An-Nur: 55
"Allah has promised those..."
The address is to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and those with him. "Among you" (wa-minkum) is for clarification, like the one at the end of Surah al-Fath.
Allah promised them that He would grant Islam victory over disbelief, make them inheritors of the earth, and appoint them as successors therein, just as He did with the Children of Israel when He made them inherit Egypt and the Levant after the destruction of the tyrants. He promised to establish the religion He has chosen, which is the religion of Islam. Its establishment means its stabilization and consolidation. He promised to secure their path and remove the fear they were under.
This is because the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions remained in Mecca for ten years in fear. When they migrated to Medina, they would wake up and go to sleep in their armor, until a man said, "Will a day come when we are secure and can lay down our weapons?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "You will not remain so but for a little while, until a man among you can sit in a large gathering, reclining, without any iron (weapon) upon him."
Allah fulfilled His promise: He granted them victory over the Arabian Peninsula, they conquered the lands of the East and the West, tore apart the kingdom of the Chosroes, took possession of their treasuries, and seized the world. Then, those who followed a path contrary to theirs emerged; they denied those blessings and acted defiantly. This is what the Prophet (ﷺ) meant when he said: "The Caliphate after me will last thirty years, then Allah will grant kingship to whom He wills, so it will become a monarchy, then it will become a tyranny of banditry, bloodshed, and the seizure of wealth without right."
It is read as kama ustukhlima (passive voice) and wa-layubaddilannahum (with the shaddah).
If you ask: Where is the oath that is met with the lam and the nun in layastakhlifannahum?
I say: It is omitted. The estimation is: "Allah promised them and swore, 'He will surely make them successors,'" or the promise of Allah, in its certainty, was treated as an oath, so it was met with what an oath is met with, as if it were said: "Allah swears He will surely make them successors."
If you ask: What is the grammatical position of ya‘budunani (they worship Me)?
I say: If you consider it an isti’naf (a new sentence), it has no position, as if someone asked, "Why are they made successors and granted security?" and the answer was, "They worship Me." If you consider it a hal (state) from "He promised them," meaning: Allah promised them that while they were in a state of worship and sincerity, then its position is in the accusative (nasb).
"And whoever disbelieves" means disbelief in the blessing, like His saying: "And it denied the favors of Allah" (An-Nahl: 112).
"For it is they who are the defiantly disobedient" means they are the ones perfect in their defiance, for they denied that great blessing and dared to belittle it.
If you ask: Is there evidence in this verse regarding the Rightly Guided Caliphs?
I say: It is the clearest and most evident proof, for the successors who believed and did righteous deeds are indeed them.
"And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy."
