Surah Fussilat — Verse 47

Word Meanings:

• Akmāmiha (أَكْمَامِهَا): The sheaths or husks that envelop fruits, protecting them until they ripen and emerge.
• Ādhannāka (آذَنَّاكَ): We have informed You, made it known to You, and declared it openly.
• Shahīd (شَهِيد): A witness who testifies to something.

Tafsir (Explanation):

The knowledge of the Hour—the exact moment when this world will end and the Day of Judgment will begin—belongs exclusively to Allah. No angel, no prophet, no human, and no jinn possesses even a fraction of this knowledge. It is a matter that is entirely and solely returned to Him, for He alone knows when time itself will cease and creation will be resurrected.

Allah then draws our attention to the signs of His perfect knowledge and power that surround us at every moment. Not a single fruit emerges from its protective sheath or husk—whether it be a date, a pomegranate, or any other fruit—except that Allah knows it completely. Likewise, no female conceives and no female gives birth except with His full knowledge. He knows every detail: the moment of conception, the stages of development in the womb, the time of birth, and the nature of what is born. Nothing escapes His awareness, not even the smallest seed or the tiniest movement.

Then comes the scene of the Hereafter, when Allah will call out to the polytheists who associated partners with Him, rebuking them and exposing their falsehood before all of creation. He will ask them: "Where are My partners—those deities you used to worship alongside Me and claimed were My associates?" At that terrifying moment, when the truth becomes undeniable and all falsehood collapses, they will answer in utter submission and despair: "We declare to You now—there is not a single witness among us who can testify that You have a partner." They will completely disown their false deities and admit their error, but this admission will come too late to save them.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, contemplate the precision of Allah's knowledge that encompasses every fruit as it bursts from its sheath, every drop that becomes a fetus, and every breath that marks the beginning of life. If His knowledge is so complete over these small, everyday matters, how could the greatest event—the Hour itself—ever be hidden from Him?

This verse invites you to recognize the absolute oneness of Allah in His knowledge and His power. When you see fruits ripening on trees, when you witness the miracle of birth, let your heart fill with certainty that the One who manages all of this is fully capable of bringing the dead back to life and establishing the Day of Reckoning.

And reflect on the state of the polytheists on that Day—how they will abandon their false gods and admit their utter failure. Do not wait until that Day to correct your relationship with your Creator. Turn to Allah now, worship Him alone, and live with the awareness that every fruit, every pregnancy, and every moment of your life is known to Him. Let this knowledge fill you with hope, for the One who knows you completely also knows your struggles, your sincerity, and your efforts to please Him. He is the Most Merciful, the Most Just, and His promise of reward for the believers is true.