Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah 109 (5:109)

ٱلْمَائِدَة

۞ يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ …

Quran 5:109 is ayah 109 of Surah Al-Ma'idah (“The Table Spread”), a Medinan surah of 120 ayahs. It is in Juz 7, on page 126 of the Madani Mushaf.

5:109
۞ يَوْمَيَجْمَعُٱللَّهُٱلرُّسُلَفَيَقُولُمَاذَآأُجِبْتُمْ ۖقَالُوا۟لَاعِلْمَلَنَآ ۖإِنَّكَأَنتَعَلَّٰمُٱلْغُيُوبِ١٠٩
yawma yajmaʿu l-lahu l-rusula fayaqūlu mādhā ujib'tum qālū lā ʿil'ma lanā innaka anta ʿallāmu l-ghuyūbi

[Be warned of] the Day when Allāh will assemble the messengers and say, "What was the response you received?" They will say, "We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen" -(109)

Word by word

  1. ۞ يَوْمَyawma(The) day
  2. يَجْمَعُyajmaʿuwill (be) gathered
  3. ٱللَّهُl-lahu(by) Allah
  4. ٱلرُّسُلَl-rusulathe Messengers
  5. فَيَقُولُfayaqūluand He will say
  6. مَاذَآmādhāWhat
  7. أُجِبْتُمْ ۖujib'tumwas (the) response you received
  8. قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
  9. لَاlā(There is) no
  10. عِلْمَʿil'maknowledge
  11. لَنَآ ۖlanāfor us
  12. إِنَّكَinnakaIndeed You
  13. أَنتَantaYou
  14. عَلَّٰمُʿallāmu(are the) Knower
  15. ٱلْغُيُوبِl-ghuyūbi(of) the unseen

Tafsir (commentary) of 5:109

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Messengers ﷺ Will be Asked About Their Nations

Allah states that on the Day of Resurrection, He will ask the Messengers about how their nations, to whom He sent them, answered and responded to their teachings. Allah said in other Ayat,

فَلَنَسْـَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْـَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers.) 7:6, and,

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْـَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ - عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

(So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do.) 15:92-93. The statement of the Messengers here,

لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَآ

(We have no knowledge) is the result of the horror of that Day, according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and As-Suddi. `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Al-A`mash said that Mujahid said about the Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبْتُمْ

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received") They will become afraid and reply,

لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَآ

(We have no knowledge. ..) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this explanation. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبْتُمْ قَالُواْ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـمُ الْغُيُوبِ

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)" They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.") "They will say to the Lord, Most Honored, `We have no knowledge beyond what we know, and even that, You have more knowledge of them than us." This response is out of respect before the Lord, Most Honored, and it means, we have no knowledge compared to Your encompassing knowledge. Therefore, our knowledge only grasped the visible behavior of these people, not the secrets of their hearts. You are the Knower of everything, Who has encompassing knowledge of all things, and our knowledge compared to Your knowledge is similar to not having any knowledge at all, for

أَنتَ عَلَّـمُ الْغُيُوبِ

(only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.)

إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى وَلِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِى الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْراً بِإِذْنِى وَتُبْرِىءُ الاٌّكْمَهَ وَالاٌّبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِى وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ الْمَوتَى بِإِذْنِى وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ - وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ ءَامِنُواْ بِى وَبِرَسُولِى قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ

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