His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And those who are true to their trusts and their covenant." "And those who are standing firm in their testimonies." "And those who carefully maintain their prayers." "It is they who are in gardens, honored." "So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening toward you?" "From the right and from the left, in droves?" "Does every person among them hope to enter a garden of bliss?" "No! Indeed, We created them from that which they know."

"The trusts" is the plural of amanah, and it is gathered because it can be diverse in terms of being in wealth and secrets, and between the servant and his Lord in what He commanded him and prohibited him from. Al-Hasan said: "The entire religion is a trust." Ibn Kathir read alone from the seven reciters: "For their trusts" in the singular. And "the covenant" is everything that a person undertakes from words, actions, or affection. If these things are on the path of righteousness, then it is a covenant that must be observed and preserved. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "The good of the covenant is from faith." And "true to" is the plural of ra'i, meaning: one who preserves.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And those who are standing firm in their testimonies" means - according to the saying of a group of the interpreters - that they preserve what they testify to, are certain of it, and act upon its meanings so that there is no shortcoming for them in it. This is a description that represents the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Bear witness as if you were witnessing the sun." Others said: It means: those who, when they have a testimony and see a truth being neglected, or a sanctity of Allah, the Most High, being violated, they stand up for their testimony. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Their testimony in this verse is that Allah, the Most High, is alone, with no partner for Him. It has been narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "The best of the witnesses is the one who brings his testimony before he is asked for it." People have differed in the meaning of this hadith according to the two meanings mentioned in the verse: one of them is that he preserves it perfectly and brings it without needing to be asked about anything from it or to oppose it. The second is if he sees a truth that he acts contrary to, and he has a testimony in reviving the truth. It has also been narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "A people will come who are treacherous and not trusted, and they will testify but not be asked to testify, and they will appear to be prosperous." People have differed in the meaning of this hadith. Some of them said: They are believers who are exposed and eager to place their names in the documents of people, and they set traps for that with their appearance and demeanor, and they are not just in themselves, so they deceive with that and cause harm.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is in the beginning of the testimony, not in its performance. And his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: "And they will not be asked to testify," means: they are not worthy of that.

And others among the scholars said: They are false witnesses, who perform it while the ones they testify against did not witness them nor did the other.

Hafs read from Asim: "with their testimonies" in the plural, which is the reading of Abd al-Rahman, while the others read "with his testimony" in the singular, which is the name of the genus. And "the observance of prayer" means establishing it at its times with the conditions of its validity and completeness. Ibn Jurayj said: voluntary acts are included in this verse. And His saying, the Exalted: ﴿So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve before you rushing headlong﴾ was revealed because the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, would sometimes pray near the Kaaba and recite the Qur'an. Many of the disbelievers would rise from their gatherings quickly to listen to his recitation, and some of them would say to one another: poet, soothsayer, and fabricator, and others like that. And "before you" means: in what is near to you, and "the rushing" is one who walks quickly towards something he has turned his gaze upon. Ibn Zayd said: he does not blink.

And "‘izīn" is the plural of ‘izzah. Some grammarians said: its original form is ‘izwah, while others among them said: its original form is ‘izhah, and it was pluralized with the waw and noon in place of what was omitted from it, like sanah and sunoon. The meaning of ‘izzah is: a small gathering, as if they said: three by three, and four by four. From this is the saying of the shepherd:

O Khalifah of the Most Merciful, indeed my clan ∗∗∗ has become your dignitaries, our honor.

And Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, came out to his companions while they were in scattered circles and said: 'What is it that I see you in ‘izīn?'" And His saying, the Exalted: ﴿Does every person among them hope to enter a garden of bliss?﴾ was revealed because some of the disbelievers said: If there is an afterlife and a garden, then we are its people and in it; for Allah, the Exalted, has not bestowed upon us in this world with wealth and children and other than that except for His pleasure with us. The seven reciters, al-Hasan, and the majority read: "he will enter" with a dhammah on the ya and a fatha on the kha, based on the passive form. And al-Mufaddal from Asim, Ibn Yamur, Abu Rajaa, and Talhah read: "he will enter" with a fatha and dhammah on the kha based on the active form. And His saying, the Exalted: "No" is a rebuttal to their words and their hopes, meaning: the matter is not as such.

Then He informed, the Exalted, about their creation from a filthy drop, and referred in the expression about it to the knowledge of people, meaning: whoever was created from that is not by the same creation given the garden, but rather by good deeds if they exist. And Qatadah said in its interpretation: You were created from filth, O son of Adam, so fear Allah, the Exalted. And Anas said: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, when he would address us, would mention the origins of the son of Adam, and his passage through the urinary tract twice, and his being a drop in the womb, then a clot, then a morsel until he emerges and becomes contaminated in his impurities as a child, so Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, would not cease until one of us would feel disgusted with himself.