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I.e., in the judicial sense, as well as in the sense of judging other people's motives, attitudes and behaviour. - The term amanah denotes anything one has been entrusted with, be it in the physical or moral sense (Razi). If one reads this ordinance in the context of the verses that precede and follow it, it becomes obvious that it relates to the message or - in view of the plural form amanat - to the truths which have been conveyed to the believers by means of the divine writ, and which they must regard as a sacred trust, to be passed on to "those who are entitled thereto" - i.e., to all mankind, for whom the message of the Qur'an has been intended. This, of course, does not preclude the ordinance from having a wider scope as well - that is, from its being applied to any material object or moral responsibility which may have been entrusted to a believer - and, in particular, to the exercise of worldly power and political sovereignty by the Muslim community or a Muslim state, to which the next verse refers.
This verse was revealed right after Mecca had peacefully surrendered to the Muslims. ’Ali ibn Abi Ṭâlib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, took the Ka’bah’s key by force from Othmân ibn Ṭalḥa, the non-Muslim keeper of the Ka’bah. The verse was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) inside the Ka’bah with the order to give the key back to its rightful owner. He (ﷺ) ordered Ali to return the key to the keeper immediately along with an apology. Othmân was also promised that his family would keep the key forever. The keeper was so touched by the Quranic sense of justice that he decided to accept Islam.