An-Naml 27:66
The Ant · Juz 20 · Page 383
بَلِ ٱدَّٰرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهَاۖ بَلۡ هُم مِّنۡهَا عَمُونَ ٦٦
Rather, their knowledge is arrested concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 27:65–66
The One Who knows the Unseen is Allah
Allah commands His Messenger to inform all of creation that no one among the dwellers of heaven and earth knows the Unseen, except Allah.
إِلاَّ اللَّهُ
(except Allah) This is an absolute exception, meaning that no one knows this besides Allah, He is alone in that regard, having no partner in that knowledge. This is like the Ayat:
وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ
(And with Him are the keys of the Unseen, none knows them but He) (6:59).
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ
(Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain) (31:34). until the end of the Surah. And there are many Ayat which mention similar things.
وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
(nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.) That is, the created beings who dwell in the heavens and on earth do not know when the Hour will occur, as Allah says:
ثَقُلَتْ فِى السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لاَ تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً
(Heavy is its burden through the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a sudden) (7: 187). meaning, it is a grave matter for the dwellers of heaven and earth.
بَلِ ادَرَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا
(Nay, their knowledge will perceive that in the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it.) means their knowledge and amazement stops short of knowing its time. Other scholars read this with the meaning "their knowledge is all the same with regard to that," which reflects the meaning of the Hadith in Sahih Muslim which states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jibril, when the latter asked him when the Hour would come: s
«مَا الْمَسْؤُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِل»
(The one who is being asked about it does not know any more than the one who is asking.) In other words, they were both equal in the fact that their knowledge did not extend that far.
بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا
(Nay, they are in doubt about it.) This refers to the disbelievers in general as Allah says elsewhere:
وَعُرِضُواْ عَلَى رَبِّكَ صَفَا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُمْ مَّوْعِدًا
(And they will be set before your Lord in rows, (and Allah will say:) "Now indeed, you have come to Us as We created you the first time. Nay, but you thought that We had appointed no meeting for you (with Us). ") (18:48) i.e., the disbelievers among you. By the same token, Allah says here:
بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا
(Nay, they are in doubt about it.) meaning, they doubt that it will come to pass.
بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ
(Nay, they are in complete blindness about it.) They are blind and completely ignorant about it.
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَاباً وَءَابَآؤُنَآ أَءِنَّا لَمُخْرَجُونَ - لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَذَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
Page 383
27:64
أَمَّن يَبۡدَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ وَمَن يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَٰنَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٦٤
Is He [not best] who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allāh? Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."
27:65
قُل لَّا يَعۡلَمُ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٦٥
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allāh, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."
27:66
بَلِ ٱدَّٰرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهَاۖ بَلۡ هُم مِّنۡهَا عَمُونَ ٦٦
Rather, their knowledge is arrested concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind.
27:67
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَٰبٗا وَءَابَآؤُنَآ أَئِنَّا لَمُخۡرَجُونَ ٦٧
And those who disbelieve say, "When we have become dust as well as our forefathers, will we indeed be brought out [of the graves]?
27:68
لَقَدۡ وُعِدۡنَا هَٰذَا نَحۡنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبۡلُ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٦٨
We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before. This is not but legends of the former peoples."
27:69
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٦٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Proceed [i.e., travel] through the land and observe how was the end of the criminals."
27:70
وَلَا تَحۡزَنۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا تَكُن فِي ضَيۡقٖ مِّمَّا يَمۡكُرُونَ ٧٠
And grieve not over them or be in distress from what they conspire.
27:71
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٧١
And they say, "When is [the fulfillment of] this promise, if you should be truthful?"
27:72
قُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعۡضُ ٱلَّذِي تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ٧٢
Say, "Perhaps it is close behind you [i.e., very near] - some of that for which you are impatient.
27:73
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٣
And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of them are not grateful."
27:74
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمۡ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَ ٧٤
And indeed, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they declare.
27:75
وَمَا مِنۡ غَآئِبَةٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٍ ٧٥
And there is nothing concealed1 within the heaven and the earth except that it is in a clear Register.2
27:76
إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلَّذِي هُمۡ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٧٦
Indeed, this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy