues: ‘God will either honour and make them worthy of it, or He will bring them down [from power] and they will adopt it as their religion.’[52]
4. From the Prophet: ‘The land was gathered before me, so I saw its eastern and western parts, and the dominion of my nation will reach what was gathered before me.’[53]

Note: These last two reports should also be referring to the time after the appearance of Imam al-Mahdī (a).

5. From ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Sinān, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said regarding this verse: ‘It was revealed about Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib, and the Imams from his progeny.’[54]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

There are various opinions regarding the referent to those of you:

1. The Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt.[55]
2. The companions of the Prophet.[56]
3. The entire Muslim nation.[57]

Even if we consider the address to be general, there is no doubt that the promise is not for the whole ummah due to the specification those of you, where of (min) serves to clarify that this promise of God only applies to the true believers who do righteous deeds.[58]

Some have specified that those who were before means the Israelites who were given rule over Egypt and the Levant, but historically the Israelites never ruled over Egypt.[59] Tabatabai on the other hand completely rejects the verse being about the Israelites, saying that the society established by them after they fled Egypt was not one that fits the description of the verse, since it always suffered from the existence of hypocrites, the faithless, and sinners. However, he then proceeds to name many examples of nations that are described as successors, without appellation of any faith or merit to them: Remember when He made you successors (khulafāʾ) after the people of Noah (7:69); Remember when He made you successors after [the people of] ‘Ād (7:74); It is He who has made you successors on the earth (6:165). He concludes that there is no reason to limit the verse to the Children of Israel.[60]

It should be kept in mind that no human society – not even the one established by Imam al-Mahdī (a) – will be one that is completely free from sin or transgression. As human beings by their nature possess free will, there will always be some individuals who will choose sin and injustice. However, this does not mean that there cannot exist a society that can be described as just overall.[61]

Based on this, Makārim Shīrāzī adopts the opinion that those who were before them is referring to the Children of Israel in the time following the coming of Prophet Moses (a), as per the verse, We made the people who were abased the heirs to the east and west of the land which We had blessed, and your Lord’s best word [of promise] was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their patience, and We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built and what they used to erect (7:137). He admits that there was no doubt corruption and hypocrisy and perhaps even outright kufr amongst the Israelites during that time, but he says at the end of the day it was a kingdom of the believers.[62]

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming (…) for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. (…) The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever (…) But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.[63]
2. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.[64]
3. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.[65]
4. So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.[66]
5. Without inquiry He shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place.[67]
6. Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted.[68]

[1] Raghib, p. 875, w­-ʿ-d.
[2] Tahqiq, 3/122, kh-l-f.
[3] Tahqiq, 11/163, m-k-n.
[4] See also 18:95, 6:6, 12:56, and 46:26.
[5] Raghib, p. 714, k-f-r.
[6] Razi, 24/412.
[7] Lisan, f-s-q; Raghib, f-s-q.
[8] Tahqiq, under f-s-q.
[9] Tabari, 15/170.
[10] See Sharawi, p. 10318.
[11] See Nemuneh, 14/530-531.
[12] Zamakhshari, 3/251.
[13] Muhit, 8/64.
[14] Tabrisi, 7/239; Tabari, 18/122; Thalabi, 7/114; Baghawi, 3/425; Ahkam, 3/1395. See also Ibn Kathir, 6/70-71, who says: ‘God will aid His ummah to become the caliphs of this earth, the imams of the people, and their rulers.’
[15] Tibyan, 7/455; Tabrisi, 7/239; Tabari, 18/122; Thalabi, 7/114; Zamakhshari, 3/251; Muhit 8/65; Alusi, 9/393. This opinion is attributed to Muqātil ibn Sulaymān.
[16] Razi, 24/412. Related in Tibyan, 7/455; Baghawi, 3/425; Muhit, 8/65. This opinion is attributed to Jubbāʾī and Qatādah.
[17] Tibyan, 7/455.
[18] Mizan, 15/152.
[19] Razi, 24/412.
[20] Mizan, 15/152.
[21] Nemuneh, 14/533.
[22] Alusi, 9/394.
[23] Mizan, 15/152.
[24] Mustadrak.S, 2/401; Tabrisi, 7/239; Suyuti, 5/55; Nemuneh, 14/526-527.
[25] Related in Tabari, 18/122; Zamakhshari, 3/251; Baghawi, 3/425; Ahkam, 3/1393; Muhit, 8/64; Ibn Kathir, 6/72; Suyuti, 5/55; Tantawi, 10/147. This hadith is mursal, as it is reported from Abū al-ʿĀliyah, who was a Follower (tābiʿī).
[26] Tibyan, 7/455; Tabari, 18/122.
[27] Tabari, 18/122.
[28] Mizan, 15/153. See also Mudarrisi, 8/349.
[29] Mizan, 15/153.
[30] Tibyan, 7/455; Tabrisi, 7/239.
[31] Baghawi, 3/425.
[32] Tabrisi, 7/239.
[33] Tabrisi, 7/240.
[34] Zamakhshari, 3/251-252. See also Thalabi, 7/115; Baghawi, 3/426. Ṭūsī also attributes this understanding to Jubbāʾī (Tibyan, 7/456).
[35] Ahkam, 3/1392-1393.
[36] Zamakhshari, 3/251. See also Baghawi, 3/426; Thalabi, 7/115.
[37] Razi, 24/413.
[38] Ahkam, 3/1394.
[39] Qurtubi, 12/297-299. See also Shawkani, 4/55.
[40] Muslim, 6/3, h. 4478; Manaqib, p. 248. For variants of this hadith see: Ahmad, 5/87-101; Bukhari, 8/127, h. 329; Tirmidhi, 3/340, h. 2323.
[41] Ibn Kathir, 6/72.
[42] Alusi, 9/395-397.
[43] Alusi, 9/395-397.
[44] Mizan, 15/154.
[45] Mizan, 15/155, who later adds that it is possible to also understand the verse in a looser sense to apply to the expansion of Islam and the strengthening of the ummah and the spread of Islam, and so on (Mizan, 15/156). See also Munyah, 19/135.
[46] Fadlallah, 16/355. This is also the position adopted in Tantawi, 10/148; Munyah, 19/133.
[47] Mizan, 15/155-156.
[48] For a similar position see Nemuneh, 14/530.
[49] Tabrisi, 7/239-240; Nur, 3/620; Nemuneh, 14/531. Ṭabrisī quotes the hadith from the now no longer extant portion of Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī. He also mentions that a similar report is narrated from Imam al-Bāqir (a) and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a).
[50] Kafi, 1/251; Nur, 3/616-617. The hadith is long and has been quoted partially.
[51] Tabrisi, 7/239; Sharīf al-Raḍī, al-Majāzāt al-Nabawiyyah (Qum: Manshūrāt-e Maktabeh-ye Baṣīratī, n.d.), p. 420; Ahmad, 4/103; Mustadrak.S, 1/489; Bayhaqi, 9/181; Nur, 3/621; Nemuneh, 14/532; Mudarrisi, 8/350. The hadith actually says bayt madarin wa la wabarin, which would literally mean ‘house of mud or fur’. It is an expression meant to convey any house at all.
[52] Ahmad, 6/4; Bayhaqi, 9/181; Qurtubi, 12/300.
[53] Muslim, 8/171; h. 6904; Tirmidhi, 3/319, h. 2176; Abu Dawud, 2/302, h. 4239; Tabrisi, 7/239; Manaqib, 1/98; Nur, 3/260-261; Ahkam, 3/1395; Muhit, 8/64; Ibn Kathir, 6/71; Alusi, 9/393; Mudarrisi, 8/350. See also Ahmad, 5/278; Ibn Majah, 2/1304, h. 3952.
[54] Burhan, 4/90.
[55] Tabrisi, 7/240.
[56] Tibyan, 7/454-455; Zamakhshari, 3/251. See also Furqan, 21/213. See also the commentary on verses 21:105-107.
[57] Razi, 24/412; Muhit, 8/64; Shawkani, 4/55; Munyah, 19/133. Ṭabarī is not explicit, but says it is addressed to ‘you people’, making it even more general in scope (Tabari, 18/122).
[58] Mizan, 15/151.
[59] Alusi suggests that perhaps it can be reconciled by saying that the Israelites did not return to Egypt, but ruled over it (Alusi, 9/394), but this is still untenable.
[60] Mizan, 15/151-152.
[61] See also Nemuneh, 14/534; Fadlallah, 16/351-352.
[62] Nemuneh, 14/529.
[63] Psalms 37:9-40.
[64] 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.
[65] Matthew 21:43.
[66] 1 Kings 8:60.
[67] Job 34:24.
[68] Isaiah 60:21.