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3584 Life is taken seriously by men who realize the issues that hang upon it. But there are men of a frivolous turn of mind
who prefer idle tales to true Realities and they are justly rebuked here. In the time of the holy Prophet there was a
pagan Nadhr ibn al-Harith who preferred Persian romances to the Message of Allah, and turned away ignorant men
from the preaching of Allah's Word. (31.6)
31:34 - Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain and
He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on
the morrow: nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full
knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things). 362536263627
3625 The question of Knowledge or Mystery governs both clauses here, viz.: Rain and Wombs. In fact it governs all the five
things mentioned in this verse: viz. (1) the Hour; (2) Rain; (3) the Birth of a new Life (Wombs); (4) our Physical Life
from day to day; (5) our Death. See n. 3627 below. As regards Rain we are asked to contemplate how and when it is
sent down. The moisture may be sucked up by the sun's heat in the Arabian Sea or the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean
near East Africa, or in the Lake Region in Central Africa. The winds drive it hither and thither across thousands of
miles, or it may be, only short distances. "The wind bloweth where it listeth." No doubt it obeys certain physical Laws
established by Allah, but how these Laws are interlocked, one with another! Meteorology, gravity, hydrostatics and
dynamics, climatology, hygrometry, and a dozen other sciences are involved, and no man can completely master all
of them, and yet this relates to only one of the millions of facts in physical nature, which are governed by Allah's
Knowledge and Law. The whole vegetable kingdom is primarily affected by Rain. The mention of Wombs brings in the
mystery of animal Life, Embryology, Sex, and a thousand other things. Who can tell-to take man alone-how long it will
remain in the womb, whether it will be born alive, what sort of a new individual it will be,-a blessing or a curse to its
parents, or to Society? (31.34)
3626 "Earn" here, as elsewhere, means not only "earn one's livelihood" in a physical sense, but also to reap the
consequences (good or ill) of one's conduct generally. The whole sentence practically means; "no man knows what
the morrow may bring forth." (31.34)
3627 See the five Mysteries summed up in n. 3625 above. The argument is about the mystery of Time and Knowledge. We
are supposed to know things in ordinary life. But what does that knowledge amount to in reality? Only a superficial
acquaintance with things. And Time is even more uncertain. In the case of rain, which causes vegetable life to spring
up, or in the case of new animal life, can we answer with precision questions as to When or How or Wherefore? So
about questions of our life from day to day or of our death. These are great mysteries, and full knowledge is with Allah
only. How much more so in the case of the Ma'ad, the Final House, when all true values will be restored and the
balance redressed? It is certain, but the When and the How are known to Allah alone. (31.34)
34:6 - And those to whom knowledge has come see that the (Revelation) sent down to thee from
thy Lord that is the Truth and that it guides to the Path of the Exalted (in Might) Worthy of all
praise. 3793
3793 Against the doubts and vain imaginings of the Ignorant is the certainty of knowledge of the Englightened: that Allah
reveals Himself, and that His Revelation is true, and leads to the Path of true Guidance. That Path is the Path of Allah,
Who, in His infinite Love and Mercy, is Worthy of all Praise. It is possible to connect this with the "Record
Perspicuous" in verse 3 above: 'it is perspicuous...for the Englightened do see...' (34.6)
35:11 - And Allah did create you from dust; then from a sperm-drop; then He made you in pairs.
And no female conceives or lays down (her load) but with His knowledge. Nor is a man longlived
granted length of days nor is a part cut off from his life but is in a Decree (ordained). All
this is easy for Allah. 3884388538863887
3884 Cf. xviii. 37 and n. 2379; xxii. 5 and n. 2773; and xxx. 20, and n. 3524. Here the argument is that man's physical origin
is lowly: his physical body is but dust; his life-sperm issues from a part of his body which he hides and considers as a
place of shame; and the mystery of sex shows that no one individual among mankind is sufficient in himself. Glory and
power and knowledge are not in him, but in Allah, from Whom alone he derives any glory, or power, or knowledge that
he possesses. (35.11)
3886 Things that appear most secret and mysterious to man are all known and ordained by Allah. They are all subject to
Allah's Laws and Decrees. The mystery of human birth (see n. 3625 to xxxi. 34), the mystery of sex, the mystery of
Life and Death and many other things, seem to man inexplicable. But they are all ordained by Allah, and their reasons
are fully known to Him. (35.11)
3887 Man's knowledge may be acquired laboriously and may be a burden to him. Allah's knowledge is different; it is not
task or burden to Him. Cf. xxxiii. 19 and 30. (35.11)
35:38 - Verily Allah knows (all) the hidden things of the heavens and the earth: verily He has full
knowledge of all that is in (men's) hearts. 3929
3929 Everything that exists is known to Allah: not only concrete things, but feelings, motives, plans,
and acts of the will in the human breast. (35.38)
39:9 - Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in
adoration) who takes heed of the Hereafter and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord
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