383 Page Notes

27 Surah An-Naml (continued)

Page 383 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 383 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 383 of the standard Madinah Mushaf contains Surah An-Naml (27:64–76). This section deals with foundational tenets of Islamic theology (Aqidah), focusing on Allah's exclusive restriction of the unseen knowledge (Ghayb), the psychological denial of the resurrection by the disbelievers, and the role of the Qur'an as a final arbiter clarifying historical disputes for the Children of Israel.

The Sunnah heavily reinforces these specific verses, drawing hard theological lines regarding what created beings can know and defining the metrics of the afterlife.

1. Hadiths Related to the Absolute Monopoly of the Unseen (Verse 65)

“Say, 'None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.'” (27:65)

This verse is the primary scriptural proof-text establishing that no angel, jinn, or prophet possesses independent, absolute knowledge of the unseen (Al-Ghayb). The Sunnah fiercely defends this boundary.

Correcting Misconceptions About the Prophet’s Knowledge

The Prophet Muhammad ($\rho$) strictly prohibited his followers from attributing absolute knowledge of the unseen to him, citing the core message of verse 65.

Hadith: During a wedding, young girls were beating drums and singing poems praising their ancestors. One of them sang: "And among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow."

The Prophet ($\rho$) immediately stopped her and said: “Do not say this. Say the other things you were saying before.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 5147).

The Keys of the Unseen

The Sunnah pairs verse 65 with a definitive list of the major "keys" of the unseen that Allah has withheld from all creation, including the timing of the resurrection mentioned at the end of the verse.

Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ($\rho$) said: “The keys of the Unseen are five, which no one knows except Allah: No one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah; no one knows what is in the wombs except Allah; no one knows when it will rain except Allah; no soul knows in what land it will die except Allah; and no one knows when the Hour (Resurrection) will be except Allah.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4728).

2. Hadiths Related to the Rejection of the Resurrection (Verses 66–69)

“Rather, their knowledge arrests them concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind. And those who disbelieve say, 'When we have become dust and our forefathers, will we indeed be brought out [again]?' ... Say, 'Travel through the land and observe how was the end of the criminals.'” (27:66–69)

The Divine Response to Scepticism

Verses 67–68 capture the mock disbelief of the Makkans regarding their physical reconstruction from dust. The Sunnah records that Allah revealed specific Hadith Qudsi (divine sayings outside the Qur'an) addressing this exact human arrogance.

Hadith Qudsi: The Prophet ($\rho$) said that Allah says: “The son of Adam disbelieved Me, and he had no right to do so... As for his disbelieving Me, it is his saying: 'He will not remake me as He made me at first,' whereas the initial creation of him was not easier for Me than remaking him.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4974).

3. Hadiths Related to Grief Over the Rejectors (Verse 70)

“And grieve not over them or be in distress from what they conspire.” (27:70)

The Prophet’s Deep Empathy and Pain

Allah consoles the Prophet ($\rho$) in verse 70 because his intense desire to save people from punishment caused him profound personal grief when they mocked him. The Sunnah highlights how heavy this emotional burden was for him before divine comfort arrived.

Hadith: The Prophet ($\rho$) described his existential relationship with the deniers who rejected his warnings: “My similitude and the similitude of the people is that of a man who lighted a fire, and when it lighted up what was around it, moths and other insects started falling into the fire. The man tried to prevent them, but they overpowered him and rushed into it. I am grabbing you by your waists to pull you away from the Fire, saying, 'Come away from the Fire!' but you are overpowering me and rushing into it.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6483), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2284).

4. Hadiths Related to the Speed of Divine Punishment (Verses 71–72)

“And they say, 'When is this promise, if you should be truthful?' Say, 'Perhaps it is close behind you - some of that which you wish to hasten.'” (27:71–72)

The Quraysh frequently demanded that the Prophet ($\rho$) bring down immediate structural punishment on them to prove his claims. Verse 72 warns that it is already "close behind" them.

The Fulfillment at the Battle of Badr

Classical Hadith commentators point out that the "hastened" consequence arrived just a few years later at the Battle of Badr, where the core leaders who mocked these verses were defeated.

Hadith: Ibn Mas'ud (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet ($\rho$) faced the Ka'bah and called out the specific leaders of Quraysh who spearheaded the mockery of the revelation (including Abu Jahl, Utbah, and Shaybah). Ibn Mas'ud stated: “I swear by Allah, I saw them all lying dead in the pit of Badr, their bodies altered by the sun, fulfilling what was promised to them.”

• Source Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 3960), Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1794).

5. Hadiths Related to Resolving the Disputes of Israel (Verse 76)

“Indeed, this Qur'an relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.” (27:76)

The Children of Israel split into factions (such as the Pharisees and Sadducees) and disputed deep theological issues, such as the true nature of Prophet Isa (Jesus), legal rulings of the Torah, and the reality of the afterlife. Verse 76 positions the Qur'an as the final, objective corrector of their historical edits.

The Prophetic Role in Upholding the Pure Abrahamic Legacy

The Sunnah shows the Prophet Muhammad ($\rho$) actively performing this corrective duty—using the Qur'an to strip away centuries of scholastic disputes and restore the original monotheistic clarity.

Hadith: When Jewish interlocutors came to the Prophet ($\rho$) trying to debate theological positions or test his scriptural knowledge, he would recite the fresh revelations that directly exposed or settled their internal arguments. After hearing his recitations, their rabbis would frequently admit: “You have spoken the truth.”

• Source Citation: Evidenced across various localized historical contexts, notably in Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4556) regarding disputes over scripture and dietary laws.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari (Vols. 1-9). Darussalam Publishers.

• Muslim, I. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.