21 Preface وَما كانَ لَهُ عَلَيهِم مِن سُلطانٍ إِلّا لِنَعلَمَ مَن يُؤمِنُ بِالآخِرَةِ مِمَّن هُوَ مِنها في شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ حَفيظٌYusuf AliBut he had no authority over them,- except that We might test the man who1 believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and thy Lord doth watch over all things.Might test: the word in the original is might know. It is not that God does not know all. Why does He want to test? It is in order to help us subjectively, to train our will, to put us definitely the question, “Will you obey God or other than God?” (Cf. n. 467 to 3:154 and also 47:31).