Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AN NAML [65]

65. Say: ”None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.'' 66. Nay, their knowledge will perceive that in the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it. Nay, they are in complete blindness about it. Allah commands His Messenger to inform all of creation that no one among the dwellers of heaven and earth knows the Unseen, except Allah.

(except Allah) This is an absolute exception, meaning that no one knows this besides Allah, He is alone in that regard, having no partner in that knowledge. This is like the Ayat:

(And with Him are the keys of the Unseen, none knows them but He) (6:59).

(Verily, Allah, with Him is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain) (31:34). until the end of the Surah. And there are many Ayat which mention similar things.

(nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.) That is, the created beings who dwell in the heavens and on earth do not know when the Hour will occur, as Allah says:

(Heavy is its burden through the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a sudden) (7: 187). meaning, it is a grave matter for the dwellers of heaven and earth.

(Nay, their knowledge will perceive that in the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it.) means their knowledge and amazement stops short of knowing its time. Other scholars read this with the meaning ”their knowledge is all the same with regard to that,'' which reflects the meaning of the Hadith in Sahih Muslim which states that the Messenger of Allah said to Jibril, when the latter asked him when the Hour would come: s

(The one who is being asked about it does not know any more than the one who is asking.) In other words, they were both equal in the fact that their knowledge did not extend that far.

(Nay, they are in doubt about it.) This refers to the disbelievers in general as Allah says elsewhere:

(And they will be set before your Lord in rows, (and Allah will say:) ”Now indeed, you have come to Us as We created you the first time. Nay, but you thought that We had appointed no meeting for you (with Us). '') (18:48) i.e., the disbelievers among you. By the same token, Allah says here:

(Nay, they are in doubt about it.) meaning, they doubt that it will come to pass.

(Nay, they are in complete blindness about it.) They are blind and completely ignorant about it.