أَطَّلَعَ ٱلْغَيْبَ أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَهْدًا 78
Translations
Has he looked into the unseen, or has he taken from the Most Merciful a promise?
Transliteration
Attala'a al-ghayba am ittakhadha 'inda ar-Rahmani 'ahda
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is a rhetorical question addressing the polytheists who claimed knowledge of the unseen and made promises about the intercession of their idols with Allah. The verse challenges them: 'Has he access to the unseen, or has he made a covenant with the Most Merciful?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this is a refutation of their false claims, emphasizing that only Allah possesses knowledge of the unseen (al-ghayb) and that no covenant regarding intercession exists except through Allah's will. The ayah underscores the exclusivity of divine attributes and the futility of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within a passage addressing the disbelievers' arrogance and false doctrines regarding intercession and divine knowledge. Surah Maryam addresses various theological errors of the Meccan polytheists, and this particular verse responds to their claims of possessing hidden knowledge or special covenants with Allah through their idols—a common Meccan pagan belief.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The difference between us and the hypocrites is that they conceal what is in their hearts while we reveal it.' (Tirmidhi) This relates thematically to the concept of hidden knowledge and truthfulness. Additionally, the Prophet emphasized that knowledge of the unseen belongs only to Allah: 'No one knows what will happen tomorrow, and no one knows in what land he will die' (Surah Luqman 31:34, with related hadith in Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that true knowledge and authority belong exclusively to Allah, and that claiming special access to divine secrets or covenants is a form of arrogance and spiritual delusion. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder to place complete trust in Allah alone rather than in human intermediaries or false spiritual claims.