أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ فِى كِتَـٰبٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ 70
Translations
Do you not know that Allāh knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allāh, is easy.
Transliteration
Alam ta'lam anna Allaha ya'lamu ma fi as-samaa'i wa-al-ard. Inna dhalika fi kitab. Inna dhalika ala Allahi yasir.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's complete and absolute knowledge of everything in the heavens and the earth, emphasizing that nothing escapes His awareness. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'that is in a Book' (kitab) refers to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) wherein all creation and events are recorded. The final phrase—'that is easy for Allah'—underscores that recording and maintaining knowledge of all existence is effortless for Allah, highlighting the difference between divine omniscience and human limitation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Hajj's discussion of monotheism and Allah's divine attributes. It serves to reinforce the theological foundation established throughout the surah: that only Allah deserves worship because He alone possesses complete knowledge, power, and control over all existence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The first thing Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it: Write. It said: O Lord, what shall I write? He said: Write the decree of all things until the Hour is established' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). This hadith directly relates to the 'Book' mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah should inspire believers to recognize that Allah's perfect knowledge encompasses all our actions, intentions, and circumstances, encouraging accountability and sincerity in worship. It provides comfort that in a universe of infinite complexity, an all-knowing Creator maintains perfect order and justice.