ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ 102
Translations
That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal, [O Muḥammad], to you. And you were not with them when they put together their plan while they conspired.
Transliteration
Dhālika min anbāʾi al-ghaybi nūḥīhi ilayka wa-mā kunta ladayhim idhā ajmaʿū amrahum wa-hum yamkurūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes the narrative of Prophet Yusuf by affirming that the detailed account of his story is from the unseen knowledge (al-ghayb) that Allah has revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, emphasizing that he could not have known these events through his own presence or experience. Ibn Kathir notes this serves as evidence of the Quran's miraculous nature, as the Prophet had no access to historical records about Yusuf's life. Al-Tabari explains that this verse underscores the divine origin of the narrative and refutes any suggestion that it was acquired through human means.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears at the conclusion of Surah Yusuf and represents the Quranic response to the polytheists' skepticism about the Prophet's knowledge of past events. It contextualizes the entire preceding narrative within the framework of revelation (waḥy), addressing the implicit challenge: 'How could you know these details?' This is characteristic of Meccan surahs that defend the authenticity of the Quranic message.
Related Hadiths
The Quran itself (26:193-195) discusses wahy (revelation): 'And indeed, it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. The Truthful Spirit has brought it down upon your heart.' Additionally, Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet ﷺ was asked about knowledge of the unseen, and he clarified that only Allah possesses complete knowledge thereof (Ayah 34:48).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that knowledge of historical and metaphysical truths comes exclusively through divine revelation, not human reasoning alone, thereby strengthening faith in the Quran's divine origin. For modern readers, it reminds us to trust in Allah's guidance through revelation rather than relying solely on empirical or rational methods when it comes to matters of faith and unseen realities.
Related Ayahs
ٱقْتُلُوا۟ يُوسُفَ أَوِ ٱطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ قَوْمًا صَـٰلِحِينَ
Kill Joseph or cast him out to [another] land; the countenance [i.e., attention] of your father will [then] be only for you, and you will be after that a righteous people."
ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَـٰفِظِينَ
Return to your father and say, 'O our father, indeed your son has stolen, and we did not testify except to what we knew. And we were not witnesses of the unseen.
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦٓ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ لِنَفْسِى ۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٌ
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَـٰنِهِ ٱجْعَلُوا۟ بِضَـٰعَتَهُمْ فِى رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."