عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا 26
Translations
[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to anyone
Transliteration
'Alimul-ghaybi fala yuzhhiru 'ala ghaybihi ahada
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is the Knower of all unseen matters, and He does not reveal His hidden knowledge to anyone without His permission. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this verse establishes the exclusivity of Allah's knowledge of the unseen (al-ghayb), refuting any claim that jinn or other beings possess independent knowledge of future or hidden events. The phrase 'ahada (anyone) is absolute, emphasizing the uniqueness of Divine knowledge and warning against those who falsely claim supernatural knowledge.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the latter portion of Surah Al-Jinn, which was revealed in Mecca during a period when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was addressing misconceptions about the nature of jinn and clarifying monotheistic doctrine. The surah serves as a response to the jinn who had listened to the Quran and believed, demonstrating that even jinn are subject to Allah's will and possess no independent knowledge of the unseen. This ayah emphasizes a fundamental Islamic principle against the backdrop of pre-Islamic Arabian beliefs in jinn's supernatural abilities.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3232) where the Prophet said: 'The keys of the unseen are five, and none knows them except Allah' (referring to the Day of Judgment, rainfall, and other matters). Additionally, Surah Al-Naml (27:65) contains a parallel statement emphasizing that only Allah possesses knowledge of the unseen.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims should place complete trust in Allah's perfect knowledge while recognizing the limitations of human and supernatural understanding, rejecting superstition and false claims of future knowledge. This ayah teaches humility before the Divine mysteries and encourages reliance on Allah alone rather than seeking hidden knowledge through forbidden means.