Transliteration:( Wa maa lakum laa tu'minoona billaahi war Rasoolu yad'ookum li tu'minoo bi Rabbikum wa qad akhaza meesaaqakum in kuntum mu'mineen )
"And what reason have you that you do not believe in Allah, whereas the Messenger calls you to believe [21] in your Lord? Indeed, He has made promise [22] with you, if you are indeed faithful [23]."
✅ [21] The Question of Faith for the Most Faithful
This verse is a rhetorical appeal directed at the Noble Companions. It asks: how could you, who have seen the Prophet ﷺ, heard his message, and witnessed his miracles, not believe? It emphasizes their closeness to truth and serves to elevate their status. They were eyewitnesses to revelation and living proofs of its truth. Just as electricity flows through a wire from the powerhouse to the bulbs, divine guidance flows from Allah to the Prophet ﷺ, and then through the Companions to the rest of the Ummah. Without them, we would not have received this faith.
✅ [22] The Divine or Prophetic Promise
This part refers to the promise made either by Allah on the Day of the Covenant—when all souls testified to His Lordship—or by the Prophet ﷺ through his message and glad tidings. The second interpretation aligns more with the context, where the Messenger’s call and promise of reward are emphasized. The verse confirms that accepting faith brings divine assurance of mercy and eternal success.
✅ [23] The Phrase “If You Are Faithful” – Not Doubt, but Emphasis
The phrase "if you are indeed faithful" does not express doubt about the Companions’ faith. Instead, it serves to stress their sincerity and excellence in belief. In Qur’anic language, such expressions are often used to highlight certainty through conditional phrasing. Here, it confirms that the Companions are believers of the highest calibre—firm, unwavering, and devoted.
The tafsir of Surah Hadid verse 8 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Hadid ayat 7 which provides the complete commentary from verse 7 through 11.
(57:8) How is it that you do not believe in Allah when the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord[11] and although he has taken a covenant from you,[12] if indeed you are believers?
11. That is, you are adopting this unbelieving attitude and conduct at a time when the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah is present among you, and you are receiving the invitation to the faith not through an indirect and remote means but directly through the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah himself.
12. Some commentators have taken this pledge to imply the pledge of service to Allah, which had been taken at the beginning of creation from the future offspring of Adam (peace be upon him), and some others take it for the pledge with which man has been naturally endowed to serve and obey Allah. But the truth is that it implies the conscious pledge of obedience to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) that every Muslim makes to his Lord by the affirmation of the faith. At another place in the Quran this same pledge has been referred to thus:
Keep in mind the blessing Allah has bestowed upon you and do not forget the solemn covenant which He made with you and which you confirmed, when you said: We have heard and submitted. Fear Allah for Allah knows the very secrets of the hearts. (Surah Al-Maidah, Ayat 7).
Ubadah bin Samit relates: The Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah had made us pledge that we would listen and obey both in sound health and in ill health; would spend in the cause of Allah both in prosperity and in adversity; would enjoin the good and forbid the evil; would proclaim the truth for the sake of Allah and would not fear the blame of any one in this regard (Musnad Ahmad).
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