بَلِ ٱدَّٰرَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا ۖ بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ 66
Translations
Rather, their knowledge is arrested concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind.
Transliteration
Bal iddāraka 'ilmuhum fī al-ākhirah. Bal hum fī shakkin minhā. Bal hum minhā 'amūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who deny the Hereafter, stating that their knowledge does not encompass the reality of the Afterlife. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse emphasizes three levels of their rejection: first, their knowledge fails to grasp it; second, they are in doubt about it; third, they are completely blind to it. The repetition of 'Bal' (nay/rather) serves to progressively intensify the description of their spiritual blindness and denial.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah An-Naml, which addresses the disbelievers of Mecca who rejected the message of the Hereafter. The broader context of the surah emphasizes Allah's power and wisdom in creation, contrasting it with the disbelievers' ignorance and arrogance regarding the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The example of this life in relation to the Hereafter is like one of you putting his finger in the ocean—let him see what he brings forth' (Musnad Ahmad). This emphasizes how limited human knowledge is regarding the unseen realities of the Afterlife.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that certainty about the Hereafter comes through revelation and faith, not through worldly intellect alone. We should guard against arrogance in our limited understanding and remain humble before the unseen realities that only Allah fully comprehends.