(7–8) “And remember when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus son of Mary. We took from them a solemn covenant, * so that He might question the truthful about their truthfulness. And He has prepared a painful punishment for the disbelievers.”

Allah, Exalted is He, informs us that He took a covenant from the prophets in general, and especially from those of firm resolve—namely, the five mentioned here. It was a solemn covenant and a weighty, binding pledge that they would uphold Allah’s religion and strive in His cause. This is the path followed by the earlier prophets, culminating in their master and the best of them, Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and people were commanded to follow their example.

Allah will question the prophets and their followers concerning this solemn covenant: Did they fulfill it and prove true, so that He rewards them with Gardens of Bliss? Or did they disbelieve, so that He punishes them with a painful punishment? Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Among the believers are men who proved true to the covenant they made with Allah.”