Tafseer of The Dunes · Al-Ahqaf · 46:23
He said, "Knowledge [of its time] is only with Allah, and I convey to you that with which I was sent; but I see you [to be] a people behaving ignorantly."
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: قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ (46:23) (He said: "The knowledge is only with Allah, and I convey to you that with which I was sent, but I see that you are an ignorant people.")
The Exalted, whose praise is sublime, says: Hūd said to his people ʿĀd: ( إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ ) — the knowledge concerning the time of the arrival of that with which I have warned you, namely the punishment of Allah on account of your disbelief in Him, rests with Allah; I know of it only what He has taught me — ( وَأُبَلِّغُكُمْ مَا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ ) — He says: I am only a messenger to you from Allah, a conveyor who conveys to you from Him the message with which He has sent me — ( وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ ) — ignorant of the places where your own welfare lies, so that you do not perceive what harm it holds for you that you worship something other than Allah, and your premature demanding of His punishment.
