(72–73) “Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and feared it. Yet the human being undertook it. Indeed, he has always been exceedingly unjust and deeply ignorant. * Thus Allah will punish the hypocritical men and women and the polytheistic men and women, and Allah will accept the repentance of the believing men and women. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

The Most High magnifies the significance of the Trust with which Allah entrusted those who are morally accountable. It consists of obeying His commands and avoiding what He has forbidden, in private and in concealment just as in public. He ⦗674⦘ Most High offered it to the mighty creations—the heavens, the earth, and the mountains—as an offer that allowed them a choice, not one that imposed it upon them: “If you uphold it and discharge it properly, you will be rewarded; but if you fail to uphold it [and fail to discharge it], you will be punished.”

“But they declined to bear it and feared it”—that is, they feared that they would not fulfill what they had been charged with. Their refusal was not an act of disobedience toward their Lord, nor was it due to indifference toward His reward. Allah then offered it to the human being under the aforementioned condition. He accepted and undertook it despite his injustice and ignorance, thereby taking on this heavy burden. People were consequently divided into three groups according to whether or not they fulfilled it:

The hypocrites, who outwardly appeared to fulfill it but did not do so inwardly; the polytheists, who abandoned it both outwardly and inwardly; and the believers, who fulfilled it both outwardly and inwardly.

Allah Most High then mentioned the deeds of these three groups and the reward or punishment awaiting them, saying: “Thus Allah will punish the hypocritical men and women and the polytheistic men and women, and Allah will accept the repentance of the believing men and women. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

All praise belongs to Him, Most High, for concluding this verse with these two noble names, which indicate the perfection of Allah’s forgiveness, the vastness of His mercy, and the all-embracing nature of His generosity—even though many of those upon whom judgment was passed did not deserve forgiveness or mercy because of their hypocrisy and polytheism.

The commentary on Sūrat al-Ahzāb is complete.

By the praise of Allah and His help.