Surah al-Ahzab (The Confederates) 33 : 8

Overview (Verses 7 - 8)

A Binding Covenant
 
Referring to God’s decree that He willed it to be the permanent system, the sūrah refers to His covenant with prophets in general, and with the Prophet Muĥammad and other messengers of firm resolve in particular. This covenant commits them to deliver God’s message containing His code for human life, and to implement and advocate it among the communities to which they were sent. When they have done so, people will then be responsible for their own attitudes towards divine guidance, and for their belief or disbelief. They are now accountable for themselves having no justification whatsoever for not following divine guidance after God’s messengers delivered His message to them: “We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets: from you, [Muĥammad], and from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus son of Mary. From all did We accept a weighty, solemn pledge. God will question the truthful about the truth [entrusted to them]. He has prepared painful suffering for the unbelievers.” (Verses 7-8)
 
If It is a single covenant or pledge that remained the same from Noah to Muĥammad, the seal of all prophets (peace be upon them all). It is one covenant, one system and one trust taken up by each and every one of them. The following two verses outline the covenant in general: “We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets.” A specific reference to the Messenger who received the Qur’ān and whose message is addressed to all mankind then follows: “from you, [Muĥammad’,” and then makes mention of other messengers endowed with strong and firm resolve. These were the ones entrusted with the major divine messages prior to Muĥammad, the last one: “and from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus son of Mary.” Then the sūrah describes the covenant itself: “From all did We accept a weighty, solemn pledge.” The description of the covenant here gives it a tangible, solid form. It was indeed a pledge between God and the individuals He chose to receive His revelations, deliver His messages and establish His code, being all the time faithful to what He had entrusted them with.
 
“God will question the truthful about the truth [entrusted to them].” The truthful are the believers. They are the ones who said the word of truth and believed in the message of truth. All others are liars because they believe in and say what is false. Describing the believers as truthful here is significant as it carries a clear meaning. They will be asked about the truth on the Day of Judgement in the same way as a teacher asks a top student to state the answer which earned him high marks. It is a question asked to honour those being asked. It informs all those present that the truthful deserve to be honoured on the great day when all mankind are assembled.
 
As for those who believed in what is false and made false claims concerning the most important issue of all, the issue of faith, a totally different result awaits them: “He has prepared painful suffering for the unbelievers.” (Verse 8)