Tafsir of Al-Ahqaf 46:9

"Say, I am not a novelty among the messengers" Bid‘ (novelty) is in the sense of badi‘ (innovator/original), like khiff in the sense of khafif (light). It is also recited as bid‘an with a fatha on the dal, meaning: "a possessor of novelty." It may also be an adjective on the pattern of fi‘l, like their saying "a qayyim (upright) religion" or "a zim (lean) meat."

The polytheists used to demand signs from him and ask him about unseen matters that had not been revealed to him. So, he was told: "Say, I am not a novelty among the messengers," such that I would bring you everything you demand or inform you of everything you ask regarding the unseen. For the messengers did not bring anything except what was given to them of His signs, nor did they inform of anything except what was revealed to them.

Moses (peace be upon him) answered Pharaoh’s question, "What is the state of the former generations?" by saying, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord."

"And I do not know what will be done with me or with you" This is because I have no knowledge of the unseen regarding what God will do with me and with you in the future, or what He will decree for me and for you. "I only follow what is revealed to me."

• Al-Hasan said: I do not know what my affair and your affair will result in within this world, or who among us will be the victor and who the vanquished.
• Al-Kalbi said: His companions, weary of the polytheists' harm, asked him, "How long will we be in this state?" He replied, "I do not know what will be done with me or with you," meaning: Will I be left in Mecca, or will I be commanded to depart to a land that was shown to me—which I saw in my dream—possessing palm trees and vegetation?
• Ibn Abbas said: It refers to what will be done with me and with you in the Hereafter. He added that this verse was abrogated by His saying: "That God may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow" (Al-Fath: 2).
• It is also possible that it is a negation of detailed knowledge.

It is recited as ma yuf‘alu (passive), meaning: what God (Mighty and Majestic is He) will do.

If you ask: "Yuf‘alu" is an affirmative, not a negative, so the phrasing should be "What He will do with me and with you." I reply: Yes, but since the negation in "I do not know" encompasses what follows it—because it covers the ma (what) and everything within its scope—this is correct and eloquent. Do you not see His saying: "Do they not see that God, who created the heavens and the earth and was not weary by their creation, is able..." (Al-Ahqaf: 33)? How the negation entered the scope of "that," because the negation covers it along with what is in its scope.

The ma in "what He will do" may be a relative pronoun in the accusative, or an interrogative in the nominative. It is also recited as yuhi (active), meaning: what God (Mighty and Majestic is He) reveals.

"Say, 'Have you considered: if it is from God and you have disbelieved in it while a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed, while you were arrogant? Indeed, God does not guide the wrongdoing people.'"