Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Az-Zukhruf -> Encouragement to adhere to the Qur'an

Allah then says;

﴿ظپظژط§ط³ظ’طھظژظ…ظ’ط³ظگظƒظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط£ظڈظˆط­ظگظ‰ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ طµظگط±ظژط·ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظڈط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظچ ﴾

(So hold you fast to that which is revealed to you. Verily, you are on the straight path.) means, hold fast to the Qur'an which has been sent down to your heart, for it is truth and what it leads to is truth that shows the way to the straight path that leads to Gardens of Delight and eternal, everlasting goodness.

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظژ ظˆظژظ„ظگظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگظƒظژ﴾

(And verily, this is a Dhikr for you and your people,) It was said that this means, `it is an honor for you and your people;' this was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. This means that it is an honor for them in that it was revealed in their language, so they are the people who have the best understanding of it among mankind and hence are obliged to be the most steadfast in adhering to its commandments. This is how the best of them were, the first immigrants and those who emulated them and followed them. It was also said that the meaning of the phrase;

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظژ ظˆظژظ„ظگظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظگظƒظژ﴾

(And verily, this is indeed a Dhikr for you and your people,) was that `it was sent to remind you and your people.' The fact that they are singled out does not exclude others. This is like the Ayat:

﴿ظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ط²ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ط§ظ‹ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژظپظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ‚ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind) a Book in which there is Dhikrukum (your Reminder). Will you not then understand) (21:10)

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ط°ظگط±ظ’ ط¹ظژط´ظگظٹط±ظژطھظژظƒظژ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ‚ظ’ط±ظژط¨ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(And warn your tribe of near kindred) (26:214)

﴿ظˆظژط³ظژظˆظ’ظپظژ طھظڈط³ظ’ظ€ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and you will be questioned.) means, `about this Qur'an, and how you acted upon it and what your response to it was.'

﴿ظˆظژط§ط³ظ’ط¦ظ„ظ’ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ…ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظڈط³ظڈظ„ظگظ†ظژط¢ ط£ظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط،ظژط§ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط©ظ‹ ظٹظڈط¹ظ’ط¨ظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And ask whom We sent before you of Our Messengers: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious'') means, `all the Messengers called their people to the same as that to which you are calling mankind, namely the worship of Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and they forbade the worship of idols and false gods.' This is like the Ayah:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط¨ظژط¹ظژط«ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظپظگظ‰ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظگ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظچ ط±ظ‘ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ط§ظ‹ ط£ظژظ†ظگ ط§ط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظˆظژط§ط¬ظ’طھظژظ†ظگط¨ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ط·ظ‘ظژظ€ط؛ظڈظˆطھظژ﴾

(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities.'') (16:36) Mujahid said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud recited it: (ظˆظژط§ط³ظ’ط£ظژظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظژظƒظژ (ظ…ظگظ†ظ’) ط±ظڈط³ظڈظ„ظگظ†ظژط§) (And ask those whom We sent before you of Our Messengers.) This was narrated by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi from Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him. Yet this appears to be an explanation rather than an alternate version of recitation. And Allah knows best.

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰ ط¨ظگظ€ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ظپظگط±ظ’ط¹ظژظˆظ’ظ†ظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ„ط§ظ‘ظ‹ظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ظپظژظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظگظ‰ ط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظڈ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگظ€ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژط§ ظٹظژط¶ظ’ط­ظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظ†ظڈط±ظگظٹظگظ‡ظگظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژط©ظچ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظگظ‰ظژ ط£ظژظƒظ’ط¨ظژط±ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظڈط®ظ’طھظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژط£ظژط®ظژط°ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظگ ظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط±ظ’ط¬ظگط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژط§ط­ظگط±ظڈ ط§ط¯ظ’ط¹ظڈ ظ„ظژظ†ظژط§ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظژظƒظژ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ط¹ظژظ‡ظگط¯ظژ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظƒظژط´ظژظپظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ†ظƒظڈط«ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(46. And indeed We did send Musa with Our Ayat to Fir`awn and his chiefs. He said: "Verily, I am a Messenger of the Lord of all that exists.'') (47. But when he came to them with Our Ayat, behold, they laughed at them). (48. And not an Ayah We showed them but it was greater than its fellow preceding it, and We seized them with torment, in order that they might turn.) (49. And they said (to Musa): "O you sorcerer! Invoke your Lord for us according to what He has made a pact with you. Verily, We shall guide ourselves.'') (50. But when We removed the torment from them, behold, they broke their covenant.)