Al-‘Awfi reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “ Al-Amdnah means obedience. This was offered to them before it was offered to Adam, and they could not bear it. Then Allah said to Adam: 1 have offered the Amanah to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they could not bear it. Will you take it on?’ He said, ‘O Lord, what does it involve?’ He said, If you do good, you will be rewarded, and if you do evil, you will be punished.’ So Adam took the Amanah and bore it, and this is what is referred to in the Ayah:

{But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust and ignorant. }”

‘Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “ Al-Amdnah means Al-Fara’id (the obligatory duties). Allah offered them to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, (on the grounds that) if they fulfilled them, He would reward them; and if they failed, He would punish them. But they did not want to do that, and they were afraid of it, not because their intention was sinful, but because of their respect for the religion of Allah, in case they could not fulfill the obligations involved. Then Allah offered it to Adam, and he accepted it with all that it entailed. This is what is referred to in the Ayah:

meaning, he underestimated the command of Allah.”

This was also the view of Mujahid, Said bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others that Al-Amdnah means Al-Fara’id. Others said that it meant obedience. Al-Amash narrated from Abu Ad-Duha from Masrttq that Ubayy bin Kab said: “Part of Al-Amdnah means that woman was entrusted with her own chastity. ” Qatadah said: “ Al-Amdnah means religion, obligatoiy duties and prescribed punishments. ”

Malik narrated that Zayd bin Aslam said: “ Al-Amanah means three things: prayer, fasting and performing Ghusl to cleanse oneself from sexual impurity.”

There is no contradiction between all of these views; they are all in agreement and all refer to responsibility and the acceptance of commands and prohibitions with their attendant conditions, which is that the one who fulfills this responsibility, will be rewarded; while the one who neglects it, will be punished. Man accepted this despite the fact that he is weak, ignorant and unjust - except for those whom Allah helps, and Allah is the One Whose help we seek.

One of the reports which deal with Al-Amanah is the Hadlth recorded by Imam Ahmad from Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah told us two Hadiths, one of which I have seen and the other 1 am still waiting to see. He told us that Al-Amanah is deeply rooted in the heart of man, then the Qur’an was revealed and they know it from the Qur’an and from the Sunn ah. Then he told us that Al-Amanah will be taken away. He said,
“A man may sleep and Al-Amanah will be taken from his heart, leaving nothing but a trace like a blister left by a coal if you were to roll it over your leg - you will see it protruding but there is nothing inside.”

Then he took a pebble and rolled it over his leg, then he said:
“Then the people will start buying and selling, and hardly anyone will be paying attention to Al-Amanah, until it will be said that among the tribe of so-and-so there is a trustworthy man, and it will said of a man, ‘how strong he is, how nice and how wise,' and there is not even a mustard seed of faith in his heart."

No doubt, there came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing (bargaining) with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim, his Islam would compel him to pay me what is due to and who obey Him.

This is end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Ahzab. Allah’s is the praise and thanks.