Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL FURQAAN [20]

20. And We never sent before you any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you as a trial for others; will you have patience And your Lord is Ever All-Seer.) and who are unaware of their calls to them. And when mankind are gathered, they will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.) (46:5-6

(20. And We never sent before you any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you as a trial for others; will you have patience And your Lord is Ever All-Seer.) Allah tells us about the previous Messengers He sent: they all used to eat food needing the nourishment in it. They used to go around in the marketplaces seeking to engage in trade and earn a livelihood. This should not, however, affect their status as Messengers, for Allah gave them good characteristics and caused them to speak fine words and do noble deeds, and gave them miracles and clear proofs, from which any person with sound insight may see the confirmation that what they brought from Allah was true. This Ayah is similar to the Ayat;

(And We sent not before you any but men unto whom We revealed, from among the people of townships) (12:109).

(And We did not create them bodies that ate not food) (21:8).

(And We have made some of you as a trial for others; will you have patience) means, `We test some of you by means of others, so that We may see who will be obedient and who will be disobedient.' Allah says:

(will you have patience And your Lord is Ever All-Seer.) meaning, He knows who deserves to receive revelation, as Allah says elsewhere:

(Allah knows best with whom to place His Message) (6:124). And He knows who deserves to be guided to the Message with which He sent them, and who does not deserve to be guided.

(And We have made some of you as a trial for others. Will you have patience) Muhammad bin Ishaq said: Allah is saying, ”If I had willed that the world be such that no one would oppose My Messengers, I could have made it so, but I wanted to test My servants by means of them.'' In Sahih Muslim it is narrated from `Iyad bin Himar that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Allah says: ”I will test you and test others by means of you.'') In the Sahih it is recorded that he was given the choice between being a Prophet and king, or being a servant and Messenger, and he chose to be a servant and Messenger.