Al-Qur'an Surah Luqman Verse 34

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Surely, it is Allah with whom rests the knowledge of the Hour; and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No one knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in which land he will die. Surely, Allah is All Knowing, All Aware.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ has the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain,[[ He knows precisely when, where, and how much rain falls, and whether it is going to be drunk by people and animals or used for irrigation, or absorbed by the earth, etc. ]] and knows what is in the wombs.[[ The Prophet (ﷺ) was reported in a ḥadîth collected by Bukhâri and Muslim to have said, “Indeed, the creation of each one of you is brought together in the womb of one’s mother as a drop of ˹male and female˺ discharges for forty days, then one becomes a clinging clot of blood for a similar period, then a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then an angel is sent to blow the breath of life into the embryo. The angel is then commanded to write four things: one’s destined provisions, lifespan, actions, and whether one will be happy or miserable ˹in the Hereafter˺.”]] No soul knows what it will earn for tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Indeed, Allah has the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will do tomorrow, nor does any soul know in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

A. J. Arberry

Surely God -- He has knowledge of the Hour; He sends down the rain; He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it shall earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die. Surely God is All-knowing, All-aware.

Abdul Haleem

Knowledge of the Hour [of Resurrection] belongs to God; it is He who sends down the relieving rain and He who knows what is hidden in the womb. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die; it is God who is all knowing and all aware.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily Allah! with Him alone is the knowledge of the Hour, and He it is who sendeth down the rain and knoweth that which is in the wombs: and no person knoweth whatsoever it shall earn on the morrow, and a person knoweth not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow; Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).

Abul Ala Maududi

Surely Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour. It is He Who sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs, although no person knows what he will earn tomorrow, nor does he know in which land he will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Ahmed Ali

Only God has the knowledge of the Hour. He sends rain from the heavens, and knows what is in the mothers' wombs. No one knows what he will do on the morrow; no one knows in what land he will die. Surely God knows and is cognisant.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Indeed Allah has the knowledge of the Last Day! And He sends down the rain; and He knows all what is in the mothers’ wombs; and no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow; and no soul knows the place where it will die; indeed Allah is the All Knowing, the Informer. (He may reveal the knowledge to whomever He wills.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-aware.

Ali Ünal

With God alone rests the knowledge of the Last Hour (when it will come). He sends down rain (just at the time and place He alone knows), and He alone knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what place it will die. Surely God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Verily, Allâh alone has the knowledge of the Hour (of Resurrection). He sends down the rain. And He knows what the wombs contain. And nobody knows what he will accomplish on the morrow. And nobody knows the land where he will die. Verily, Allâh (alone) is the All-Knowing, All-Aware.

English Literal

That truly God at him (is) the Hour`s/Resurrection`s knowledge, and He descends the rain, and He knows what (is) in the wombs/uteruses , and no self knows what it earns/acquires tomorrow (in the) future, and no self knows with/at which land/ground/Earth it dies, that truly God (is) knowledgeable, expert/experienced.295

Faridul Haque

Indeed Allah has the knowledge of the Last Day! And He sends down the rain; and He knows all what is in the mothers’ wombs; and no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow; and no soul knows the place where it will die; indeed Allah is the All Knowing, the Informer. (He may reveal the knowledge to whomever He wills.)

Hamid S. Aziz

O mankind! Fear (keep your duty to) your Lord and dread the Day when the parent shall not be able to avail the child in aught, nor shall the child avail aught for its parent. Lo! the promise of Allah is true! Say, "Let not the life of this world beguile you; nor let not the Chief Deceiver beguile you concerning Allah.

Hilali & Khan

Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when a wave like awnings covers them, they call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. But when He brings them safe to land, some of them follow the middle course. And none denies Our signs but every perfidious, ungrateful one.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely Allah is He with Whom is the knowledge of the hour, and He sends down the rain and He knows what is in the wombs; and no one knows what he shall earn on the morrow; and no one knows in what land he shall die; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! Allah! With Him is knowledge of the Hour. He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth that which is in the wombs. No soul knoweth what it will earn to-morrow, and no soul knoweth in what land it will die. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.

Muhammad Sarwar

Only God has the knowledge of the coming of the Hour of Doom. He sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No soul is aware of what it will achieve tomorrow and no soul knows in which land it will die. God is All-knowing and All-aware.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah, He alone has knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what he will earn tomorrow; and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely, Allah is the Knower, the Aware.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.

Wahiduddin Khan

Truly, God alone has knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely, God is all knowing, all-aware.

Talal Itani

With God rests the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain, and He knows what the wombs contain. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. God is All-Knowing, Well-Informed.

Tafsir jalalayn

Lo! God, with Him lies knowledge of the Hour, when it will come to pass; and He sends down (read yunzilu, or yunazzilu) the rain, at times which [only] He knows; and He knows what is in the wombs, whether it is a male or a female; and not one of the three things is known by anyone other than God, exalted be He. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, of good or evil, but God, exalted be He, knows this; and no soul knows in what land it will die, but God, exalted be He, knows this. Truly God is Knower, of all things, Aware, of the inward and outward aspects thereof. Al-Bukhr reported [by way of an isnd] from [`Abd Allh] Ibn `Umar the following hadth; `The Keys of the Unseen are five; Lo! God, with Him lies knowledge of the Hour ... to the end of the sra' [above]. Meccan, except for verses 16 to 20 inclusive, which are Medinese; it consists of 30 verses revealed after [srat] al-Mu'minn.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah says;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow,

The Knower of the Unseen is Allah. These are the keys of the Unseen, whose knowledge Allah alone has kept for Himself, and no one else knows them unless Allah tells him about them. The knowledge of `when the Hour will occur' is not known to any Prophet who was sent or any angel who is close to Allah.

لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَأ إِلااَّ هُوَ

None can reveal its time but He. (7;187)

Similarly, no one but Allah knows when rain will fall, but when He issues the commands, the angels who are entrusted with the task of bringing rain know about it, as do those among His creation whom He wills should know.

No one but He knows what is in the wombs of what He wants to create, but when He decrees whether it is to be male or female, and whether it is to be blessed or doomed, the angels who are entrusted with that know about it, as do those among His creation whom He wills should know.

وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا

No person knows what he will earn tomorrow,

No one knows what he will earn tomorrow with regard to this world or the Hereafter.

وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ

and no person knows in what land he will die.

in his own land or elsewhere, in some other land. No one knows this.

This Ayah is like the Ayah,

وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَأ إِلاَّ هُوَ

And with Him are the keys of the Unseen, none knows them but He. (6;59)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ




Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.

It was reported in the Sunnah that the above five things are called the Keys of the Unseen.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Buraydah said that he heard the Messenger of Allah say;

خَمْسٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ


There are five things which no one knows except Allah;

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour,

He sends down the rain,

and knows that which is in the wombs.

No person knows what he will earn tomorrow,

and no person knows in what land he will die.

Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.

The chain of narrators for this Hadith is Sahih, although they did not recorded it.
The Hadith of Ibn Umar

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Umar said,

"The Messenger of Allah said;

مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللهُ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ


The Keys of the Unseen are five, which no one knows except Allah;

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour,

He sends down the rain,

and knows that which is in the wombs.

No person knows what he will earn tomorrow,

and no person knows in what land he will die.

Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.

This was recorded only by Al-Bukhari, which he narrated in the Book of the Rain Prayer in his Sahih.

He also recorded it in his Tafsir with a different chain of narrators, stating that Abdullah bin Umar said,

"The Prophet said;

مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْس

The Keys of the Unseen are five."

Then he recited;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs...

This too was recorded only by Al-Bukhari.
The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah

In his Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah was standing before the people one day when a man came to him and said,

`O Messenger of Allah, what is Iman?'

He said;

الاِْيمَانُ أَنْ تُوْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلَيِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلِقَايِهِ وَتُوْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ الاْخِر
Iman is to believe;

in Allah,

His Angels,

His Books,

His Messengers and

in the meeting with Him,

and to believe in the Resurrection in the Hereafter.

He said;`O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam?'

He said;

الاِْسْلَمُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْيًا وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَةَ وَتُوْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَان


Islam is

to worship Allah Alone and not associate anything in worship with Him,

to establish regular prayer,

to pay the obligatory Zakah, and

to fast in Ramadan.

He said, `O Messenger of Allah, what is Ihsan?'

He said;

الاِْحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك
Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He sees you.

He said, `O Messenger of Allah, when will the Hour come?'

He said;

مَا الْمَسْوُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّايِلِ وَلكِنْ سَأُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا

إِذَا وَلَدَتِ الاَْمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا فَذَاكَ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا وَإِذَا كَانَ الْحُفَاةُ الْعُرَاةُ رُوُوسَ النَّاسِ فَذَاكَ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا فِي خَمْسٍ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللهُ

The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I will tell you of some of its signs;

when the servant woman gives birth to her mistress, that is one of its signs;

when the barefoot and naked become leaders of the people, that is one of its signs.

The timing of the Hour is one of the five things which no one knows except Allah;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs....

Then the man went away, and the Prophet said,
رُدُّوهُ عَلَي
(Bring him back to me).

They went to bring him back, but they could not find him.

He said;

هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ جَاءَ لِيُعَلِّمَ النَّاسَ دِينَهُم

That was Jibril who came to teach the people their religion.

It was also recorded by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Faith, and by Muslim with several chains of narration.

We have discussed this at the beginning of our commentary on Al-Bukhari, where we mentioned at length some Hadiths narrated by the Commander of the faithful Umar bin Al-Khattab. These were recorded only by Muslim.

وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ

and no person knows in what land he will die.

Qatadah said,

"There are some things which Allah has kept to Himself, and they are not known to any angel who is close to Him or any Prophet who was sent by Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ

Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour,

no one among mankind knows when the Hour will come, in which year or month, or whether it will come at night or during the day.

وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ

He sends down the rain,

and no one knows when rain will come, night or day.

وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الاَْرْحَامِ

and knows that which is in the wombs.

No one knows what is in the wombs, male or female, red or black, or what it is.

وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَداً

No person knows what he will earn tomorrow,

whether it will be good or bad. You do not know, O son of Adam, when you will die. You might die tomorrow, you might be stricken by calamity tomorrow.

وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ

and no person knows in what land he will die.

means, no person knows where his resting place will be, on the land or in the sea, on a plain or in the mountains.

It says in the Hadith;

إِذَا أَرَادَ اللهُ قَبْضَ عَبْدٍ بِأَرْضٍ جَعَلَ لَهُ إِلَيْهَا حَاجَة


If Allah wants to take a person's soul in a particular land, He will give him a reason to go there.

In Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabir, Al-Hafiz Abu Al-Qasim At-Tabarani recorded that Usamah bin Zayd said,

"The Messenger of Allah said;

مَا جَعَلَ اللهُ مِيتَةَ عَبْدٍ بِأَرْضٍ إِلاَّ جَعَلَ لَهُ فِيهَا حَاجَة


Allah does not will that a person should die in a certain land but He gives him a reason to go there."

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Luqman. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the Best Disposer of affairs