Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Burooj -> The Oppression of the People of the Ditch against the Muslims Concerning

Allah's statement,

﴿قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ ﴾

(Cursed were (Qutila) the People of the Ditch (Ukhdud).) meaning, the companions of the Ukhdud were cursed. The plural of Ukhdud is Akhadid, which means ditches in the ground. This is information about a group of people who were among the disbelievers. They went after those among them who believed in Allah and they attempted to force them to give up their religion. However, the believers refused to recant, so they dug a ditch for them in the ground. Then they lit a fire in it and prepared some fuel for it in order to keep it ablaze. Then they tried to convince them (the believers) to apostate from their religion (again), but they still refused them. So they threw them into the fire. Thus, Allah says,

﴿قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ - النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ - إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ - وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ ﴾

(Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers.) meaning, they were witnesses to what was done to these believers. Allah said,

﴿وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ ﴾

(And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!) meaning, they did not commit any sin according to these people, except for their faith in Allah the Almighty, Who does not treat unjustly those who desire to be with Him. He is the Most Mighty and Most Praiseworthy in all of His statements, actions, legislation, and decrees. He decreed what happened to these servants of His at the hands of the disbelievers - and He is the Most Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy - even though the reason for this decree is unknown to many people. Then Allah says,

﴿الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ﴾

(To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth!) Among His perfect Attributes is that He is the Owner of all of the heavens, the earth, whatever is in them, and whatever is between them.

﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾

(And Allah is Witness over everything.) meaning, nothing is concealed from Him in all of the heavens and the earth, nor is anything hidden from Him.