﴿ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَٰكُمْ خَلَٰٓئِفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

“And thereupon We made you their successors on earth, so that We might behold how you act.”

Then We made you O people of Mecca successors khalā’if is the plural of khalīfa in the earth after them that We might behold how you would behave in it and whether you would take heed from their example and believe in Our messengers.