Revelation Responds to Human Questions

📖Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri 4539, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2775
Ibn Mas’ud reported: Gathered by the House were two men of Quraysh and one or two men of Thaqif. The Qurayshi men had a lot of fat on their bellies and little understanding in their hearts. One of them said, “Do you think Allah hears what we say?” The other said, “He hears us if we are loud but does not hear us if we are quiet.” Another said, “If Allah hears us if we are loud, he also hears us if we are quiet.” Then, Allah Almighty revealed the verse, “You were not covering yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins testify against you. Rather, you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you are doing.” (41:22)

This Hadith demonstrates that Allah’s revelation responds to the questions and doubts of people, yet these verses were already known to Allah and preserved in the Lawh al-Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet). The disbelievers’ questions merely triggered the revelation to be shown to humanity, but the knowledge and writing of the Quran existed eternally with Allah.

• The disbelievers’ assumption that Allah does not know their deeds was incorrect; He already knew their intentions.
• The Quran was revealed at the time of questioning, but it was not “created” then; it was pre-existing with Allah, illustrating the eternal nature of His knowledge.
• This teaches that nothing escapes Allah’s knowledge, and all actions and intentions are recorded.

Quranic Context:

📖Quran 41:22
“You assumed that Allah does not know much of what you are doing.”

• Highlights the false assumptions of disbelievers.

📖Quran 85:21-22
“But this is a Glorious Qur’an, in a Preserved Tablet.”

• Confirms that all revelation was already written and preserved with Allah.

📖Quran 6:59
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.