Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:46
Say, "O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between your servants concerning that over which they used to differ."
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: قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِي مَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ (39:46) (Say: "O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge among Your servants concerning that wherein they used to differ.")
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad: Allah is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, ( عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ) — the Knower of the unseen (al-ghayb), that which the glances do not see and the eyes do not perceive, and the witnessed (al-shahāda), that which the glances of His creatures behold and their eyes see. ( أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ ) — You judge among Your servants, and You distinguish among them with the truth on the Day when You gather them to pass judgment among them ( فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ ) — concerning that wherein they, in this world, ( يَخْتَلِفُونَ ) used to differ, in sayings about You, about Your majesty and Your dominion, and all else wherein they differed among themselves. Thus on that Day You will judge between us and these polytheists (mushrikīn) who, when You alone are mentioned, are repelled in their hearts, but who, when one other than You is mentioned, rejoice — while the truth lies with You.
And in a sense similar to what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad related to me, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His saying: ( فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ ) — "fāṭir" means: Originator. And concerning His saying ( عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ ) he said: that which is hidden from the servants, that He knows; ( وَالشَّهَادَةِ ): that which the servants know and behold, that He knows.
