أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ 41
Translations
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
Transliteration
Am AAindahumu alghaybu fahum yaktubuun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question challenging the disbelievers' claims, asking: 'Do they possess knowledge of the unseen (al-ghayb) such that they write it down (and make predictions about the future)?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse refutes the arrogant assumptions of the Quraysh who denied the Qur'an and the prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ), implying that only Allah possesses true knowledge of the unseen and that the disbelievers have no basis for their claims against Islamic teachings. The verse emphasizes that human knowledge is limited and that certainty about divine matters comes only through revelation, not speculation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tur, a Meccan chapter revealed during the early period of Islamic preaching in Mecca when the Quraysh actively resisted the Prophet's message. The broader context of this surah addresses the disbelievers' mockery and rejection of the Qur'an and the Day of Judgment, with this particular verse part of a series of rhetorical questions exposing the illogical basis of their opposition.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most truthful of you in speech are those who refrain from speaking about things they do not know' (Ad-Daylami). Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever claims knowledge of the unseen has disbelieved in Allah' (Tirmidhi) directly relates to the theme of this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us intellectual humility—recognizing the boundaries of human knowledge and refusing to make definitive claims about matters beyond our understanding. It reminds modern readers to rely on divine guidance from the Qur'an and Sunnah rather than speculation and conjecture when addressing matters of faith and the unseen.