Quran Universe
5:109

۞يَوۡمَ يَجۡمَعُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبۡتُمۡۖ قَالُواْ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلۡغُيُوبِ

Yawma yajmaAAu Allahu alrrusula fayaqoolu matha ojibtum qaloo la AAilma lana innaka anta AAallamu alghuyoobi

[Be warned of] the Day when Allah will assemble the messengers and say, "What was the response you received?" They will say, "We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen"

Word by word
  1. ۞يَوۡمَ(The) day
  2. يَجۡمَعُwill (be) gathered
  3. ٱللَّهُ(by) Allah
  4. ٱلرُّسُلَthe Messengers
  5. فَيَقُولُand He will say
  6. مَاذَآWhat
  7. أُجِبۡتُمۡۖwas (the) response you received
  8. قَالُواْThey said
  9. لَا(There is) no
  10. عِلۡمَknowledge
  11. لَنَآۖfor us
  12. إِنَّكَIndeed You
  13. أَنتَYou
  14. عَلَّـٰمُ(are the) Knower
  15. ٱلۡغُيُوبِ(of) the unseen
Al-Ma'idah · 5:109Madinah

Even the messengers will say: we have no knowledge.

The Day when only Allah knows what was hidden

On that Day
the messengersgathered together
asked
how were you answered?by your people
reply
You know the unseenwe only saw outsides
What people can know
I know their heartsI can tell what they meant
only the outsidehearts belong to Allah

Allah will gather the messengers and ask how their people responded. Mujahid and others said they answer we have no knowledge out of the awe of that Day. Ibn 'Abbas explained it as respect: our knowledge saw only what people did outwardly; You know what was in their hearts.

You are sure you know why your friend did not invite you, why your sister-in-law said that, why that man at the masjid frowned. The best of humanity will say we only saw the outside. Maybe you do not know their hearts either.

I can usually tell what people really meant.

I see what people do. Only Allah knows why.

Try this

Think of one person whose motives you have judged. Give them one good excuse today.

Related7:6
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)?" They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the Knower of all that is hidden. (109)

The Messengers Will be Asked About Their Nations

Allah states that on the Day of Resurrection, He will ask the Messengers about how their nations, to whom He sent them, answered and responded to their teachings. Allah said in other Ayat,

فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers.)[7:6], and,

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ - عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do.)[15:92-93].

The statement of the Messengers here,

لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا

(We have no knowledge) is the result of the horror of that Day, according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and As-Suddi. 'Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Al-A'mash said that Mujahid said about the Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received?") They will become afraid and reply,

لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا

(We have no knowledge...) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this explanation. 'Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ قَالُوا لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

(On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them: "What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)?" They will say: "We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.")

"They will say to the Lord, Most Honored, 'We have no knowledge beyond what we know, and even that, You have more knowledge of them than us." This response is out of respect before the Lord, Most Honored, and it means, we have no knowledge compared to Your encompassing knowledge. Therefore, our knowledge only grasped the visible behavior of these people, not the secrets of their hearts. You are the Knower of everything, Who has encompassing knowledge of all things, and our knowledge compared to Your knowledge is similar to not having any knowledge at all, for

أَنتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

(only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.)