Al-Mu'minun 23:92
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 348
عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٩٢
[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, so high is He above what they associate [with Him].
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 23:91–92
Allah has no Partner or Associate
Allah declares Himself to be above having any child or partner in dominion, control and worship. He says:
مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذاً لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلاَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ
(No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him. (If there had been many gods), then each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others.) meaning, if it were decreed that there should be a plurality of deities, each of them would have exclusive control over whatever he had created, so there would never be any order in the universe. But what we see is that the universe is ordered and cohesive, with the upper and lower realms connected to one another in the most perfect fashion.
مَّا تَرَى فِى خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِن تَفَوُتٍ
(you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious) 65:3. Moreover, if there were a number of gods, each of them would try to subdue the other with enmity, and one would prevail over the other. This has been mentioned by the scholars of `Ilm-ul-Kalam, who discussed it using the evidence of mutual resistance or counteraction. This idea states that if there were two or more creators, one would want to make a body move while the other would want to keep it immobile, and if neither of them could achieve what they wanted, then both would be incapable, but the One Whose existence is essential i.e., Allah cannot be incapable. It is impossible for the will of both to be fulfilled because of the conflict. This dilemma only arises when a plurality of gods is suggested, so it is impossible for there to be such a plurality, because if the will of one is fulfilled and not the other, the one who prevails will be the one whose existence is essential (i.e., God) and the one who is prevailed over will be merely possible (i.e., he is not divine), because it is not befitting for the one to be defeated whose existence is essential. Allah says:
وَلَعَلاَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ سُبْحَنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
(and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allah above all that they attribute to Him!) meaning, high above all that the stubborn wrongdoers say when they claim that He has a son or partner.
عَلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَدَةِ
(All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!) means, He knows what is hidden from His creatures and what they see.
فَتَعَلَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
(Exalted be He over all that they associate as partners to Him!) means, sanctified and glorified and exalted be He above all that the wrongdoers and liars say.
Page 348
23:90
بَلۡ أَتَيۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ٩٠
Rather, We have brought them the truth, and indeed they are liars.
23:91
مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٖ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنۡ إِلَٰهٍۚ إِذٗا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَٰهِۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۚ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٩١
Allāh has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have [sought to] overcome others. Exalted is Allāh above what they describe [concerning Him].
23:92
عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٩٢
[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, so high is He above what they associate [with Him].
23:93
قُل رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّي مَا يُوعَدُونَ ٩٣
Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord, if You should show me that which they are promised,
23:94
رَبِّ فَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِي فِي ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٩٤
My Lord, then do not place me among the wrongdoing people."
23:95
وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمۡ لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٩٥
And indeed, We are Able to show you what We have promised them.
23:96
ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَۚ نَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ ٩٦
Repel, by [means of] what is best, [their] evil. We are most knowing of what they describe.
23:97
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ هَمَزَٰتِ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ٩٧
And say, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils,
23:98
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحۡضُرُونِ ٩٨
And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me."
23:99
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرۡجِعُونِ ٩٩
[For such is the state of the disbelievers] until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back
23:100
لَعَلِّيٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَٰلِحٗا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُۚ كـَلَّآۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَاۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ١٠٠
That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."1 No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
1 translator’s note
- Or "in that which I neglected." ↩
23:101
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَلَآ أَنسَابَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَلَا يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ١٠١
So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another.
23:102
فَمَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠٢
And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful.
23:103
وَمَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدُونَ ١٠٣
But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally.
23:104
تَلۡفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا كَٰلِحُونَ ١٠٤
The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles.1
1 translator’s note
- Their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy