قَالَ إِنَّمَا ٱلْعِلْمُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّآ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ 23
Translations
He said, "Knowledge [of its time] is only with Allāh, and I convey to you that with which I was sent; but I see you [to be] a people behaving ignorantly."
Transliteration
Qala innamal-'ilmu 'indallahi wa-uballighukum ma ursiltu bihi wa-lakinni ara-yakum qawman tajhalun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This statement is attributed to Nuh (Noah) in response to his people's mockery and rejection of his message. He declares that true knowledge belongs solely to Allah, and he conveys only what he has been commanded to deliver, while observing that his people persist in ignorance. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes the limitation of human knowledge compared to divine knowledge, and the prophet's role as a messenger bound to deliver the divine message without adding or diminishing from it.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah Al-Ahqaf recounting the story of Prophet Nuh and his people's rejection of monotheism. The context describes how Nuh patiently called his people to worship Allah alone for 950 years, yet they remained in disbelief and ignorance, providing a historical lesson about the struggle between faith and willful rejection.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected here relates to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'The best knowledge is the knowledge of the Qur'an,' emphasizing that divine knowledge transmitted through revelation is superior to human conjecture. Additionally, Surah 53:3-4 states the Prophet does not speak from personal desire but conveys revelation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true wisdom lies in recognizing the boundaries of human knowledge and submitting to divine guidance transmitted through the prophets. For modern believers, it serves as a reminder to distinguish between personal opinion and revealed truth, and to approach divine teachings with humility rather than arrogance.
Related Ayahs
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ مَا ٱسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And when they saw it as a cloud approaching their valleys, they said, "This is a cloud bringing us rain!" Rather, it is that for which you were impatient: a wind, within it a painful punishment,
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِۦ فَـَٔامَنَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Say, "Have you considered: if it [i.e., the Qur’ān] was from Allāh, and you disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you were arrogant...?" Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَّا سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ
And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, "If it had [truly] been good, they would not have preceded us to it." And when they are not guided by it, they will say, "This is an ancient falsehood."
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allāh," and then remained on a right course - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.