وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا۟ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ 24
Translations
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
Transliteration
Wa ja'alnā minhum a'immatan yahdūna bi-amrinā lammā sabaru wa kānū bi-āyātinā yūqinūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah made among the believers leaders and guides who direct people according to His command because they exercised patience and had firm conviction in His signs. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that leadership in Islam is granted to those who combine steadfastness (sabr) with unwavering faith (yaqīn), making them worthy to guide others toward the right path. This ayah establishes that spiritual authority comes not from worldly power or inheritance, but from tested character and deep certainty in Allah's revelation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Sajdah, which emphasizes Allah's creative power and the importance of faith and perseverance. The context follows discussion of the believers' qualities, indicating that those who endure trials with patience and maintain conviction in Allah's signs become worthy of leadership roles in the ummah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), which relates to the concept of imams (guides) who lead by Allah's command. Additionally, the hadith on the virtues of patience: 'Patience is a light' (Sahih Muslim 223) connects to the sabr mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
True leadership in Islam is earned through tested patience and genuine faith, not through worldly status or ambition. Modern believers should recognize that becoming guides for others requires first perfecting their own character through perseverance and deepening their conviction in Allah's revelation.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَتْحِ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنُهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "On the Day of Conquest the belief of those who had disbelieved will not benefit them, nor will they be reprieved."
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۖ مَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ
It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۚ بَلْ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
Or do they say, "He invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, [O Muḥammad], that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided.
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ مِن طِينٍ
Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay.