Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:119

{We have sent you with the truth} means: accompanied and supported by it; thus, the prepositional phrase is established (in the position of a predicate), though it has been said it is adverbial, attached to "We have sent" or what follows it. The "truth" has been interpreted as the Quran or Islam, and keeping it in its general sense is more appropriate. {As a bringer of glad tidings and a warner} are two states relating to the pronoun [of the second person suffix]. It has been said that they relate to "the truth." The verse is a parenthetical clause to console the Messenger, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, for he used to be concerned and his chest would tighten due to their persistence in disbelief. The meaning is: "We have sent you" so that you may bring glad tidings to those who obey and warn those who disobey, not to compel them to believe; so it is of no concern to you if they persist or act arrogantly. The emphasis is to treat the one who is not a denier as one who is, due to the signs of denial that appeared upon them. The restriction is singular.

{And you shall not be asked about the companions of the Blaze} is a follow-up clause connected to what precedes it, or it is a parenthetical clause, or a circumstantial clause. It means: We have sent you without you being held responsible for the companions of the Blaze—[that is, why they did not believe] after you delivered what you were sent with and established the proof against them. Ubayy and Ibn Mas'ud read [it with] "ma" (not) instead of "la" (do not), and Ibn Mas'ud read "wa lan" (and never) instead of "dhalika" (that). Nafi' and Ya'qub read {la tas'al} (do not ask) in the imperative form of prohibition, signaling the extreme intensity of the punishment of the disbelievers and emphasizing its horror. It is like when you ask, "How is such-and-such a person doing?" when they have fallen into misfortune, and it is said to you, "Do not ask about him," meaning that due to the sheer atrocity of what has befallen him, the speaker cannot utter it, or the listener cannot bear to hear it. On this view, the sentence is a parenthetical clause or connected to an omitted implicit clause, i.e., "So deliver the message." The prohibition is metaphorical, although some consider it literal. The intended meaning, essentially, is to forbid the Messenger, peace be upon him, from asking about the state of his parents, based on the report that he, upon him be the best of blessings and peace, asked Gabriel about them, who directed him to them; he went and prayed for them and wished to know their state in the afterlife, saying, "I wish I knew what my parents have done," so this was revealed. It is not hidden that this report is weak, for he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as stated in al-Muntakhab, knew what their end would be. Sheikh Wali al-Din al-Iraqi stated that he did not find [a sound chain for] it. Imam al-Suyuti said: "Nothing has been transmitted regarding this except an mu'dal (severely broken) narration with a weak chain, so it cannot be relied upon." That which is decisive is that the verse concerns the disbelievers among the People of the Book, like the verses preceding and following it, not his parents, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Due to the contradiction of the hadiths on this matter and their weakness, al-Sakhawi said: "What we hold as a religious conviction before Allah, the Exalted, is to refrain from them and from delving into their states." And what I hold as a religious conviction before Allah, the Exalted, is that they died as monotheists in a time of disbelief, and the words of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, are interpreted in this light, if they are authentic. Indeed, I would almost say they are superior to al-Qari and his ilk. Al-Jahim (the Blaze) is the fire itself when its fuel is ignited. It is said: jahamat al-nar (the fire blazed) when it flares up.