And whoever reads it in the accusative does so as a conjunction to 'the promise'. The meaning is: 'When it was said, indeed the promise of Allah is true, and that the Hour [is coming].'
His saying: 'We assume only an assumption.' It is said: The meaning is, we do not know that except as a doubt, and we are not convinced of it, because 'zann' (assumption) can sometimes mean 'knowledge,' such as His saying: 'And the criminals will see the Fire and will be certain that they are to fall into it,' meaning they knew it. An example of this in poetry—though it is not attributed to anyone specific—is:
'I said to them: Assume [you have encountered] two thousand fully armed men, whose leaders are clad in Persian chainmail.'
'Zann' can also mean doubt.
وَمن نصبها عطف على (الْوَعْد)، الْمَعْنى: إِذا قيل: إِن وعد الله حق وَأَن السَّاعَة [آتِيَة.
قَوْله: ﴿إِنْ نَظُنُّ إِلا ظَنًّا﴾ قيل: الْمَعْنى: مَا نعلم ذَلِك إِلَّا شكًّا وَلَا نستيقنه؛ لِأَن الظَّن قد يكون بِمَعْنى الْعلم كَقَوْلِه: ﴿وَرَأَى الْمُجْرِمُونَ النَّارَ فَظَنُّوا أَنهم مواقعوها﴾ أَي: علمُوا وَمثل هَذَا فِي الشّعْر - لم يثبت لأحد -:
(فَقُلْتُ: لَهُمْ ظُنُّوا بِأَلْفَيْ مُدَجَّجٍ … سَرَاتُهُمُ بِالفَارِسيِّ المُسَرَّدِ)
وَقد يكون الظَّن أَيْضا بِمَعْنى الشَّك.
