Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

188. “Say: ‘I own for my self neither any benefit nor harm except what Allah may please; and had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am not but a warner and a giver of glad tidings for a people who believe’.”

Occasion of Revelation

It happened that one day some people of Mecca came to the Prophet (S) and said that if he had communication with the Lord, would He inform him of the future expensiveness and cheapness of goods so that thereby he could supply whatever was beneficial and ward off whatever was harmful; or would He aware him of drought or of different regions with abundant water so that he could move from dry provinces into blissful lands? At this time, the verse was revealed and answered them.

Only Allah Knows the Unseen

In the previous verse, it was said that no one knows the time of Resurrection but Allah (s.w.t.). Through this verse, now, the lack of knowledge of Unseen among persons, in general, is referred to.¹

By the first sentence of the verse, Allah commands His Messenger, Muhammad (S), thus:

“Say: ‘I own for my self neither any benefit nor harm except what Allah may please...”

All powers existed in the world come from the source of Allah, the Exalted, and no person has originally any power from his own self. It is He Who has granted these abilities to human beings.

After stating this matter, the Qur’ān points to another important question which was under the demand of a group of people. Allah commands His Messenger (S) to say that he was not cognizant of the Unseen and its secrets. In this regard, the verse continues saying:

“…and had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me…”

Then, the real position of the Prophet (S) and his Messengership has been pointed out through a short and explicit sentence, as follows:

“…I am not but a warner and a giver of glad tidings for a people who believe’.”