Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahqaf Verse 23

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He said, “The knowledge is with Allah alone, and I am conveying to you what I am sent with, but I see you are a people who act ignorantly.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He responded, “The knowledge ˹of its time˺ is only with Allah. I only convey to you what I have been sent with. But I can see that you are a people acting ignorantly.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

He said, “The knowledge [of its coming] is with Allah alone. I only convey to you the message that I have been sent with, but I see that you are an ignorant people.”

A. J. Arberry

He said, 'Knowledge is only with God, and I deliver to you the Message with which I was sent; but I see you are an ignorant people.'

Abdul Haleem

He said, ‘Only God knows when it will come: I simply convey to you the message I am sent with but I can see you are an insolent people.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He said: the knowledge is only with Allah, and I preach Unto you that wherewith I have been sent, but I see you are a people given to ignorance.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He said; "The Knowledge (of when it will come) is only with Allah; I proclaim to you the mission on which I have been sent; But I see that ye are a people in ignorance!"..

Abul Ala Maududi

He replied: “Allah alone knows about this. I only convey to you the Message that I have been sent with. But I see that you are an ignorant people.”

Ahmed Ali

He said: "Only God has the knowledge. I only convey to you what I have been sent with. But I see you are a foolish people."

Ahmed Raza Khan

He said, “Its knowledge is only with Allah; and I convey to you the messages of my Lord, but I perceive that you are an ignorant nation.”

Ali Quli Qarai

He said, ‘The knowledge [of when that threat will be carried out] is with Allah alone. I communicate to you what I have been sent with. But I see that you are a senseless lot.’

Ali Ünal

He said: "The knowledge (of when it will come) is only with God. I convey to you that with which I have been sent as a Messenger, but I see you are a people acting ignorantly."

Amatul Rahman Omar

He said, `Allâh alone has the true knowledge (of the time of the punishment). I am only conveying to you that (Message) I have been sent with. But I see that you are a people behaving obstinately (for no reason).´

English Literal

He said: "But/truly the knowledge (is) at God, and I communicate/inform you what I was sent with it, and but I see you (as) a nation being lowly/ignorant ."

Faridul Haque

He said, “Its knowledge is only with Allah; and I convey to you the messages of my Lord, but I perceive that you are an ignorant nation.”

Hamid S. Aziz

He said, "The knowledge is only with Allah, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent, but I see you are an ignorant people."

Hilali & Khan

He said: "The knowledge (of the time of its coming) is with Allah only, and I convey to you that wherewith I have been sent, but I see that you are a people given to ignorance!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They said: Hast thou come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then bring us that with which thou threatenest us, if thou art truthful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He said: The knowledge is only with Allah, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent, but I see you are a people who are ignorant.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He said: The knowledge is with Allah only. I convey unto you that wherewith I have been sent, but I see you are a folk that know not.

Muhammad Sarwar

He said, "Only God has the knowledge (of the coming of such torment). I preach to you the message that I have brought, but I can see that you are an ignorant people".

Qaribullah & Darwish

'Allah alone has the knowledge' he said, 'I am sent to deliver to you the Message. But I can see that you are ignorant people'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He said: "The knowledge (of that) is only with Allah. And I convey to you that wherewith I have been sent, but I see that you are a people given to ignorance!"

Wahiduddin Khan

He said, "God alone knows when it will come, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent, but I see you are a people who are ignorant."

Talal Itani

He said, “The knowledge is only with God, and I inform you of what I was sent with; but I see you are an ignorant people.”

Tafsir jalalayn

He, Hd, said, `The knowledge is with God only, He is the One Who knows when chastisement will befall you, and I am [merely] conveying to you what I have been sent with, to you. But I see that you are an ignorant lot', given your hastening on of the chastisement.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Hud's response was,

قَالَ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

He said;"The knowledge (of that) is only with Allah."

which means, `Allah knows best about you. If you deserve the punishment to be hastened, He will do that to you.

وَأُبَلِّغُكُم مَّا أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ

And I convey to you that wherewith I have been sent,

i.e. As for me, my duty is to deliver my message to you.'

وَلَكِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ



But I see that you are a people given to ignorance!

which means, `you have no comprehension or understanding.'

Allah then says