مِفْتَاحٌkey؛;بِفَتْحِby openingالمِيمِthe letter Mوَكَسْرِand breakingالتَّاءِthe letter T،,وَهِيَand it isالخَزَائِنُthe treasures؛;فَـsoمَفَاتِيحُthe keysالْغَيْبِof the unseen؛;خَزَائِنُهُhis treasures،,وَقِيلَand it is said::مَفَاتِيحُthe keysالْغَيْبِof the unseen؛;أيْthat is::مَبَادِئُهُits principles؛;لِأَنَّbecauseمِفْتَاحٌthe keyكُلَّof everythingشَيْءٍthingيَكُونُisفِيinأَوَّلِهِits beginning,,فَيَكُونُso it isعَلَىuponهَذَاthis::مَفَاتِيحُthe keysالْغَيْبِof the unseen؛;أيْthat is::مَبَادِئُprinciplesالْغَيْبِof the unseen؛;فَإِنَّfor indeedهَذِهِtheseالْمَذْكُورَاتُmentionedمَبَادِئٌprinciplesلِمَاfor whatبَعْدَهَاcomes after it
Miftah; by opening the letter M and breaking the letter T, and it is the treasures; so the keys of the unseen: its treasures, and it is said: the keys of the unseen; that is: its principles; because the key to everything is in its beginning. So it will be as such: the keys of the unseen; that is: the principles of the unseen; for these mentioned are principles for what comes after them.
الْغَيْبُthe unseen::مَصْدَرٌsourceغَابَhad hiddenيَغِيبُis hiddenغَيْبًاhiddenness،,وَالْمُرَادُand the intended meaningبِالْغَيْبِof the unseen::مَاwhatكَانَwasغَائِبًاabsent،,وَالْغَيْبُand the unseenأَمْرٌmatterنِسْبِيٌّrelative،,لَكِنَّbutالْغَيْبَthe unseenالْمُطْلَقَabsoluteعِلْمُهُknowledge of itخَاصٌّis exclusiveبِاللَّهِto Allah
The unseen: the source of ghayb (hiddenness); the intended meaning of the unseen is what was absent, and the unseen is a relative matter, but the absolute unseen knowledge is unique to Allah.
هَذِهِtheseالْمَفَاتِحُthe keys؛;سَوَاءًwhetherقُلْنَاwe said::إِنَّthatالْمَفَاتِحُthe keys::هِيَareالمَبادِئُthe principles،,أَوْor::هِيَareالخَزَائِنُthe treasures،,أَوْorالْمَفَاتِيحُthe keys؛;لَاnotيَعْلَمُهَاknow themإِلَّاexceptاللَّهُAllahعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Most Exalted؛;فَلَاand does notيَعْلَمُهَاknow themمَلَكٌangel,,وَلَاand notيَعْلَمُهَاknow themرَسُولٌmessenger،,حَتَّىevenإِنْifأَشْرَفَthe most honoredالرُّسُلِof the messengersالْمَلَكيِّthe angelicوَهُوَand he isجِبْرِيلُGabriel--سَأَلَaskedأَشْرَفَthe most honoredالرُّسُلِof the messengersالْبَشَرِيِّhuman--وَهُوَand he isمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّلَاةُthe prayerوَالسَّلاَمُand peaceقَالَsaid::أَخْبِرْنِيinform meعَنْaboutالسَّاعَةِthe Hour؟?قَالَsaid::مَاnotالْمَسْؤُولُthe askedعَنْهَاabout itبِأَعْلَمُmore knowledgeable thanمَنْthanالسَّائِلُthe questioner
These keys; whether we say that the keys are the principles, or they are the treasures, or the keys; none know them except Allah Almighty; no angel knows them, nor does a messenger know them; even if the most honored of the angelic messengers, Gabriel, asked the most honored of the human messengers, Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying: 'Inform me about the Hour?' He said: 'The one being asked about it is no more knowledgeable than the one asking.'
وَالْمَعْنَىand the meaning::كَمَاjust asأَنَّهُhe thatلَاnotعِلْمٌknowلَكَfor youبِهَاabout it؛;فَلَاso notعِلْمٌknowلِيfor meبِهَاabout itأَيْضًاalsoفَمَنْand whoeverادَّعَىclaimsعِلْمَknowledgeالسَّاعَةِthe Hour؛;فَهُوَhe isكَاذِبٌlyingكَافِرٌdisbeliever،,وَمَنْand whoeverصَدَّقَهُbelieves him؛;فَهُوَhe isأَيْضًاalsoكَافِرٌdisbeliever؛;لِأَنَّهُbecauseمُكَذِّبٌdenierلِلْقُرْآنِto the Quran
And the meaning is: just as you do not have knowledge of it; so I also do not have knowledge of it. Whoever claims knowledge of the Hour; he is a lying disbeliever, and whoever believes him; he is also a disbeliever; because he denies the Quran.
وَهَذِهِAnd theseالْمَفَاتِيحُthe keys؟?فُسِّرَتْwere explainedأَعْلَمُthe most knowledgeableالْخَلْقِof creationبِكَلَامِby the wordsاللَّهِAllahمُحَمَّدُMuhammadﷺpeace be upon himحِينَwhenقَرَأَread::إِنَّهُIndeedإِنَّthat indeedاللَّهَAllahعِندَهُwith Himعِلْمُknowledgeالسَّاعَةِof the Hourوَيُنَزِّلُand He sends downالْغَيْثَthe rainوَيَعْلَمُand knowsمَاwhatفِيinالأَرْحَامِthe wombsوَمَاand whatتَدْرِيknowsنَفْسٌsoulمَاذَاwhatتَكْسِبُwill earnغَدًاtomorrowوَمَاand whatتَدْرِينَknowsنَفْسٌsoulبِأَيِّin whichأَرْضٍlandتَمُوتُwill dieإِنَّIndeedاللَّهَAllahعَلِيمٌknowingخَبِيرٌwell aware[لُّقْمَانَ: ٢٣٤][Luqman: 234]؛;
And these keys? They were explained by the most knowledgeable of creation by the words of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he read: 'Indeed, Allah has with Him knowledge of the Hour and He sends down the rain, and knows what is in the wombs, and what knows a soul what it will earn tomorrow, and what knows a soul in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing, Well-Aware.' [Luqman: 234]