Till he knows that they have conveyed the Messages of their Lord. And He surrounds all that which is with them, and He keeps count of all things.
The pronoun `he' which is in His statement,
لِيَعْلَمَ
Till he knows, refers to the Prophet.
Ibn Jarir recorded from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning the Ayah,
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا
إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا
The All-Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His Unseen. Except to a Messenger whom He has chosen, and then He makes a band of watching guards to march before him and behind him.
"These are four guardians among the angels along with Jibril,
لِيَعْلَمَ
Till he knows, This means Muhammad,
أَن قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا
that they have conveyed the Messages of their Lord. And He surrounds all that which is with them, and He keeps count of all things."
This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
It has also been reported by Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and Yazid bin Abi Habib. `Abdur-Razzaq reported from Ma`mar, from Qatadah,
لِيَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ
Till he knows that they have conveyed the Messages of their Lord.
"So that the Prophet of Allah would know that the Messengers had conveyed their Messages from Allah and that the angels have protected them and defended them."
This has also been reported by Sa`id bin Abi `Arubah from Qatadah, and Ibn Jarir preferred this interpretation.
Al-Baghawi said,
"Ya`qub recited it as, (
لِيَعْلَمَ
in order to be known) this means, so that the people may know that the Messengers had conveyed the Message."
It also could carry the meaning that the pronoun refers to Allah (i.e., So that He (Allah) may know.
This opinion has been mentioned by Ibn Al-Jawzi in Zad Al-Masir.
The meaning of this is that He protects His Messengers through His angels so that they will be able to convey His Messages. He protects what He reveals to them of revelation so that He will know that they have indeed conveyed the Messages of their Lord. This is like His statement,
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَأ إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ
And We made the Qiblah which you used to face, only that We know who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels. (2;143)
Allah also said,
وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ
Verily, Allah knows those who believe, and that He knows the hypocrites. (29;11)
It should be added to these examples that from Allah's knowledge is that He knows all things before they occur, and this is something definite and certain. Therefore, He says after this,
..
وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا
And He surrounds all that which is with them, and He keeps count of all things.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Jinn, and all praises and thanks are due to Allah