يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٱلْغَفُورُ 2
Translations
He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein. And He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
Transliteration
Ya'lamu ma yaliju fi al-ardi wa ma yakhruju minha wa ma yanzilu min al-sama'i wa ma ya'ruju fiha wa huwa al-Rahimu al-Ghafur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute knowledge of all things that enter and exit the earth (such as rain, plants, minerals, and living creatures) and all that descends from the heavens and ascends therein (angels, commands, prayers). Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this comprehensive knowledge demonstrates Allah's complete dominion over creation and His perfect awareness of every detail in the universe. The conclusion with 'the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving' connects this infinite knowledge to Allah's compassionate application of His power, assuring believers that His all-knowing nature serves mercy rather than punishment.
Revelation Context
Surah Saba is a Meccan surah primarily addressing the disbelievers' denial of resurrection and divine power. This ayah appears in a section establishing Allah's attributes and sovereignty as a response to those who rejected the Prophet's message. It emphasizes that Allah's knowledge transcends human perception, addressing the Meccan polytheists' doubts about divine omniscience.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Allah knows what every soul will earn' (Quran 14:34, thematically related). Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet emphasized that 'There is nothing hidden from Allah in the heaven or on earth,' reinforcing the concept of divine omniscience presented in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that no action, intention, or circumstance escapes Allah's knowledge, which should inspire both accountability and comfort—accountability for our deeds and comfort in knowing that the All-Knowing is also the Most Merciful. For modern readers, it encourages trust in divine wisdom during uncertainty and sincerity in devotion, knowing that Allah's knowledge encompasses all our needs and circumstances.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ
Indeed, from Allāh nothing is hidden in the earth nor in the heaven.
ٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَىٰ وَمَا تَغِيضُ ٱلْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ ۖ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ عِندَهُۥ بِمِقْدَارٍ
Allāh knows what every female carries and what the wombs lose [prematurely] or exceed. And everything with Him is by due measure.
وَمَا تَكُونُ فِى شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُوا۟ مِنْهُ مِن قُرْءَانٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَآ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْبَرَ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And, [O Muḥammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter and do not recite any of the Qur’ān and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom's weight within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.
أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى يُخْرِجُ ٱلْخَبْءَ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ
[And] so they do not prostrate to Allāh, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -