Tafsir of Saba' 34:48

Surah Saba' (34): Verse 48

{قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ} (Say, "Indeed, my Lord casts the truth, Knower of the unseen.")

There are two interpretations regarding this verse:

The First Interpretation:

1. Meaning: "He casts the truth into the hearts of the truthful."
2. Connection to Previous Verses: This interpretation connects well with what precedes it. Since Allah (SWT) established the Prophethood of the Prophet (PBUH) by saying, {He is not except a warner to you} and confirmed it by saying, {Say, 'Whatever reward I have asked of you, it is for you'}, the disbelievers often found it strange that the Revelation was sent down to only one person among them, as they said: {Is the reminder sent down upon him from among us?}
3. The Response: Allah commanded the Prophet to respond by saying, {Say, 'Indeed, my Lord casts the truth'}—meaning, into the hearts—indicating that the matter is in His hand; He does what He wills and gives to whom He wills.
4. {Knower of the Unseen (ʿallāmu l-ghuyūb)}: This phrase addresses a flawed objection that might be raised: If someone acts as they wish without any specific qualification in the recipient, then their action must be by chance, like an arrow hitting a specific spot when all spots were equally aligned.
   • The response is: He {casts the truth} as He wills, but He is Knower of what He does and Knower of the consequences of His actions. Thus, He acts by His will, unlike an ignorant aggressor unaware of the outcomes, because He is the Knower of the unseen.

The Second Interpretation:

1. Meaning: He casts the truth upon falsehood, as stated in Surah Al-Anbiya': {Nay, We cast the truth upon falsehood, and it crushes it} (21:18).
2. Connection to Previous Verses: This connection is also clear. When the proofs of Tawhid (Oneness of God) became manifest and refuted their doubts, He said: {Say, 'Indeed, my Lord casts the truth'}—meaning, upon your falsehood.
3. Subtlety of {Knower of the Unseen}: On this interpretation, the phrase {Knower of the Unseen} carries a subtle meaning. The clear, apparent, and rational proofs only establish Tawhid and Prophethood. As for the Resurrection (al-Hashr), there is no proof for its occurrence except the report of Allah (SWT) about it, its events, and its terrors. Without Allah's verbal explanation, no one would know about it, unlike Tawhid and Prophethood.
   • Therefore, when He says {He casts the truth} (upon falsehood), it points to the manifestation of proofs regarding Tawhid and Prophethood. Then He says {Knower of the Unseen}, referring to what He informs about the unseen, such as the Hour and its conditions. He is truthful in this because Allah is the Knower of the unseen.

Another Possible Interpretation:

1. The verse can also be interpreted as: {My Lord casts the truth}—meaning, what He casts, He casts with truth, not with falsehood.
2. In this case, the preposition bā’ (بِ) is related to the object (the truth), similar to the bā’ in {And He judged between them with truth} (39:69) and {So judge between people with truth} (38:26).
3. The meaning then is: Allah casts what He casts into the hearts of the Messengers—and He is the Knower of the unseen—knowing what is in their hearts and what is in your hearts.

{قُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِئُ الْبَاطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ} (Say, "The truth has come, and falsehood originates nothing, nor does it restore [anything].")