The covenant of the prophets has several interpretations. One is that it is taken literally, meaning the covenant taken from the prophets in that regard. The second is that the covenant is attributed to the prophets as it is related to the one who takes the covenant, not to the one upon whom the covenant is taken. As one might say: the covenant of Allah and the promise of Allah, as if it were said: And when Allah took the covenant that He bound the prophets to their nations. The third is that it refers to the covenant of the children of the prophets, namely the Children of Israel, by omitting the addition. The fourth is that it refers to the People of the Book, and it is a mockery of their claim, as they used to say: We are more deserving of prophethood than Muhammad because we are the People of the Book and from us the prophets came. This is supported by the reading of Ubayy and Ibn Mas'ud: And when Allah took the covenant from those who were given the Book. The 'lam' in 'لَما آتَيْتُكُمْ' is a lam of emphasis because taking the covenant is akin to swearing an oath. [Mawlood said: 'The lam in 'لما آتيتكم' is a lam of emphasis because taking the covenant is akin to an oath... etc.' Ahmad said: He means that his saying: (رَسُولٌ) is a subject that has come, for it cannot be without a pronoun; otherwise, this statement is correct on the condition that the subject is implied, and 'رسول' is the news of the relative clause. Al-Zamakhshari intended only the first, which is the apparent meaning of the verse.] In 'لتؤمنن', the 'lam' is a response to the oath, and 'ما' may imply a conditional meaning. 'لتؤمنن' serves as a substitute for both the response to the oath and the condition, and it may be connected in meaning: for that which I have given you, you will certainly believe in it. It has been read: 'لما آتيناكم' and Hamzah read: 'لما آتيتكم' with a kasra on the 'lam', meaning: for the sake of My giving you some of the Book and wisdom, then the coming of a Messenger confirming what is with you, you will certainly believe in him. On the assumption that 'ما' is a source, the two verbs with it, namely 'آتيتكم' and 'جاءكم', are in the meaning of two sources, and the 'lam' is included for justification, meaning: Allah took their covenant so that you will believe in the Messenger and support him, for I have given you wisdom, and the Messenger who commands you to believe in him and support him is in agreement with you, not opposed.

It is possible that 'ما' is a relative pronoun. If you say: How is that permissible when it is connected to 'آتيتكم', which is his saying (ثُمَّ جاءَكُمْ)? It is not permissible to fall under the rule of the description, because you do not say: for the one who came to you is a Messenger confirming what is with you? I say: Yes, because 'ما معكم' is in the meaning of 'ما آتيتكم', as if it were said: for that which I have given you and a Messenger came to you confirming it. And Sa'id ibn Jubair read 'لما' with emphasis, meaning: when I gave you some of the Book and wisdom, then a Messenger came to you confirming it, and it became obligatory upon you to believe in him and support him. It is said that its origin is 'لمن ما', so they found it cumbersome to have three 'mims', which are the two 'mims' and the 'noon' that turns into a 'mim' by merging it in the 'mim', so they omitted one of them, and it became 'لما'.

Its meaning is: for the sake of what I have given you, you will certainly believe in it. This is similar to Hamzah's reading in meaning: 'إِصْرِي عهدى'.

It has been read: 'أصرى', with a dhamma. It is called 'إصراً' because it is something that binds and contracts. Hence, 'الإصار', which is what is used to bind. It is possible that the one with the dhamma is a dialect for 'أصر', like 'عبر' and 'عبر', and it may be a plural of 'إصار'. 'فَاشْهَدُوا' means let some of you bear witness against others by acknowledgment, and 'وَأَنَا عَلى ذلِكُمْ' means I am among those who witness your acknowledgment and testimony. This is a confirmation upon them and a warning against retracting once they are aware of the testimony of Allah and the testimony of some of them against others.

The address is to the angels. So whoever turns away after that covenant and confirmation, those are the transgressors. That is, the rebellious among the disbelievers. The Hamzat al-inكار (the letter of denial) has entered upon the conjunction 'fa' (so), joining one sentence to another. The meaning is: So those are the transgressors, for they seek other than the religion of Allah. Then the Hamza is placed between them. It is permissible to connect it to an omitted phrase, its estimation being: (A) they turn away, so they seek other than the religion of Allah. The object, which is 'other than the religion of Allah', is placed before its verb because it is more important, as the denial, which is the meaning of the Hamza, is directed towards the false deity. It has been narrated that the People of the Book argued before the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding what they differed in concerning the religion of Ibrahim, may peace be upon him. Each group claimed that it was more deserving of it. So he, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'Both groups are free from the religion of Ibrahim.' [I did not find a chain for this, and Al-Wahidi mentioned it in the reasons as well from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.] They said: 'We do not accept your judgment nor do we follow your religion.' Then it was revealed: And it was read: 'they seek', with a 'ya', and 'you return', with a 'ta', and this is the reading of Abu Amr, because the seekers are those who turn away, and the returners are all people. And it was read with both 'ya' together, and both 'ta' together, willingly by considering the evidence and being fair to oneself, and unwillingly by the sword, or by witnessing what compels one to Islam, like the shaking of the mountain upon the Children of Israel, and the drowning of Pharaoh, and the oversight of death. [The phrase 'and the oversight of death' means to be in a state of being close, as in the authentic narrations.] So when they saw Our might, they said: 'We have believed in Allah alone.' 'Willingly' and 'unwillingly' are in the accusative, meaning willingly and unwillingly.