This treatise is dedicated to the exegesis of the concluding part of verse 217 of Surah Al-Baqarah, focusing particularly on the phrase وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (And Allah knows while you do not know). It adopts a systematic and scholarly approach to explore profound theological, philosophical, and ontological concepts. Utilizing theological and Quranic frameworks, this interpretation elucidates divine knowledge, life, power, and peace within the cosmos. By offering a novel perspective on the harmony of these attributes in the essence of the Almighty and creatures, a comprehensive outlook is presented. The text is articulated in an elevated, formal, and academic style, suitable for erudite audiences, enriching the original content with literary allusions and metaphorical expressions, while maintaining rigorous scholarly integrity.
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَنْ دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا ۚ وَمَنْ يَرْتَدِدْ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ * إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ * وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred month. Say: Fighting therein is a grave matter, yet turning people away from the path of Allah, disbelief in Him, preventing access to the Sacred Mosque, and expelling its inhabitants are greater in the sight of Allah; and sedition is worse than killing. They will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion, if they are able. Whoever among you turns back from his religion and dies while he is a disbeliever, his deeds are nullified in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the inhabitants of the Fire, where they shall abide eternally. Indeed, those who believe, emigrate, and strive in the cause of Allah they hope for Allahs mercy; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And Allah knows while you do not know.
The phrase وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ points to the boundless and infinite knowledge of God, which stands in contrast to the finite scope of human cognition. This knowledge encompasses not only awareness of all external and internal matters but constitutes an essence that envelops the entire order of creation, sustaining all beings. Divine knowledge is intrinsic and limitless, whereas the knowledge of created beings is confined within their existential boundaries. This distinction is akin to a light emanating from the inexhaustible divine source, illuminating the shadows of limited human understanding.
Knowledge within the created order is divided into three levels:
This classification demonstrates the systematic nature of creation, where knowledge flows like a river from the divine origin towards creatures, each receiving according to their existential capacity.
Creatures possess knowledge proportional to their degree of life, exemplifying ontological unity within creation. Life, as existence itself, is the principle of attributes from which knowledge and power emanate. This coordination, like an invisible thread, connects creatures to the essence of the Almighty.
While the knowledge of creatures aligns with their life-force, their power does not correspond equivalently. This limitation signifies a lower degree of power relative to knowledge and life, as if power is but a shadow cast by the light of knowledge and life, never fully reaching their entirety.
Divine knowledge, like an inexhaustible sun, illuminates the order of creation, and creaturesfrom minerals to humanssubsist upon this knowledge. The hierarchies of knowledge, from Gods essence to the saints and creatures, reveal a grand order where life and knowledge act as dual wings guiding beings towards perfection. The limitation of power relative to knowledge indicates the finite capacity of created beings, akin to a drop before an ocean compared to the divine plenitude.
Within the essence of the Almighty, life, knowledge, and power are equal, without augmentation or contradiction. This equality mirrors a perfect reflection of divine absolute perfection, affirming the unity of essence and attributes in God. Unlike creatures, whose knowledge and power are limited, these attributes in God exist in complete harmony and parity.
