The Unseen Knowledge in the Qur'an: A Response to Scientific Objections

By: Adeel Tariq Khan

❖ The Qur'anic Verse and the Common Objection​

"Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted."
(Surah Luqman, 31:34)

Some skeptics argue that this verse is outdated, given that modern science can now predict weather patterns and determine a fetus's gender. To address this, it is essential to understand the context of the verse and the nature of the knowledge it refers to.

❖ Clarification on the Knowledge of the Unseen​

This verse concerns the ‘Ilm al-Ghayb (Knowledge of the Unseen) — not ordinary or scientific knowledge. The Qur'an says:

"And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him."
(Surah Al-An‘am, 6:59)

Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما interpreted this verse as referring to five exclusive types of knowledge known only to Allah:

① The Hour (Day of Judgment)
② When it will rain
③ What is in the wombs
④ What one will earn tomorrow
⑤ In what land one will die
(Tafsir al-Tabari, Vol. 11, p. 402, Hadith: 13307)

Imam al-Nasafi explains, “The unseen is that which cannot be known by any evidence.”
(Tafsir al-Nasafi, Vol. 2, p. 617)

❖ Revelation Context of the Verse​

This verse was revealed in response to a Bedouin named Warith bin Amr who asked the Prophet ﷺ about the Hour, rain, his wife’s pregnancy, his future actions, and place of death. Allah revealed this verse, affirming that such knowledge is exclusive to Him.
(Fath al-Qadeer, al-Shawkani, Vol. 4, p. 282)

Maulana Maududi noted that these five matters remain the exclusive knowledge of Allah, although unseen knowledge as a whole is limitless.
(Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 4, p. 29)

❖ Nature of Divine Knowledge​

The knowledge in this verse refers to absolute and intrinsic knowledge—knowledge not dependent on any cause or tool.

The Qur’an presents Allah’s knowledge as twofold:
✔ Knowledge of the Unseen (ʿIlm al-Ghayb) — inaccessible by human faculties
✔ All-Encompassing Knowledge (ʿIlm Muḥīṭ) — surrounding all matters entirely
(See: Surah Al-An‘am, 6:59)

❖ Limits of Human Knowledge​

Human knowledge is neither complete nor absolute. For instance, a doctor may determine a fetus’s gender through observation, but this is acquired knowledge through tools and technology—not divine or unseen knowledge.

❖ Knowledge of the Womb: Can It Be Transferred?​

The verse uses the word "ʿIndah" (with Him), indicating exclusive, sovereign knowledge. Yet, scholars such as Imam Al-Alusi explain that Allah may choose to reveal womb-related knowledge to angels or even to humans through natural or divine means.
(Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Vol. 11, p. 109)

Ibn Kathir echoes this by stating that Allah may grant knowledge to whomever He wills.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 6, p. 315)

❖ The Broader Meaning of “What Is in the Wombs”​

According to scholars, “Mā fī al-Arḥām” (what is in the wombs) goes beyond just gender. It includes the unborn child’s character, fate, sustenance, color, and lifespan, which are unknowable in totality by any human means.

❖ Conclusion​

The knowledge referred to in this verse is:
✦ Not general, scientific knowledge
✦ Not based on observation or tools
✦ Refers to divine, comprehensive, and intrinsic knowledge alone possessed by Allah

Hence, modern scientific advancements in gender determination or weather forecasting do not contradict the Qur’an. Rather, they emphasize the distinction between acquired knowledge and the unseen knowledge that remains solely with Allah.