Al-Anbiya (The Prophets): (4-6) He said, "My Lord knows..."

Regarding His saying: {He said, "My Lord knows the saying in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."}

There are several issues concerning this verse:

It has been recited as {Qāla Rabbī} (He said, "My Lord") as a narration of the Prophet's (PBUH) speech. This is the reading of Hamzah, Al-Kisā'ī, and Ḥafṣ from 'Āṣim. The rest of the reciters read {Qul} (Say) with a ḍammah on the Qāf, omitting the alif, and with a quiescent lām.

Since Allah mentioned this statement immediately after recounting what they (the disbelievers) said, it must be a response to their claims. It is as if He is saying: Even if you conceal your speech and your secret consultation, My Lord knows all of it, and His punishment is behind it. Thus, they are warned so they do not return to similar actions.

The author of Al-Kashshāf asks: If you say, why was it not said to him, "He knows the secret," in reference to His previous statement, {And they concealed their consultation} (21:3)?

The answer is: The term "the saying" (al-qawl) encompasses both the secret and the manifest. Therefore, knowing the saying implies knowledge of the secret, with an added emphasis. Thus, stating {He knows the saying} is more emphatic in demonstrating His awareness of their secret consultation than saying {He knows the secret}.

Similarly, His statement {Say, "It was sent down by the One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth"} (25:6) is more emphatic than saying {He knows their secret}.

If one asks why the more emphatic phrase was omitted in Sūrat Al-Furqān (25:6), the answer is: It is not obligatory to use the most emphatic phrasing in every instance. Rather, sometimes emphasis is used, and sometimes a stronger emphasis is used at another time.

Furthermore, there is a distinction: Here, they first mentioned that they concealed their consultation. So, it is as if Allah intended to say: "My Lord knows what they concealed." Thus, He used the term "the saying" to imply exaggeration (i.e., He knows the very words they uttered secretly). In Al-Furqān, the intent was to describe His Essence by saying, {It was sent down by the One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth}, similar to His other descriptions like {Knower of the Unseen} (34:48) or {Knower of the unseen; not an atom's weight escapes Him in the heavens or on earth} (34:3).

The attribute "The All-Hearing" (Al-Samī') is mentioned before "The All-Knowing" (Al-'Alīm) because hearing the speech must necessarily precede gaining knowledge of its meaning.

Regarding His saying: {But they said, "These are but confused dreams! Or he has forged it! Or he is a poet! Let him bring us a sign just as the former ones were sent!"}

Allah (Exalted is He) returns here to narrating their speech, continuing from {Is this but a mortal like you? Will you then come to magic?} (21:3).

They then said: {But they said, "These are but confused dreams! Or he has forged it! Or he is a poet!"}

He narrated these five statements from them. The arrangement of their speech suggests they argued:

1. We claim that his being a mortal prevents him from being a Messenger of Allah.
2. Even if we concede that his being mortal is not a barrier, we do not concede that this Qur'an is miraculous.
3. If you argue that the eloquence of the Qur'an is beyond human capacity, we might suggest it is merely magic.
4. If you argue that it is not magic, but you claim it is extremely weak, we say it is "confused dreams" (aḍghāthu aḥlāmin).
5. If you claim it is intermediate between weakness and eloquence, we say "he has forged it" (iftarāhu).
6. If you claim it is eloquent speech, we say it is of the same category as the eloquence of other poets.

Under all these suppositions, they argue that its status as a miracle is not established.

After enumerating these possibilities, they said: {Let him bring us a sign just as the former ones were sent}. This means they demanded a clear sign that could not be subjected to any of these interpretations, similar to the signs brought by Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them).

Allah (Exalted is He) began responding to this final demand by saying: {Did We not destroy before them any town that believed, and would they then believe?}

The meaning is that they are more obstinate in their transgression than those who demanded signs from their Messengers and promised belief if the signs were brought. Yet, when the signs came to them, they broke their covenant, and Allah destroyed them. If We were to grant them what they demand, they would be even more treacherous in breaking their promise.

Al-Ḥasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: They were not answered because Allah's decree is that whoever denies the truth after a sign is brought as they demanded, the punishment of complete annihilation must befall them. This ruling was specifically reserved for the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) to be different. Therefore, their demand was not met.

{And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed, so ask the people of the message if you do not know.}

{And We did not make them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they ever immortal.}

{Then We fulfilled the promise to them, and We saved them and whom We willed, and We destroyed the transgressors.}

{Indeed, We have sent down to you a Book containing your mention. Will you not then use reason?}