Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:9

It is said: It is a conjunctive clause to what is understood from the narrative of His, the Almighty’s, revelation to the messengers, implying a renewed continuity, as if it were said: "We revealed to them what We revealed, then We fulfilled to them the promise We made during the course of the revelation regarding the destruction of their enemies."

It is also said: It is a conjunctive to the previous { We reveal }, meaning "We revealed," and the insertion of the command to ask [the people of the Reminder] and what accompanies it is for the sake of emphasizing the obligation upon them and refuting them.

Al-Khafaji said: It is a conjunction to His saying, the Almighty: { We sent }, and "then" (thumma) is for discursive delay, meaning: We sent messengers from among mankind, and We fulfilled for them what We promised them; thus it is the same for Muhammad, peace be upon him, so beware of denying or opposing him. Therefore, the verses, as they contain the response, also contain a threat. This view requires consideration.

The accusative case of { the promise } (al-wa‘d) is due to the removal of the preposition, the origin being "We fulfilled for them in the promise" (sadaqnahum fi al-wa‘d). Examples of this include "they fought them" (sadaquhum al-qital) and "the age of its youth caught up with me" (sadaqani sinn bakrihi). It is also said that it is a second object, as "to fulfill/truthfully tell" (sadaqa) can sometimes take two objects without the mediation of a preposition at all.

Meaning: From those who believed in them, as held by a group of exegetes. It is said: From them and others whom wisdom dictates be kept alive, such as those who will eventually believe, or some of their descendants in the future; this is the secret behind protecting those who denied and harmed him, peace be upon him, from the punishment of total annihilation.

The view held by the group is favored by the contrast in His saying: { And We destroyed the transgressors } (al-musrifin). This is because the definite article is taken to denote totality, and "transgressors" refers to disbelievers in an absolute sense, based on the saying of the Almighty: { And that the transgressors are the companions of the Fire }, under the premise that the intent by "companions of the Fire" is those who dwell in it and abide therein forever, and none abide therein forever according to us except the disbelievers.

Whoever generalized the first [interpretation] said: The intent by "transgressors" is everyone other than those who were saved. Expressing it as "whom We willed" (man nasha') rather than "who believed" or "those with them," for instance, makes it clear that the intent is the believers and others with them; for if it were specific, there would be no apparent reason for the departure from what was mentioned in the Noble Arrangement. The use of the verb "We will" (nasha'), despite the apparent context suggesting "We willed" (shi'na), is for the narration of the past state in the present.