The Unseen (الغيب) in the Quran — Key Verses & Related Concepts

ConceptThe UnseenالغيبTheology56Verses35Surahs8Connections#104of 728

Also Known As

FrenchL'invisible
Urduغیب
Bengaliগায়েব
IndonesianHal gaib

Profile

Revelation

Meccan 39Medinan 17

Domain Mix

Theology43%
Spirituality34%
Cosmology14%
Eschatology4%

Across The Qur’an

Every surah, shaded by how often this concept appears. Unshaded surahs never mention it.

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Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

Showing 12 of 56 verses that mention this concept.

  1. ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ
    Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;
    In context

    They believe in the revelation that Allah sent down to you, O Prophet, and in that which He revealed to all the other prophets before you (peace be upon them), without distinction; and they have a definite belief in the Afterlife, with its rewards and punishments.

  2. قَالَ يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئۡهُم بِأَسۡمَآئِهِمۡۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسۡمَآئِهِمۡ قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ غَيۡبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡتُمُونَ
    He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.
    In context

    Then Allah told Adam to tell them the names. When Adam told the angels the names of things, as he had been taught, Allah reminded the angels that He had told them that He knew everything hidden in the heavens and the earth, and what they made public and what they said inside of themselves.

  3. ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيۡكَۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يُلۡقُونَ أَقۡلَٰمَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ يَكۡفُلُ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ
    This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto thee (Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor wast thou present with them when they quarrelled (thereupon).
    In context

    The story of Zachariah and Mary is one of the reports of [the Ghaib] which I reveal to you, O Messenger. You were not there with those scholars and worshippers when they argued about who was most entitled to raise Mary. They eventually decided to draw lots by throwing their pens, and the pen of Zachariah (peace be upon him) won.

  4. مَّا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ حَتَّىٰ يَمِيزَ ٱلۡخَبِيثَ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبِۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُطۡلِعَكُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُۖ فَـَٔامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦۚ وَإِن تُؤۡمِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَلَكُمۡ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٞ
    It is not (the purpose) of Allah to leave you in your present state till He shall separate the wicked from the good. And it is not (the purpose of) Allah to let you know the Unseen. But Allah chooseth of His messengers whom He will, (to receive knowledge thereof). So believe in Allah and His messengers. If ye believe and ward off (evil), yours will be a vast reward.
    In context

    Allah would not leave you, O believers, as you are, mixed with the hypocrites with no separation between you, without making it clear those who truly have faith. So He separates you through different obligations and trials, to make clear those who have faith and those who are hypocrites, and to separate the good from the bad.

  5. ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّـٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُواْ مِنۡ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡۚ فَٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتُ قَٰنِتَٰتٌ حَٰفِظَٰتٞ لِّلۡغَيۡبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱلَّـٰتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهۡجُرُوهُنَّ فِي ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضۡرِبُوهُنَّۖ فَإِنۡ أَطَعۡنَكُمۡ فَلَا تَبۡغُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّ سَبِيلًاۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيّٗا كَبِيرٗا
    Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.
    In context

    Men are responsible for women, protecting and taking care of them, because of the bounty He has given men over them, and because of their duty to maintain and take care of them. Righteous women are devoted to their Lord, and devoted to their husbands, protecting things for them in their absence through Allah’s help.

  6. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَيَبۡلُوَنَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنَ ٱلصَّيۡدِ تَنَالُهُۥٓ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ وَرِمَاحُكُمۡ لِيَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَخَافُهُۥ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۚ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ
    O ye who believe! Allah will surely try you somewhat (in the matter) of the game which ye take with your hands and your spears, that Allah may know him who feareth Him in secret. Whoso transgresseth after this, for him there is a painful doom.
    In context

    O you who have faith in Allah and follow His Messenger, Allah will certainly test you by giving you land game when you are in the state of Ihram. You will be able to hold the smaller game with your hands and the bigger ones with your spears. Allah will do this to show who fears his Creator, without having seen Him. Reward and punishment in the Afterlife will be based on people’s actions.

  7. ۞يَوۡمَ يَجۡمَعُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبۡتُمۡۖ قَالُواْ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلۡغُيُوبِ
    In the day when Allah gathereth together the messengers, and saith: What was your response (from mankind)? they say: We have no knowledge. Lo! Thou, only Thou art the Knower of Things Hidden,
    In context

    Remember, O people, the Day of Rising when Allah will gather all the messengers and ask them how their communities had responded to them? They will assign the answer to that question to Allah and say, ‘I have no knowledge. You have all knowledge, our Lord. You are the only one Who knows all things that are present or absent’.

  8. وَإِذۡ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلۡتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَٰهَيۡنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِيٓ أَنۡ أَقُولَ مَا لَيۡسَ لِي بِحَقٍّۚ إِن كُنتُ قُلۡتُهُۥ فَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَهُۥۚ تَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي نَفۡسِي وَلَآ أَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي نَفۡسِكَۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلۡغُيُوبِ
    And when Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? he saith: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then Thou knewest it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy Mind. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower of Things Hidden?
    In context

    Remember that Allah will address Jesus son of Mary (peace be with him) on the Day of Rising and ask him whether he told people to worship him and his mother besides Allah. Jesus will reply, declaring Allah’s purity, ‘It was not right for me to tell them anything but the truth. If I had said that You would know it, because nothing is hidden from You.

  9. قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ عِندِي خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ إِنِّي مَلَكٌۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّۚ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
    Say (O Muhammad, to the disbelievers): I say not unto you (that) I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I have knowledge of the Unseen; and I say not unto you: Lo! I am an angel. I follow only that which is inspired in me. Say: Are the blind man and the seer equal? Will ye not then take thought?
    In context

    Say, O Messenger, to these idolaters: I do not say to you that I have with me Allah’s treasures of provision and that I can do with them as I please. I also do not say to you that I know the Ghaib, besides the revelation that Allah has shown me. I also do not say to you that I am an angel. I am the Messenger of Allah and I only follow what is revealed to me.

  10. ۞وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ لَا يَعۡلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۚ وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٖ فِي ظُلُمَٰتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٖ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٖ
    And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record.
    In context

    The treasures of the Ghaib are with Allah alone: no one besides Him knows them. He knows all the created things in the land, such as animals, plants and inanimate objects. He knows whatever animals or plants there are in the sea.

  11. وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ وَيَوۡمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُۚ قَوۡلُهُ ٱلۡحَقُّۚ وَلَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي ٱلصُّورِۚ عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ
    He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth. In the day when He saith: Be! it is. His Word is the Truth, and His will be the Sovereignty on the day when the trumpet is blown. Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, He is the Wise, the Aware.
    In context

    He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. On the day when Allah will say to something ‘Be’ and it will become, refers to the Day of Rising when Allah will say ‘Rise’ and they will all rise. His word is the truth that will most certainly occur. On the Day of Rising, when the angel Isrāfīl will blow the trumpet for a second time, all control will be Allah’s alone.

  12. فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيۡهِم بِعِلۡمٖۖ وَمَا كُنَّا غَآئِبِينَ
    Then verily We shall narrate unto them (the event) with knowledge, for We were not absent (when it came to pass).
    In context

    Allah will inform everyone about what they did in the world, through His knowledge, because He was always aware of whatever they did. Nothing is hidden from Him, and He was never, at any point, absent from them.

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