سُوْرَةُ لُقْمَانَ
Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 27
وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَـٰمٌ وَٱلْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿27﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to its (supply), yet the Words of Allâh would not be exhausted. Verily, Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّمَا
annamā
whatever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
مِن
min
of
شَجَرَةٍ
shajaratin
(the) trees
أَقْلَـٰمٌۭ
aqlāmun
(were) pens
وَٱلْبَحْرُ
wal-baḥru
and the sea
يَمُدُّهُۥ
yamudduhu
(to) add to it
مِنۢ
min
after it
بَعْدِهِۦ
baʿdihi
after it
سَبْعَةُ
sabʿatu
seven
أَبْحُرٍۢ
abḥurin
seas
مَّا
mā
not
نَفِدَتْ
nafidat
would be exhausted
كَلِمَـٰتُ
kalimātu
(the) Words
ٱللَّهِ ۗ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
عَزِيزٌ
ʿazīzun
(is) All-Mighty
حَكِيمٌۭ
ḥakīmun
All-Wise
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
27. If all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea (were ink), with seven more seas added to it, the words [35] of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty and Wise.
[35]
The Meaning of Allah’s Words and the Countlessness of Allah’s Words:
By Allah’s words are meant His creative acts, His wonders, miracles, and His excellences. And these have countless aspects. For example, the wonders of the inner world of man and the wonders of the external world. Human intellect and knowledge are incapable of encompassing either of them. And whatever he has been able to know, it is impossible to record it in writing or to express it. Where human intellect and knowledge themselves are left bewildered, what can he write or express about it? Then, this is not just about the human species alone, which is spread in billions across the world. There are about one million species of animals that have come into human knowledge. Each of them has a physical structure and system of life different from all other species. The same is the case with plants, minerals, and marine creatures. Then, there are many such creatures that have not come into human knowledge and never can. Furthermore, these creative acts of Allah have not ended, rather they are ongoing at every moment. And in His creation, there is progress and increase at every moment. As is clearly stated in some other verses, for example, 51:47 and 55:29. Therefore, in this verse, it is stated that if all the trees were made into pens and all the seas, and even as many more, were made into ink, then these things could come to an end, but Allah’s words would not come to an end. There is nothing exaggerated in this. The reason is that no matter how great the number of these things, they are still limited and can be counted. Whereas Allah’s words are unlimited, for which no limit or count is possible. And it is an established fact that a limited thing can never encompass the unlimited.
[35]
The Meaning of Allah’s Words and the Countlessness of Allah’s Words:
By Allah’s words are meant His creative acts, His wonders, miracles, and His excellences. And these have countless aspects. For example, the wonders of the inner world of man and the wonders of the external world. Human intellect and knowledge are incapable of encompassing either of them. And whatever he has been able to know, it is impossible to record it in writing or to express it. Where human intellect and knowledge themselves are left bewildered, what can he write or express about it? Then, this is not just about the human species alone, which is spread in billions across the world. There are about one million species of animals that have come into human knowledge. Each of them has a physical structure and system of life different from all other species. The same is the case with plants, minerals, and marine creatures. Then, there are many such creatures that have not come into human knowledge and never can. Furthermore, these creative acts of Allah have not ended, rather they are ongoing at every moment. And in His creation, there is progress and increase at every moment. As is clearly stated in some other verses, for example, 51:47 and 55:29. Therefore, in this verse, it is stated that if all the trees were made into pens and all the seas, and even as many more, were made into ink, then these things could come to an end, but Allah’s words would not come to an end. There is nothing exaggerated in this. The reason is that no matter how great the number of these things, they are still limited and can be counted. Whereas Allah’s words are unlimited, for which no limit or count is possible. And it is an established fact that a limited thing can never encompass the unlimited.
