Bismillah.
Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a) said: Fasting of Sha‘bān is a treasure stored for a servant on the Day of Resurrection. There is no servant who fasts a lot in Sha‘bān except that Allah improves his livelihood and protects him from the mischief of his enemy. The minimum what a person gets from fasting a day in Sha‘bān is Paradise. (Ibn Tāwūs, Iqbāl, p 684; taken from Academy for Learning Islam, H 32)
وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَي الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الاَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ وَنُمَكّـِنَ لَهُمْ فِي الاَرْضِ
And We desired to show favour to those who were abased in the land and to make them Imams and make them the heirs, and to establish them on the land.
(Sūrat al-Qasas No.28, Āyat 5-6)
Hope is one of the most important principles in Islam. For people of all eras, hope in the victory of justice is paramount in keeping the struggle going. It is interesting, therefore, that the above verses utilise present continuous tense even though the context of revelation is the past. The verse implies that Pharaoh intended to disperse Banū Isrā’īl and destroy their power and greatness, but Allah ‘azza wajall intended them to become victorious and prevail on earth.
An example of the triumph of truth over falsehood was the freeing of the Banū Isrā’īl and annihilation of Pharaoh. And the greatest example of it will be the advent of the reign of Justice and Truth all over the world by the Awaited Saviour (may our souls be sacrificed to him).
Imam Zaynul-‘Ābidin, ‘alayhis-salām has said: By the One Who raised Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam legitimately as the giver of glad tidings and warner, verily the righteous of us Ahlul Bayt and their followers are like Mūsā and his followers. … (Finally, they will be victorious, and the enemies will be destroyed). (Tafsīr Majma‘ al-Bayan)
There are several points mentioned in these verses which we will mention briefly:
1. Intention of Allah
Like many other verses in the Quran, as in Q 33:33, the verse begins with the verb irādah “to intend”. Of course, the intention of Allah is unlike that of humans, as He himself makes it clear: His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, “Be,” and it is. (Q 36:82). Allah (swt) has intended that the oppressed will become leaders one day. When He intends something, it happens.
2. Oppressed in the land
We know that the Arabic term mustad‘af is derived from the word dhu’af (weakness). But here it does not mean someone who is weak or powerless. Rather, it means someone who has power but has been under pressure from the unjust and has no choice. He always tries to break the chains to become free so he can establish truth and justice everywhere.
Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā has promised such a group that He will help them and give them the power on the earth. This promise is not for those people who do not even raise their voices against oppression, let alone enter the field of struggle to be sacrificed.
3. Make them leaders and heirs
This verse emphasises a key theological principle that is emphasised by the school of Ahlul Bayt ‘alayhimus-salām. The right of choosing leaders belongs solely to Allah, and it is He, not the people, who will choose the leaders, whether they are prophets, Imams or inheritors of the earth. The belief in Mahdwiyyah is a theological principle shared across all schools of thought in Islam, and indeed all major faiths, who believe in the coming of a saviour for humanity at the end of times. But the Mahdi is one who is appointed by Allah, not chosen by the people, as were the Imams before him.
As we observe many communities around the world who have been made weak on earth, we look with hope towards verses such as these, to hasten the reappearance of our Awaited Saviour to fill this world with justice and equity.
References: Abd Ali al-Huwayzī, Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn; Fadl ibn Hasan al-Tabarsī, Majma‘ al-Bayan fī tafsī al-Quran.