(16) “Or did you think that you would be left as you are, before Allah had made evident those among you who strive and take no intimate ally besides Allah, His Messenger, and the believers? Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”

After commanding His believing servants to strive, Allah says to them: “Or did you think that you would be left as you are,” without trial, testing, or a command through which the truthful are distinguished from the liars?

“Before Allah had made evident those among you who strive”—that is, through knowledge that brings what is latent into outward manifestation, so that reward and punishment may ensue. He thereby makes evident those who strive in His cause to exalt His word and “take no intimate ally besides Allah, His Messenger, and the believers”—that is, no ally from among the disbelievers. Rather, they take Allah, His Messenger, and the believers as their allies.

Allah therefore prescribed striving so that this supreme objective might be achieved: that the truthful, who align themselves solely with Allah’s religion, may be distinguished from the liars, who claim to have faith while taking intimate allies and protectors other than Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.

“Allah is All-Aware of what you do”—that is, He knows everything that will come from you and proceed from you. He therefore tests you in ways that reveal the reality of your condition, and He will recompense you for your deeds, both good and evil.