As-Sajdah: (6) That is the Knower of the unseen . . . . .

(That), meaning the Essence described with those attributes that necessitate absolute power and universal wisdom, (is the Knower of the unseen), meaning everything that is hidden from the creation, (and the witnessed), meaning everything that the creation has witnessed. He, glory be to Him, manages that according to wisdom. It has been said: The unseen is the Hereafter, and the witnessed is the world. (The Almighty), the Victor over His command, (the Merciful) to the servants. In this is an indication that He, mighty and majestic is He, is bountiful in what He does, may He be exalted and glorified.

The demonstrative pronoun is the starting point (mubtada’), and the three attributes following it are its predicates (akhbar). It is also permissible for the first to be the predicate and for the latter two to be adjectives (na‘tan) of the first.

Zayd ibn Ali—may Allah be pleased with them both—read the three attributes with the genitive case (khafd), on the basis that "That" is a demonstrative reference to the matter, with the status of a nominative as the agent (fa‘il) of (y‘ruj/ascends), and the attributes are in the genitive case as appositives (badaliyyah) to the pronoun in (to Him). Abu Zayd al-Nahwi read the last two attributes with the genitive case on the basis that "That" is a demonstrative reference to Allah—the Almighty—with the status of a nominative as the starting point, (Knower) is its predicate, and the two attributes are in the genitive case as appositives to the pronoun. And His, the Almighty’s, saying: <<