عالِمُ الغَيبِ فَلا يُظهِرُ عَلىٰ غَيبِهِ أَحَدًا

Knower of the unseen, He does not disclose His unseen to anyone.

EXEGESIS

ʿĀlim^{‎[1]For more explanation on the meaning of this word and its usage in the Quran, see fa-sa-yaʿlamūna under the Exegesis of verse 24.} is the active participle that signifies the knower. It derives from the root ʿilm that means the comprehension of a thing in essence or quality.^{‎[2]Raghib, under ʿ-l-m.} Nonetheless, some lexicologists have equated the reality of ʿilm with a level of certitude (yaqīn) that is impenetrable by any kind of doubt.^{‎[3]Fayyumi, under al-ʿilm; Bahrayn, under ʿ-l-m.}

Al-ghayb: ghayb is an infinitive noun that originally implied that which is hidden from sight. The term thereafter came to be deployed for all that is obscured from the physical senses and that which is beyond human comprehension. The term ghayb has appeared in the Quran in this sense in 28:75.^{‎[4]Raghib, under gh-y-b.} Ghaybah means absence and concealment. The recess of the earth is called ghayābah since it is hidden from sight. Ghībah is to mention something about a person in his absence that would annoy him were he to hear it.^{‎[5]Bahrayn, under gh-y-b.} However, according to Ibn Manẓūr, ghayb is also used in Arabic to signify doubt (shakk).^{‎[6]Lisan, under gh-y-b.}

Unseen (ghayb) is the opposite of the present and visible (shahādah). Owing to this, the instances of ghayb would vary in accordance with the levels of shahādah. The presence of something can either be positional, sensual, rational, or intuitive. Accordingly, the term ghayb has occurred in the Quran to denote different levels of concealment corresponding to each of these four modes of presence in 12:10, 27:20, 18:22, and 72:26 respectively.^{‎[7]Tahqiq, under gh-y-b.} Considering the multiple levels of ghayb, the term has occurred in the Quran in relation to God (2:3),^{‎[8]Qamus, under gh-y-b.} the spiritual heart,^{‎[9]Alusi, 13/339.} and the past, present, and future events that are hidden from man (11:49 and 13:9).^{‎[10] Qamus, under gh-y-b.} Nonetheless, there is a fifth level of ghayb represented by knowledge that is exclusive to God alone and no one amongst His creation has access to it. However, He may unveil part of this knowledge to His prophets and the chosen ones (awliyāʾ) depending on their existential capacity to retain it and to the degree required of the position of divine prophecy held by them.^{‎[11] Tahqiq, under gh-y-b.} The term ghayb in this verse implies all that is hidden. Accordingly, the phrase ʿālim al-ghayb would thus mean that it is God alone who holds exclusive knowledge of all that is unseen.^{‎[12] Mizan, 20/53; Alusi, 15/107.}

Yuẓhiru is the imperfect tense of the verb aẓhara, which means to make something visible and to bring it to light.^{‎[13] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara.} The root verb ẓahara originally implies the situation of a thing on the face of the earth such that it is evident and perceptible, contrary to the verb baṭana, which signifies to be underneath the earth and therefore hidden from sight. The verb thereafter came to be deployed for all that which is visible to the sight and perceptible to the reason.^{‎[14] Raghib, under ẓ-h-r.} Hence, the noun ẓuhūr means visibility and appearance,^{‎[15] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara (ẓuhūr).} whilst ẓāhir is that which is apparent and evident.^{‎[16] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara (ẓāhir).} Al-ẓāhir is among the beautiful names of God which is, according to a view cited by Rāghib, consistently used together with the adjective al-bāṭin (the hidden).^{‎[17] Raghib, under b-ṭ-n.} Nonetheless, as asserted by some grammarians, the lexical connotation of the term ẓuhūr essentially bears the notion of becoming evident after having been obscured.^{‎[18] Fayyumi, under ẓahara; Lisan, under ẓ-h-r.} Negated by the negative particle lā, the phrase lā yuẓhiru in the verse under discussion would thus imply that God shall not make known to anyone among His creation the knowledge that is exclusive to Him.^{‎[19] Mizan, 20/53; Shawkani, 5/372; Alusi, 15/107; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391; Tabari, 29/76; Shubbar, p. 536; Ibn Kathir, 8/259; Ithna Ashari, 13/353.}

EXPOSITION

This verse illustrates a Quranic principle, namely that knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to God alone.^{‎[20] Nemuneh, 25/140.}  

The primary intent of this verse is to justify the words of the Prophet in verse 25: ‘I do not know if what you are promised is near, or if my Lord has set a term for it.’ As such, lack of knowledge of the Prophet about the time of the promised punishment is due to the fact that God alone is the one who has knowledge of the unseen.^{‎[21] Tantawi, 15/145; Alusi, 15/107; Shawkani, 5/372. See also Tibyan, 10/158.}

The repetition of the word ghayb in the verse two times, despite the fact that it could have been dispensed with the second time by annexing the third person pronoun huwa (it) to the preposition ʿalā, by saying lā yuẓhiru ʿalayhi, is to emphasise the exclusivity of knowledge of the unseen to God.^{‎[22] Mizan, 20/53; Alusi, 15/107.} This reality has been further underscored through direct attribution of the unseen to God – His unseen (ghaybi-hi).^{‎[23] Mizan, 20/53.}

What is meant here by exclusivity of knowledge of the unseen to God is that it is God alone who possesses such knowledge independently, and by His very essence (dhāt), without dependence on any other being for its acquisition.^{‎[24] Ahsan al-Hadith, 3/223.}

[1] For more explanation on the meaning of this word and its usage in the Quran, see fa-sa-yaʿlamūna under the Exegesis of verse 24. 
[2] Raghib, under ʿ-l-m.
[3] Fayyumi, under al-ʿilm; Bahrayn, under ʿ-l-m.
[4] Raghib, under gh-y-b.
[5] Bahrayn, under gh-y-b.
[6] Lisan, under gh-y-b.
[7] Tahqiq, under gh-y-b.
[8] Qamus, under gh-y-b.
[9] Alusi, 13/339.
[10] Qamus, under gh-y-b.
[11] Tahqiq, under gh-y-b.
[12] Mizan, 20/53; Alusi, 15/107.
[13] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara.
[14] Raghib, under ẓ-h-r.
[15] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara (ẓuhūr).
[16] Hans Wehr, under ẓahara (ẓāhir).
[17] Raghib, under b-ṭ-n.
[18] Fayyumi, under ẓahara; Lisan, under ẓ-h-r.
[19] Mizan, 20/53; Shawkani, 5/372; Alusi, 15/107; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391; Tabari, 29/76; Shubbar, p. 536; Ibn Kathir, 8/259; Ithna Ashari, 13/353.
[20] Nemuneh, 25/140.
[21] Tantawi, 15/145; Alusi, 15/107; Shawkani, 5/372. See also Tibyan, 10/158.
[22] Mizan, 20/53; Alusi, 15/107.
[23] Mizan, 20/53.
[24] Ahsan al-Hadith, 3/223.