Indeed with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come; and He it is who sends down rain; and He knows what the wombs contain; whereas no one knows what they will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in what land they will die. God alone is omniscient and takes cognizance of all things. (Luqman: 31: 34)
At the end of this fourth presentation of the central issue of faith and belief in God’s oneness, which completes this surah of medium length, the final note is given: powerful, awesome. It describes God’s perfect and comprehensive knowledge in contrast with the limitation of human knowledge. It states the question discussed throughout the surah, in all four sections, and presents all this in one of the most wonderful images drawn in the Qur’an: “Indeed with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come; and He it is who sends down rain; and He knows what the wombs contain; whereas no one knows what they will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in what land they will die. God alone is omniscient and takes cognizance of all things.”
God Almighty has chosen to keep the knowledge of the Last Hour to Himself; none knows it other than Him. Thus people will always remain cautious, expecting its arrival at any time, and try to be ready for it. They know that there is no time to lose in preparing for its arrival so that they will be reasonably equipped.
It is God who sends down rain in accordance with His wisdom, and in the measure He chooses. People may know by experience and measurements that rain is due, but they cannot create the conditions that bring rain. The Qur’anic statement makes clear that it is God who sends down the rain, as it is He who initiates the universal conditions that form and regulate it. Thus, what is exclusive to God in this respect is the ability to send down the rain, as this is made clear in the text. God’s knowledge is true, complete, comprehensive and permanent in all matters. It is not liable to increase or decrease.
“He knows what the wombs contain.” This is exclusive knowledge similar to that of the Last Hour. It is God alone who knows, with absolute certainty, what wombs contain at every moment and in every stage, how they swell or shrink, what type of fetus, even when it has no shape, form or size. He knows whether it is a male or a female, even at the moment when no one can have any knowledge of it, at the time when the female egg is fertilized. He further knows the features the fetus will have, its characteristics and future abilities. All this is part of God’s exclusive knowledge.
“Whereas no one knows what they will earn tomorrow.” No one knows what will happen to them tomorrow: good or bad, benefit or harm, ease or hardship, health or sickness, obedience to God or disobedience. ‘Earning’ is far more general than material gain. It applies to everything that happens to a person tomorrow, which is kept hidden under thick covers. People may try to discover it, but they will always remain unable to discern anything beyond those covers.
Similarly, “No one knows in what land they will die.” Such knowledge is kept behind thick blinds, which cannot be penetrated by hearing or sight.
As human beings we stand before these covers acknowledging our weakness and limited knowledge. Thus, the arrogance of assumed, penetrative knowledge is seen for what it is. We realize that, compared with what is withheld from us, our knowledge is limited indeed. Even when human knowledge achieves all that it can, there remains a great deal, which they do not know. They will remain unable to know what happens tomorrow, or even in the next moment. With such realization, humans will reduce their arrogance and submit to God.
The surah presents these highly effective notes against an expansive background of time and place, the present, the near future, the great realm that lies beyond our perception, our thoughts and imagination. The background includes the Last Hour that seems so distant, rain which originates far away, the wombs and their hidden contents, what is earned tomorrow which is close in time yet remains unknown, and the place of death and burial which is driven away in our thoughts. Although the background is expansive, yet the Qur’anic style gathers it from its broad perspective so that it comes close and gathers at the point of the hidden knowledge. Thus we stand as though we try to look through a peephole, but we find it blocked. Should even a tiny opening be made in it, what is behind it becomes in the same position as what is before it. But it remains closed to man because it is beyond human ability and knowledge. It continues to belong exclusively to God. None knows anything about it except by His permission and according to the measure He determines. “God alone is omniscient and takes cognizance of all things.”
Thus the surah concludes and we feel that it has taken us on a very long journey to distant worlds and horizons. Our hearts return in a slow move after traversing such great distances. Our minds heavy with thoughts and reflections on what we have seen of worlds beyond worlds. Yet it is a surah made of 34 verses. All glory belongs to God, the Creator of hearts, who has bestowed this Qur’an, which heals hearts, provides guidance and brings mercy to the believers.