"And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], 'Whatever I have given you of Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.' [Allah] said, 'Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?'" [meaning: a heavy covenant]. "They said, 'We have acknowledged.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.'"
Allah says: I am a witness with them and against them, regarding what they have given of the covenant and acknowledgement. Qatada said: This is a covenant that Allah took from the prophets that they should believe in one another, and that they should convey the Book of Allah and His messages to His servants. And He took the covenant from the People of the Scripture in their Book, regarding what reached them from their messengers: that they should believe in Muhammad, confirm him, and support him.
﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لما آتيناكم مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ على ذَلِكُم إصري﴾ [أَي: عهد ثقيل] ﴿قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدين﴾.
يَقُوله الله: أَنا شَاهد مَعَهم وَعَلَيْهِم، بِمَا أعْطوا من الْمِيثَاق وَالْإِقْرَار، قَالَ قَتَادَة: هَذَا مِيثَاق أَخذه الله على النَّبِيين أَن يصدق بَعضهم بَعْضًا، وَأَن يبلغُوا كتاب الله ورسالاته إِلَى عباده، وَأخذ مِيثَاق أهل الْكتاب فِي كِتَابهمْ فِيمَا بلغتهم رسلهم؛ أَن يُؤمنُوا بِمُحَمد ويصدقوه وينصروه
