His statement, the Exalted: "[They said, 'Yes,] we have testified,' lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'Indeed, we were of this unaware.'"

8537 - Kathir ibn Shihab narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Sa'id ibn Sabiq told us, Abu Ja'far told us, from al-Rabi' ibn Anas, from Abu al-'Aliyah Rufay', from Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the statement of Allah the Exalted: "And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants and made them testify against themselves, [saying], 'Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yes, we have testified,' lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'Indeed, we were of this unaware.' Or lest you say, 'It was only that our fathers associated [others with Allah] before, and we were descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?'" He said: He gathered them all for Him on that day, whatever is to exist from him until the Day of Resurrection. He created them in pairs, then formed them, then caused them to speak, and they spoke. He took the covenant and the pledge from them and made them testify against themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes, we have testified," lest you say on the Day of Resurrection: "Indeed, we were of this unaware. Or lest you say, 'It was only that our fathers associated [others with Allah] before, and we were descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?'" He said: "Indeed, I call the seven heavens and the seven earths as witnesses against you, and I call your father, Adam, as a witness against you, lest you say on the Day of Resurrection: 'We did not know of this.' Know that there is no god but Me and no lord other than Me, and do not associate anything with Me. I will send messengers to you who will warn you of My covenant and My pledge, and I will send down My books to you." They said: "We bear witness that You are our Lord and our God; we have no lord other than You, and no god for us besides You." So they acknowledged obedience to Him on that day. He raised their father, Adam, toward them, and he saw among them the rich and the poor, the beautiful in appearance, and those less so. He said: "O Lord, if only You had made them equal, Your servants." He said: "Indeed, I loved to be thanked." He saw among them the Prophets like lamps upon whom there was light, and they were distinguished by another covenant of messengership and prophethood. This is what the Exalted says: "And [mention] when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant," and it is that which He says: "So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah (natural disposition) of Allah upon which He has [created] all people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah." Regarding this, He said: "This is a warner among the warners of old." Regarding this, He said: "And We did not find for most of them any covenant; but indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient."

8538 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj Ya'la ibn 'Ubayd narrated to us, al-Ajlach told us, from al-Dahhak, who said: "Indeed, Allah extracted from the back of Adam the day He created him that which will be until the Day of Resurrection. He brought them out like tiny ants, then said: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes.' The angels said: 'We have testified,' lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'Indeed, we were of this unaware'... until His statement: '...the falsifiers.'"