وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَـٰمٌ وَٱلْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ 27
Translations
And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allāh would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Transliteration
Wa law anna ma fi al-ardi min shajaratin aqlam wa al-bahru yamudduh min ba'dih saba'atu abhur ma nafidat kalimat Allah. Inna Allah azizun hakim.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah illustrates the infinite nature of Allah's knowledge and words by presenting a hyperbolic scenario: even if all trees on earth were pens and the ocean were supplemented by seven more oceans of ink, they would be insufficient to write down all of Allah's words and knowledge. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this emphasizes that Allah's attributes, wisdom, and divine speech are boundless and incomprehensible to human intellect, concluding that Allah is both Mighty (al-Aziz) and All-Wise (al-Hakim).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Luqman, a Meccan chapter focused on moral guidance and the oneness of Allah. The ayah serves as part of a broader discourse on Allah's majesty and the limitations of human knowledge, contextualizing Luqman's wisdom teachings within the framework of divine omniscience and power.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to a hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that Allah's knowledge encompasses all things and that His mercy precedes His wrath, emphasizing divine wisdom. Additionally, Surah Al-Kahf (18:109) presents a nearly identical statement about the insufficiency of the ocean as ink for recording Allah's words.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the humility required when contemplating divine knowledge—our understanding is inherently limited compared to Allah's infinite wisdom. It encourages trust in Allah's perfect judgment and encourages seekers of knowledge to recognize that true understanding comes from accepting the boundaries of human intellect and submitting to divine guidance.
Related Ayahs
يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ ٱللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ ٱلْمُبِينُ
That Day, Allāh will pay them in full their true [i.e., deserved] recompense, and they will know that it is Allāh who is the manifest Truth [i.e., perfect in justice].
ٱقْرَأْ كِتَـٰبَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا
[It will be said], "Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant."
وَأَشْرَقَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ وَجِا۟ىٓءَ بِٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمْ ۙ إِن فِى صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَّا هُم بِبَـٰلِغِيهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Indeed, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allāh without [any] evidence having come to them - there is not within their breasts except pride, [the extent of] which they cannot reach. So seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Seeing.