سُوْرَةُ طٰهٰ
Surah Taa-Haa (20) — Ayah 110
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِۦ عِلْمًا ﴿110﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He (Allâh) knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them (in the Hereafter) but they will never compass anything of His Knowledge.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
He knows
مَا
mā
what
بَيْنَ
bayna
(is) before them
أَيْدِيهِمْ
aydīhim
(is) before them
وَمَا
wamā
and what
خَلْفَهُمْ
khalfahum
(is) behind them
وَلَا
walā
while not
يُحِيطُونَ
yuḥīṭūna
they encompass
بِهِۦ
bihi
it
عِلْمًۭا
ʿil'man
(in) knowledge
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 110) ➊ { يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ :} See the commentary of Ayat al-Kursi (Baqarah: 255).
➋ According to the antecedent of the pronoun in {وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِهٖ عِلْمًا : ’’ بِهٖ ‘‘}, it can have three meanings, and all three are authentic. One is that in { ’’ بِهٖ ‘‘}, the pronoun {’’هٖ‘‘} is considered to refer to Allah Almighty. The meaning would be that no one has such knowledge that they can encompass the essence and attributes of Allah Almighty; how can the limited knowledge of the creation encompass the Creator? The second is that this pronoun is considered to refer to the verbal noun { ’’عِلْمٌ‘‘} of {’’ يَعْلَمُ ‘‘}. In this case, the meaning would be that no person can encompass the knowledge of Allah, and in this case, this is synonymous with the phrase { ’’ وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ‘‘} of Ayat al-Kursi. The third is that the pronoun {’’هٖ‘‘} is referring back to {’’ مَا ‘‘ } present in {’’ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ‘‘}. In this case, the meaning would be that none of them has knowledge that can encompass what is before the people and what is behind them. That is, except for Allah Almighty, no one else (whether they are angels, jinn, humans, or anyone else) has complete knowledge of the past and future states of people, so that they could know for whom intercession should be made and for whom it should not be made. Therefore, intercession has been made dependent on the permission (authorization) of Allah Almighty. In this, there is a warning for those who worship angels, prophets, saints, and elders in the hope that they will intercede for them on the Day of Resurrection.
➋ According to the antecedent of the pronoun in {وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِهٖ عِلْمًا : ’’ بِهٖ ‘‘}, it can have three meanings, and all three are authentic. One is that in { ’’ بِهٖ ‘‘}, the pronoun {’’هٖ‘‘} is considered to refer to Allah Almighty. The meaning would be that no one has such knowledge that they can encompass the essence and attributes of Allah Almighty; how can the limited knowledge of the creation encompass the Creator? The second is that this pronoun is considered to refer to the verbal noun { ’’عِلْمٌ‘‘} of {’’ يَعْلَمُ ‘‘}. In this case, the meaning would be that no person can encompass the knowledge of Allah, and in this case, this is synonymous with the phrase { ’’ وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ‘‘} of Ayat al-Kursi. The third is that the pronoun {’’هٖ‘‘} is referring back to {’’ مَا ‘‘ } present in {’’ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ‘‘}. In this case, the meaning would be that none of them has knowledge that can encompass what is before the people and what is behind them. That is, except for Allah Almighty, no one else (whether they are angels, jinn, humans, or anyone else) has complete knowledge of the past and future states of people, so that they could know for whom intercession should be made and for whom it should not be made. Therefore, intercession has been made dependent on the permission (authorization) of Allah Almighty. In this, there is a warning for those who worship angels, prophets, saints, and elders in the hope that they will intercede for them on the Day of Resurrection.
