Social Quranevery verse · a conversation
Sign in
سُورَةُ لُقۡمَانَ · 31:34
MeccanRevelation order ٥٧Juzʾ ٢١Page ٤١٤

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌۭ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًۭا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌۢ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍۢ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۢ

٣٤
Saheeh International · EN

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.

Bio

Introduction

This is āyah 34 of Sūrat Luqman (Luqman), the 57th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 21. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

Bio

Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Meccan
Order revealed
57 of 114
Surah
Luqman (31)
Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

Surely God-He has knowledge of the Hour. It is a sound report that a nomad came before MuṣṬafā and said, “O Messenger of God, when is the Hour?” At that moment the nomad was burning in love for the Real and the ocean of passion was boiling in his inwardness. He knew that knowledge of the time of the resurrection was not with MuṣṬafā, for this verse had come-“Surely God-He has knowledge of the Hour.” But in wishing to see the Real he wanted to talk, because of his passion's pain and burning. He said, “O Messen- ger of God. There is a drink that I placed in the hand of my need several years ago, and the promise has been given that it will be drunk at the resurrection. When will the time come when I will drink it down and take my ease in contemplating the perfect beauty without end and beginning?” MuṣṬafā knew where his pain was coming from and what its remedy would be. He said, “What have you done that you ask about that way station? How is it that you hope for it?” The nomad said, “I have not done much prayer and fasting, but I love God and the Messenger.” MuṣṬafā said, “A man will be with the one he loves.” Tomorrow, everyone will be with the one he loves today. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The evidence of having found friendship is throwing the two worlds into the ocean. The mark of realizing friendship is turning away from other than the Real. The beginning of friendship is a wound, and its end a lamp. The beginning of friendship is distress, its middle waiting, and its end vision.” What harm if you suffer for a hundred years so long as you see the Friend in vision some day? A poet said, Perhaps the distress with which I awoke will be followed by quick relief. * I said to my heart, “Give it no thought for our work will be opened by the Opener of work.”

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (34) The Knower of the Unseen is Allah These are the keys of the Unseen, whose knowledge Allah alone has kept for Himself, and no one else knows them unless Allah tells him about them. The knowledge of 'when the Hour will occur' is not known to any Prophet who was sent or any angel who is close to Allah. لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ (None can reveal its time but He)(7:187). Similarly, no one but Allah knows when rain will fall, but when He issues the commands, the angels who are entrusted with the task of bringing rain know about it, as do those among His creation whom He wills should know. No one but He knows what is in the wombs…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

The wall

And now — what do you think?

The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.

Sign in to add your voice to this verse.
No reflections yet — be the first.
Provenance

Community resources

No community resources for this verse yet.