“Have they not seen that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, is able to bring the dead to life? Yes indeed; He is surely able to do all things. (33)

And on the Day the disbelievers are brought before the Fire, they will be asked, ‘Is this not the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yes, by our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.’ (34)

So be patient, as the messengers endowed with firm resolve were patient, and do not seek to hasten it for them. On the Day they see what they have been promised, it will seem to them as though they had remained only an hour of a day. This is a proclamation. Will any be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people? (35)”

“Have they not seen that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation”: that is, He was not incapable of bringing them into existence. “Is able”: this is the reading of the majority. They differed over the reason for the occurrence of the prefixed bā’ in it. Abu ‘Ubaydah and al-Akhfash said: “The bā’ is added for emphasis,” as in His saying, “which produces oil.”

Al-Kisā’ī and al-Farrā’ said: “In interrogative statements accompanied by negation, the Arabs insert the bā’.” Thus, they say: “I do not think that you are standing.”

Ya‘qūb recited it as “yaqdiru” (“is able”), with the letter yā’, as a verb. Abu ‘Ubaydah preferred the reading of the majority because, in the reading of ‘Abdullah, it is “qādir” (“able”), without the bā’.

“Is able to bring the dead to life? Yes indeed; He is surely able to do all things.”

“And on the Day the disbelievers are brought before the Fire”: it will then be said to them, “Is this not the truth?” They will say, “Yes, by our Lord.” He will say—that is, it will be said to them—“Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.”

“So be patient, as the messengers endowed with firm resolve were patient.” Ibn ‘Abbās said: “Those possessed of steadfastness.” Al-Ḍaḥḥāk ⦗126a⦘ said: “Those possessed of earnestness and patience.”

They differed over who they were. Ibn Zayd said: “All the messengers were endowed with firm resolve. Allah did not send any prophet except that he possessed resolve, prudence, sound judgment, and complete intellect. The word ‘min’ is included to indicate the category, not part of it, just as one says: ‘I bought garments of silk and cloaks of linen.’”

Some said: “All the prophets were endowed with firm resolve except Jonah son of Mattai, because of the haste that occurred on his part. Do you not see that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was told, ‘And do not be like the Companion of the Fish’?”

Others said: “They are the select messengers mentioned in Surah al-An‘ām; they are eighteen, because, after mentioning them, Allah Most High says: ‘Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance.’ (al-An‘ām 6:90)”

Al-Kalbī said: “They are those who were commanded to engage in jihad and who openly confronted the enemies of the religion.”