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
۞ وَٱذْكُرْ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذْ أَنذَرَ قَوْمَهُۥ بِٱلْأَحْقَافِ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ ٱلنُّذُرُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦٓ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
And mention, [O Muḥammad], the brother of ʿAad, when he warned his people in [the region of] al-Aḥqāf - and warners had already passed on before him and after him - [saying], "Do not worship except Allāh. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."
وَٱلَّذِى قَالَ لِوَٰلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَآ أَتَعِدَانِنِىٓ أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ ٱلْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِى وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ ٱللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ ءَامِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَيَقُولُ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
But one who says to his parents, "Uff to you; do you promise me that I will be brought forth [from the earth] when generations before me have already passed on [into oblivion]?" while they call to Allāh for help [and to their son], "Woe to you! Believe! Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth." But he says, "This is not but legends of the former peoples" -
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمْ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَن سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ فِىٓ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ وَعْدَ ٱلصِّدْقِ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ
Those are the ones from whom We will accept the best of what they did and overlook their misdeeds, [their being] among the companions of Paradise. [That is] the promise of truth which they had been promised.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ ۖ ٱئْتُونِى بِكِتَـٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ هَـٰذَآ أَوْ أَثَـٰرَةٍ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allāh? Show me what they have created of the earth; or did they have partnership in [creation of] the heavens? Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this or a [remaining] trace of knowledge, if you should be truthful."