Tafseer of Luqman · Luqman · 31:27
And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ (31:27) ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens, and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas — were ink, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Verily, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise" (31:27)).
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and even if all the trees of the earth were cut into pens, والبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ ("and the sea that replenishes it") — He says: and the sea is ink for it; the personal pronoun in His saying يَمُدُّهُ ("that replenishes it") refers back to the sea. And His saying منْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مِا نَفِدَتْ كَلِماتُ اللهِ ("after it seven seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted") — in these words something has been omitted for which the plain meaning sufficed, namely: and the word of Allah were written with those pens and with that ink, then those pens would break and that ink would run out, but the words of Allah would not be exhausted.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the people of interpretation have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, who said: I asked al-Ḥasan about this verse وَلَوْ أنَّما في الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقْلامٌ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens"). He said: even if the trees of the earth were made into pens, and the seas were made into ink, and Allah were to say: "to My disposal belongs this, and to My disposal belongs that," then the water of the seas would run out and the pens would break.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: al-Ḥakam related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us concerning His saying وَلَوْ أنَّما في الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقْلامٌ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens"), he said: even if they were cut into pens and the sea into ink, and one were to write therefrom with those pens, ma نَفِدَتْ كَلِماتُ اللهِ ("the words of Allah would not be exhausted"), even if He were to replenish it with seven seas.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying وَلَوْ أنَّما في الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقْلامٌ والبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أبْحُرٍ ما نَفِدَتْ كَلِماتُ اللهِ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens, and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas — then the words of Allah would not be exhausted"). He said: the polytheists (mushrikīn) said: this is only a word that will soon run out. He said: even if the trees of the mainland were pens, and at the sea were seven seas, then the wonders of my Lord and His wisdom and His creation and His knowledge would not be exhausted.
And it has been mentioned that this verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in connection with a dispute that the Jews had with him.
* Mention of who said that:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Yūnus ibn Bukayr related to us, saying: Ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: a man of the people of Mecca related to me, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: that the rabbis of the Jews said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Medina: O Muḥammad, tell us about His saying وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا ("And you have been given of knowledge only a little") — do you mean us, or do you mean your people? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "all of you." They said: do you not recite in what has been brought to you that we have been given the Torah, in which is the exposition of every thing? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "verily, that is little in the knowledge of Allah, and with you is of it what suffices you." Then Allah revealed to him, concerning that about which they asked him: وَلَوْ أنَّما في الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقْلامٌ وَالبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أبْحُرٍ ما نَفِدَتْ كَلِماتُ اللهِ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens, and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas — then the words of Allah would not be exhausted"), that is to say: that the Torah is, in this [respect], little of the knowledge of Allah.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: the People of the Book asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the spirit (al-rūḥ), and Allah revealed وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا ("And they ask you about the spirit. Say: the spirit belongs to the disposal of my Lord, and you have been given of knowledge only a little"). Then they said: you claim that we have been given of knowledge only a little, while we have been given the Torah, and that is wisdom; and وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ("and whoever is given wisdom has been given much good"). He said: then was revealed وَلَوْ أنَّما في الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقْلامٌ والبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أبْحُرٍ ما نَفِدَتْ كَلِماتُ اللهِ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens, and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas — then the words of Allah would not be exhausted"). He said: what you have been given of knowledge, by which Allah has saved you from the Fire and admitted you into the Garden (janna), is much and good, but it is little in the knowledge of Allah.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to me, on the authority of some of his companions, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, who said: when there was revealed in Mecca وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا ("And you have been given of knowledge only a little") — by it are meant the Jews — and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had emigrated to Medina, the rabbis of the Jews came to him and said: O Muḥammad, has it not reached us that you say وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا ("And you have been given of knowledge only a little")? Do you mean by it us, or your people? He said: "all of you, that is what I meant." They said: but you recite that we have been given the Torah, and in it is the exposition of every thing. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "that is little in the knowledge of Allah, and Allah has brought you what — if you were to act by it — would benefit you." Then Allah revealed: وَلَوْ أنَّما فِي الأرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أقلامٌ والبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ منْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أبْحُرٍ ("And if all the trees that are upon the earth were pens, and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas") up to His saying إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ("Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing").
And the reciters differed over the reading of His saying والبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مَنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أبْحُرٍ ("and the sea — replenished after it by seven seas"). Most of the reciters of Medina and Kufa read (والبحرُ) in the nominative (rafʿ) as the subject of a new sentence, while the reciters of Basra read it in the accusative (naṣb), as connected to "mā" in His saying وَلَوْ أنَّمَا فِي الأرْضِ ("And if [were] what is upon the earth"). And with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is in my judgment correct. And His saying إنَّ اللهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ("Verily, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise") — He says: verily, Allah possesses almightiness in His retribution against whoever ascribes partners to Him and invokes another god besides Him; All-Wise in His governance of His creation.
