Tafsir of Az-Zukhruf 43:44

{وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ ۖ وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُونَ}

{وَإِنَّهُ}: And indeed, that which has been revealed to you.

{لَذِكْرٌ}: Is an honor (sharaf) for you and for your people.

{وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُونَ}: You will be asked about it on the Day of Resurrection: regarding your fulfillment of its rights, your veneration of it, and your gratitude for having been granted it and singled out with it from among all the worlds.

Regarding the "Questioning": The intent behind questioning the messengers is not a literal inquiry, as that is impossible [for God]. Rather, it is a metaphor for examining their religions and investigating their creeds: Did the worship of idols ever appear in the religion of any of the prophets?

It is sufficient for him—in terms of examination and investigation—to look into the miraculous Book of God, which confirms what came before it, and God’s declaration within it that they worshiped, besides God, that for which He had sent down no authority. This verse in itself is sufficient; there is no need for anything else.

The questioning mentioned here as a metaphor for examination—where literal questioning is not valid—is similar to poets questioning homes, ruins, and traces, or the saying: "Ask the earth: who split your rivers, planted your trees, and harvested your fruits?" It does not answer you with speech, but it answers you through contemplation.

Other Interpretations:

• It is said: The prophets were gathered for the Prophet (ﷺ) on the night of the Isra’ in Jerusalem, and he led them in prayer. It was said to him, "Ask them," but he did not doubt, and he did not ask.
• It is said: The meaning is to ask the nations of those whom We sent, namely the People of the two Books: the Torah and the Gospel.
• Al-Farra’ said: They (the People of the Book) inform him about the books of the messengers; so if he asks them, it is as if he has asked the prophets themselves.

{وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم بِآيَاتِنَا إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَضْحَكُونَ}