Surah Ankabut ayat 3 Tafsir Quran 29:3

﴿وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ﴾
[ العنكبوت: 3]

29:3 But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.

And certainly We tried those who were before them. So God shall surely know those who are sincere in their faith — a knowledge of direct vision — and He shall surely know those who are liars regarding it.

Indeed We tested those who came to this world before them and Allah shall most certainly know those who will prove true to their promises and their intentions as well as those who prove themselves liars

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Believers are tested so that it may be known Who is Sincere and Who is Lying Allah says: الم Alif Lam Mim. In the beginning of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah, we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُواْ أَن يَقُولُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُونَ ( Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. ) This is a rebuke in the form of a question, meaning that Allah will inevitably test His believing servants according to their level of faith, as it recorded in the authentic Hadith:
«أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ، يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَابَةٌ زِيدَ لَهُ فِي الْبَلَاء»
( The people most severly tested are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best.
A man will be tested in accordance with the degree of his religious commitment; the stonger his religious commitment, the stronger his test. ) This Ayah is like the Ayah, أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّـبِرِينَ ( Do you think that you will enter Paradise without Allah knowing those of you who fought (in His cause ) and knowing those who are the patient) ( 3:142 ) There is a similar Ayah in Surat At-Tawbah.
And Allah says: أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ ( Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials ) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When ( will come ) the help of Allah" Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!) ( 2:214 ) Allah says here: وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَـذِبِينَ ( And We indeed tested those who were before them so that Allah will know those who are true, and will know those who are liars. ) meaning, He will make know which are sincere in their claim to be believers from those who are lying.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, knows what has happened in the past and what is yet to come, and He knows how that which will not happen would have happened if it were to happen.
All the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are agreed on this.
This is the view of Ibn `Abbas and others concerning phrases such as the Ayah, إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ ( only that We know ) ( 2:143 ).
Meaning, only to see -- because seeing has to do with what is there, but knowledge is broader than seeing, since it includes what is not present as well as what is. The Evildoers cannot escape from Allah Allah said: أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ( Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us Evil is that which they judge! ) means, those who are not believers should not think that they will escape such trials and tests, for ahead of them lies a greater and more severe punishment.
Allah says: أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ( Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us ) meaning, "escape" from Us. سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ( Evil is that which they judge! ) what they think is evil.

(29:3) for We indeed tested those who went before them? *2 Allah will most certainly ascertain *3 those who spoke the truth and those who lied.

But We have certainly tried those before meaning

*2) That is, " This is not a new thing which you alone may be experiencing.
The same has been happening before also.
Whoever made a claim to the Faith was made to pass through trials and tribulations.
And when the others were not given anything without the trial, you are in no way any special people that you should be favoured and rewarded merely on verbal profession of the Faith. "
*3) Literally, " It is necessary that Allah should find out. " A question may be asked: " When Allah already knows the truth of the truthful and the untruth of the liar, why should He put the people to the test for the sake of these? " The answer is: Until a person has manifested his potential and capability to do a thing in practical terms, justice requires that he neither deserves any rewards nor any punishment.
One man, for example, is capable of being trustworthy and another man of being un-trustworthy.
Unless both are tried and one manifests trustworthiness and the other the lack of it practically, it will not be justice on the part of Allah that He should reward one for trustworthiness and punish the other for the lack of it only on the basis of His knowledge of the unseen.
Therefore the knowledge Allah already possesses about the capabilities of the people and about their conduct in the future is not enough to satisfy the requirements of justice until the people have manifested their potentialities in practical ways.
Justice with AIlah is not based on the knowledge that a person possesses a tendancy to steal and will commit a theft, but on the knowledge that he has actually committed a theft.
Likewise, Allah does not bestow favours and rewards on the basis of the knowledge that a person has the potential and capability to become a great believer and fighter in His way, but on the basis of the knowledge that the person concerned has practically proved by deed and action that he is a sincere believer and a brave fighter in His way.
That is why we have translated the words of the verse as: " Allah has to see... "
 

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Believers are tested so that it may be known Who is Sincere and Who is Lying Allah says: الم Alif Lam Mim. In the beginning of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah, we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُواْ أَن يَقُولُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُونَ ( Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. ) This is a rebuke in the form of a question, meaning that Allah will inevitably test His believing servants according to their level of faith, as it recorded in the authentic Hadith: «أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ، يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَابَةٌ زِيدَ لَهُ فِي الْبَلَاء» ( The people most severly tested are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best.
A man will be tested in accordance with the degree of his religious commitment; the stonger his religious commitment, the stronger his test. ) This Ayah is like the Ayah, أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّـبِرِينَ ( Do you think that you will enter Paradise without Allah knowing those of you who fought (in His cause ) and knowing those who are the patient) ( 3:142 ) There is a similar Ayah in Surat At-Tawbah.
And Allah says: أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ ( Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials ) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When ( will come ) the help of Allah" Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!) ( 2:214 ) Allah says here: وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَـذِبِينَ ( And We indeed tested those who were before them so that Allah will know those who are true, and will know those who are liars. ) meaning, He will make know which are sincere in their claim to be believers from those who are lying.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, knows what has happened in the past and what is yet to come, and He knows how that which will not happen would have happened if it were to happen.
All the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are agreed on this.
This is the view of Ibn `Abbas and others concerning phrases such as the Ayah, إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ ( only that We know ) ( 2:143 ).
Meaning, only to see -- because seeing has to do with what is there, but knowledge is broader than seeing, since it includes what is not present as well as what is. The Evildoers cannot escape from Allah Allah said: أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ( Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us Evil is that which they judge! ) means, those who are not believers should not think that they will escape such trials and tests, for ahead of them lies a greater and more severe punishment.
Allah says: أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ( Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us ) meaning, "escape" from Us. سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ( Evil is that which they judge! ) what they think is evil.

( Lo! We tested those who were before you ) before the Companions of Muhammad ( pbuh ) after the demise of their prophets, with caprice, blameworthy innovations and the violation of sanctities. ( Thus Allah knoweth ) in order that Allah sees and distinguishes ( those who are sincere ) in their faith by avoiding caprice, blameworthy innovation and by shunning that which is unlawful, ( and knoweth those who feign ) i.e. the insincere in their faith who follow caprice, blameworthy innovation and the violation of sanctities.

And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allah knows all that before putting them to test).

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