“Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were apprehensive of it; yet man undertook it. Indeed, he has been most unjust and ignorant.” (72)

Concerning His saying, exalted is He, “Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains,” and the rest of the verse: By the Trust, He meant obedience and the obligatory duties that Allah imposed upon His servants. He offered it to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains on the condition that, if they fulfilled it, He would reward them, and if they neglected it, He would punish them. This was the view of Ibn Abbas.

Ibn Masud said: The Trust consists of performing the prayers, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, making pilgrimage to the Sacred House, speaking truthfully, repaying debts, and dealing justly in measure and weight. More serious than all of these are entrusted deposits.

Mujahid said: The Trust is the obligatory duties and the repayment of debts.

Abu al-Aliyah said: It is that which they were commanded to do and forbidden from doing.

Zayd ibn Aslam said: It is fasting, ritual bathing after major impurity, and the religious duties that are concealed from others.

Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As said: The first thing Allah created of man was his private part, and He said, “This is a trust which I have entrusted to you.” Thus, the private part is a trust, the ear is a trust, the eye is a trust, the hand is a trust, and the foot is a trust. There is no faith in one who has no trustworthiness.

Some said: It refers to the trusts entrusted by people and to fulfilling covenants. It is therefore incumbent upon every believer not to deceive either a believer or a person with whom there is a covenant, whether in a small matter or a great one. This is al-Dahhak’s narration from Ibn Abbas.

Allah offered this Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains themselves. This was the view of Ibn Abbas, a group of the Successors, and most of the early generations. He said to them, “Will you bear this Trust with all that it entails?” They said, “And what does it entail?” He said, “If you do well, you will be rewarded; and if you disobey, you will be punished.” They said, “No, our Lord. We are subjected to Your command; we do not seek reward or punishment.” They said this out of fear, awe, and veneration for Allah’s religion, lest they fail to uphold it—not out of disobedience or defiance.

The offering made to them was a matter of choice, not compulsion. Had He compelled them, they would not have refused to bear it. All inanimate things are submissive to Allah, obedient and prostrating to Him. As He, majestic is His mention, said to the heavens and the earth: “Come willingly or unwillingly.” They said, “We come willingly.” (Fussilat, 11) And He said of the stones: “Indeed, among them are those that fall down out of fear of Allah.” (Al-Baqarah, 74) And He, exalted is He, said: “Have you not seen that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, as do the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the moving creatures?” (Al-Hajj, 18), to the end of the verse.

Some scholars said: When Allah offered the Trust to them, He endowed them with intellect and understanding, so that they comprehended the address and gave the response they gave.

Others said: What is meant by offering it to the heavens and the earth is that it was offered to the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth—to those within them among the angels.