Undoubtedly this holy verse includes the first Muslims and...

Undoubtedly this holy verse includes the first Muslims and certainly the full extension of this verse is the government of Mahdi (may Allah hasten his appearance!), which according to the opinion of all Muslims, whether Shi'ite or Sunni, will make the earth peaceful and full of justice after oppression and tyranny rule the world. However, it is not against the generality and extensiveness of the concept of the verse.

So, whenever Muslims are verily faithful and do righteous deeds whole-heartedly, they will consequently achieve a strong and influential authority. Some say that the word /'ard/ is absolute and general which includes all of the earth, but this is only limited to the government of Mahdi (may we get sacrificed for…