وَنُرِيدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ
Wanurīdu an namunna ‘alal-ladhīnas-tudh‘ifū fil-ardhi wanaj‘alahum aimmatan wanaj‘alahumul-wārithīn
And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them Leaders, and to make them the heirs. (Sūratul Qasas, No. 28, Āyat 5)
This verse gives hope to all those who yearn for justice in the world. Justice is a necessary quality for human beings to function well. It has been described as necessary as the air that human beings breathe. Yet the world is full of injustice.
Although the passage refers particularly to the story of the Banū Israel and Fir‘awn, the above verse states a general law decreed by God. All those who suffer and were deemed weak will one day inherit the earth. It is a promise of God, and surely Allah does not break His promises (Q 3:9). Fir‘awn wanted to wipe out the Banū Israel completely. He planned to continue ruling, in complete control of his kingdom with all the power and wealth he had. I am your lord the most high, he said (Q 79:24). His arrogance envisioned his kingdom continuing unchallenged. What he didn’t know was that God had a very different plan. They plan and Allah plans and Allah is the best of planners (Q 3:54).
This verse gives the good news of the eventual triumph of good over evil, of Truth over falsehood. It is a special blessing bestowed by the Almighty upon the believers. The word used here is namunnu, referring to a distinctive favor granted by God. It has been used in the Quran to denote favors that go beyond mere worldly blessings. The word refers to the blessings of faith (Q 4:94), of guidance (Q 49:17) of Prophethood (Q 3:164), and in this verse to the establishment of justice in the world.
The promise in the verse was fulfilled in the fall of the kingdom of Fir‘awn and the establishment of the Banū Israel. Another more perfect example was the establishment of the government by Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (s), despite strong opposition by the wealthy nobles of Quraysh and the Kings and Emperors of the time. Those who had been considered weak and lowly were the very people ennobled by the nation set up by the Holy Prophet (s).
A comprehensive manifestation of this verse will be the eventual triumph of good over evil at the arrival of the Mahdi, the descendant of the Holy Prophet (s). The belief in a savior who will establish God’s rule on earth and return the rights of the weak and the oppressed is a belief of all major religions. It is what the believers await eagerly, the fulfillment of a promise that will bring relief and succour to those who suffered injustice, and which will defeat the arrogant powers of those who thought themselves invincible. This glad tidings for the believers has been clearly mentioned in a Prophetic Hadith: Allah will raise a man from my progeny, from my Ahlul Bayt, by whom the earth will be filled with justice, the way it would have been filled with injustice and oppression (Ithbātul Hudā, v. 5, p. 236)
Recite this verse to inspire yourself with the promise of God. Be from among those who actively await that time through prayers, patience, and good deeds.
Special prayer on Thursdays in the month of Sha‘bān
From our master Ali b. Abī Tālib (a): The Messenger of Allah (s) said: Heavens are adorned every Thursday in (the month of) Sha‘bān . . . Whoever performs two rakā‘at prayers, reciting in every rak‘ah the opening chapter of the Book (i.e. Sūratul Hamd) followed by one hundred times (sūrah of) Qul huwallāhu ahad, and after the prayers says one hundred times salawāt on the Holy Prophet, Allah will fulfil his all needs in the affair of his religion and world. (Iqbāl of Ibn Tāwus 688; Wasā’il of Hurr al-‘Āmilī H.10177)
If you get the tawfīq of saying this prayer, then ask Allah for the protection of the mu’minīn world-wide and for the safety of Iraq.
Sources: Āytaullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (ed), Tafsīr-e Namūneh; Aghae Muhsin Qarātī, Tafsīre Nur; Noor Software, Jāmi‘ul-Ahādith, ver. 3.5; Academy for Learning Islam, 40 Hadith: Rajab and Sha‘bān.