And indeed, what has been revealed to you is a reminder for your honor and for your people. And you will certainly be questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection, and about your fulfillment of its rights, and about your reverence for it, and your gratitude for being provided with it and being chosen from among the worlds. The intended meaning of the questioning of the messengers is not the literal questioning due to its impossibility, but it is a metaphor for examining their religions and investigating their communities. Did the worship of idols ever come in the religion of any of the prophets? And it is sufficient as an examination and investigation. [Mahamud said: 'The questioning of the messengers is a metaphor for examining their laws and looking into their communities... etc.' Ahmad said: 'And it supports the intention of questioning the nations: 'Ask those who recite the Scripture before you.' And Allah knows best.] It is an examination of the miraculous Book of Allah that confirms what is before it, and Allah informs therein that they worship besides Allah what He has not sent down any authority for. This verse in itself is sufficient; there is no need for anything else, and the questioning that occurs is metaphorical for examination, where literal questioning is not valid: much of it is the questioning of poets about the lands, the ruins, and the remnants. And the saying of one who said: 'Ask the earth who split your rivers and planted your trees and harvested your fruits?' For if it does not respond to you in speech, it will respond to you by consideration. And it was said to him: The Prophet ﷺ gathered the prophets for him on the Night of Isra in Al-Aqsa and led them in prayer. And it was said to him: Ask them, and he did not doubt nor did he ask. And it was said: Its meaning is to ask the nations to whom We sent, and they are the people of the two Scriptures: the Torah and the Gospel. And according to Al-Farra, they inform him about the books of the messengers, so when he asks them, it is as if he is asking the prophets.