Surah Al-Qalam 68:47
سُورَةُ القَلَمِ · Meccan · Verse 47 of 52
أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
Translation
Do they have knowledge of the unseen that enables them to write it down?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
In this verse, Allah addresses the disbelievers' audacious claims through a powerful rhetorical question: "Or do they have the unseen, so they write down?" (أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ). It challenges their baseless assertions and invites us to reflect on the source of our own certainties.
A Shift in Questioning
The word "أم" (Am), meaning "or," signifies a transition in Allah's questioning. As Ibn Ashur notes, it moves from refuting their observable excuses for rejecting the Prophet's message to dismantling their claims of hidden, unobservable knowledge. It's a stark inquiry, probing the very foundation of their arrogance.
The Unseen Claim
The core of the challenge lies in the phrase "عندهم الغيب" (indahu al-ghayb), literally "with them is the unseen." The "unseen" (الغيب) refers to matters hidden from human perception, knowledge that truly belongs only to Allah. Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and al-Jalalayn explain "the unseen" here as the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), a celestial record of all that has been and will be. The structure of the phrase, where "عندهم" (with them) comes before "الغيب," is crucial. Ibn Ashur explains this particular word order emphasizes *exclusivity* (ikhtisas), as if Allah is asking, "Is the knowledge of the unseen *exclusively* with them, not with Allah?" This highlights the sheer audacity of their implied claim.
What They Prescribe
Following this, the verse continues with "فهم يكتبون" (fa-hum yaktuboon), "so they write down." The Arabic letter "ف" (fa), meaning "so" or "therefore," links their supposed possession of the unseen to their actions. If they truly possessed the unseen, *then* it would make sense for them to "write." However, "writing" here is not just about recording; Ibn Ashur explains that "يكتبون" (yaktuboon) can mean "they decree" or "they prescribe." This elevates their claim from merely observing the unseen to actively dictating destiny and establishing rules for themselves. Al-Razi offers that they might be writing down the rewards of their disbelief, or perhaps they are so convinced of their knowledge of unseen matters that they feel they can write and rule as they wish.
This powerful wording exposes the disbelievers' arrogance, suggesting they operate as if they have access to divine knowledge and are therefore free to invent their own truths and destinies, independent of Allah's revelation. For us, it's a profound reminder to humbly acknowledge the limits of our own knowledge and rely on Allah's guidance.
Sources: al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Qalam 68:47 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.