Quran Universe
69:42

وَلَا بِقَوۡلِ كَاهِنٖۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Wala biqawli kahinin qaleelan ma tathakkaroona

Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd not
  2. بِقَوۡلِ(it is the) word
  3. كَاهِنٖۚ(of) a soothsayer
  4. قَلِيلٗاlittle
  5. مَّا(is) what
  6. تَذَكَّرُونَyou take heed
Al-Haqqah · 69:42Makkah

Not a fortune teller either. Little do you reflect.

The second answer that reached Umar's heart

Umar's next thought
a soothsayer thenif not a poet
then hears
nor a soothsayerlittle you reflect
What is missing
more evidence
reflectionlittle do you remember

Umar then thought, he must be a soothsayer, if not a poet. The very next words recited were nor the word of a soothsayer, little do you reflect. Umar said Islam entered deep into his heart.

You hear a verse that seems to answer what you were just thinking. It happens. The question is whether you stop and reflect, or move on to the next video.

I would believe more if I had more proof.

Often what I lack is not proof but reflection.

Try this

Take one verse you read today and spend five minutes thinking about it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 69:38)

So, I swear by whatsoever you see (38)And by whatsoever you see not (39)That this is verily the word of an honored Messenger (40)It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe (41)Nor is it the word of a soothsayer, little is that you remember (42)This is the revelation sent down from the Lord of all that exists (43)

The Qur'an is the Speech of Allah

Allah swears by His creation, in which some of His signs can be seen in His creatures. These also indicate the perfection of His Names and Attributes. He then swears by the hidden things that they cannot see. This is an oath swearing that the Qur'an is His Speech, His inspiration and His revelation to His servant and Messenger, whom He chose to convey His Message, and the Messenger carried out this trust faithfully. So Allah says,

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ - وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ - إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ

(So I swear by whatsoever you see, and by whatsoever you see not, that this is verily the word of an honored Messenger.) meaning, Muhammad ﷺ. Allah gave this description to him, a description which carries the meaning of conveying, because the duty of a messenger is to convey from the sender. Therefore, Allah gave this description to the angelic Messenger in Surat At-Takwir, where he said,

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ - ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ - مُطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ

(Verily, this is the Word of (this Qur'an brought by) a most honorable messenger. Owner of power (and high rank) with Allah, the Lord of the Throne. Obeyed and trustworthy.)(81:19-21) And here, it refers to Jibril. Then Allah says,

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بِمَجْنُونٍ

(and your companion is not a madman.)(81:22) meaning, Muhammad ﷺ.

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ

(And indeed he saw him in the clear horizon.)(81:23) meaning, Muhammad ﷺ saw Jibril in his true form in which Allah created him.

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ بِضَنِينٍ

(And he is not Danin with the Unseen.)(81:24) meaning, suspicious.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ

(And it (the Qur'an) is not he word of the outcast Shaytan.)(81:25) This is similar to what is being said here.

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(It is not the word of a poet, little is that you believe! Nor is it the word of soothsayer, little is that you remember!) So in one instance Allah applies the term messenger to the angelic Messenger and in another instance He applies it to the human Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ). This is because both of them are conveying from Allah that which has been entrusted to them of Allah's revelation and Speech. Thus, Allah says,

تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ 

(This is the revelation sent down from the Lord of all that exists.)