Tafseer of The Star · An-Najm · 53:30
That is their sum of knowledge. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of who is guided.
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: ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَى (53:30) ("That is the [utmost] reach of their knowledge. Truly, your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who has followed the guidance") (53:30).
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: That which these people who do not believe in the Hereafter say about the angels, namely that they give them a feminine name, مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ("is the [utmost] reach of their knowledge"). He says: They possess no knowledge other than this disbelief in Allah and the ascribing of partners to Him, on the basis of conjecture without certain knowledge.
And Ibn Zayd used to say concerning this, as Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His saying فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَنْ تَوَلَّى عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا * ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ("So turn away from whoever turns away from Our remembrance and desires nothing but the worldly life. That is the [utmost] reach of their knowledge"): he said: He says: they possess no knowledge other than that in which they are immersed, namely the disbelief in the Messenger of Allah and their scheming against what has come from Allah. He said: and these are the people of ascribing partners (shirk).
And His saying إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ ("Truly, your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path"). The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: Truly, your Lord, O Muhammad, knows best who has deviated from His path in His prior knowledge, such that he will not believe. And that path is Islam. وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَى ("and He knows best who has followed the guidance"). He says: and your Lord knows best who has attained His path and walked upon it in the course of His knowledge. And that path too is Islam.
