Tafseer of The Clans · Al-Ahzaab · 33:8
That He may question the truthful about their truth. And He has prepared for the disbelievers a painful punishment.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of His words, the Exalted: li-yasʾala al-ṣādiqīna ʿan ṣidqihim wa-aʿadda lil-kāfirīna ʿadhāban alīmā ("That He might question the truthful about their truthfulness, and He has prepared for the disbelievers a painful punishment") (33:8).
The Exalted, Whose praise is exalted, says: We took from these prophets their covenant, so that I might question the messengers about that with which their communities answered them, and about what their people did with that which they conveyed to them from their Lord of the message.
And in terms similar to what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid: li-yasʾala al-ṣādiqīna ʿan ṣidqihim ("That He might question the truthful about their truthfulness") — he said: the transmitters, the faithful conveyers of the messengers.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: li-yasʾala al-ṣādiqīna ʿan ṣidqihim ("That He might question the truthful about their truthfulness") — he said: the transmitters, the faithful conveyers of the messengers.
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Abū Usāma related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of a man, on the authority of Mujāhid: li-yasʾala al-ṣādiqīna ʿan ṣidqihim ("That He might question the truthful about their truthfulness") — he said: the messengers, the faithful conveyers, the transmitters.
And His words: wa-aʿadda lil-kāfirīna ʿadhāban alīmā ("and He has prepared for the disbelievers a painful punishment") — He says: and He has prepared for those among the communities who did not believe in Allah a painful punishment.
