And when he informed about what occurred in this incident of the hardships arising from the terror for the general people, and specifically among them the hypocrites, with what he concluded with reproach for their abandonment of following the one whom Allah had given leadership over them, and who was exalted above them in steadfastness and remembrance, and he concluded this conclusion with what yields firmness in the religion, he mentioned the state of the steadfast ones in the attributes of perfection who follow the caller, and who follow the guide. He said, adding to ﴿There the believers were tested﴾ [Al-Ahzab: 11] ﴿And when the believers saw﴾ meaning those who are complete in faith ﴿the confederates﴾ whose sight astonished their hearts ﴿they said﴾ meaning along with what happened to them of the earthquake and the magnification of circumstances: ﴿This﴾ meaning what we see of horror ﴿is what Allah and His Messenger promised us﴾ in confirming our call to faith in calamity and trial ﴿Allah﴾ to whom belongs all command ﴿and His Messenger﴾ who conveys from Him in the manner of His saying: ﴿Or did you think that you would enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the example of those who passed on before you﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 214] ﴿Did the people think that they would be left alone﴾ [Al-Ankabut: 2] ﴿Or did you think that you would be left alone while Allah has not yet made evident those who strive among you﴾ [At-Tawbah: 16] and similar to that. So they referred to the affliction with hardship and adversity, and the trial with earthquakes and enemies, [and counted] for their knowledge of what they have with Allah, especially on the Day of Judgment, and what follows it of victory, at the time of the severity of the matter.

And when this meaning was the confirmation, they removed from it the possibility of it being a coincidental matter, and they stated it in a manner that understands the supplication for the promised victory with their words, adding to this: ﴿And Allah has spoken the truth﴾ [absolutely not in relation to a specific effect] ﴿Allah﴾ who has the attributes of perfection ﴿and His Messenger﴾ whose perfection is from His perfection, meaning the truth of both of them appeared in the realm of testimony in all that He promised of ease and hardship from what we have seen. And they are truthful in what is hidden from us of what He promised of victory and other than it, and the mention of the two names for glorification and seeking blessings in mentioning them.

And when this saying could be merely verbal like the saying of the hypocrites, he confirmed it for the suspicion of the hypocrites. So he said, glorified is He, witnessing for them: ﴿And it did not increase them﴾ meaning what they saw of their terrifying matter ﴿except in faith﴾ meaning in Allah and His Messenger in their hearts, and He, glorified is He, conveyed their description with Islam, so He expressed it in the form of intensification, saying: ﴿And submission﴾ meaning to both of them with all their limbs in all decree and destiny, and it has preceded in His saying, the Exalted, in Surah Al-Furqan ﴿And He will make for you palaces﴾ [Al-Furqan: 10] which is from the explanation of this.