Knower of the hidden (and the witnessed)
عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ
ʿālimu l-ghayb — Knower of the hidden
Reading the thirteen occurrences together shows that this active participle with its genitive object functions as a characterizing epithet whose scope is adjusted by what follows: in ten verses it is paired with "and the witnessed" (al-shahādah), in two it stands alone and is immediately qualified by a further clause (34:3; 72:26), and in one it takes a different genitive object altogether (35:38).
The expression عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ appears in the verses given as an active participle in a construct state with the genitive ٱلْغَيْبِ, its own case varying with its syntactic position: nominative where it stands as a description (6:73; 13:9; 32:6; 59:22; 64:18; 72:26), genitive after إِلَىٰ (9:94; 9:105; 62:8) or in other genitive contexts (23:92; 34:3), and accusative as an invocation in (39:46). In ten of the thirteen verses the object is doubled: عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ, "Knower of the hidden and the witnessed" (6:73; 9:94; 9:105; 13:9; 23:92; 32:6; 39:46; 59:22; 62:8; 64:18), with the pairing absent in 34:3; 35:38; 72:26. Where the pairing is absent, the verses supply a substitute scope: (34:3) says nothing withdraws from Him of even a speck's weight; (72:26) says He does not make anyone aware of His hidden realm; (35:38) replaces the definite object with an indefinite construct, غَيْبِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ, "the hidden [things] of the heavens and the earth". The recurring setting is judgment and disclosure: three verses pair the epithet with "He will inform you of what you had been doing" (9:94; 9:105; 62:8), and (6:73) places it at the blowing of the trumpet with dominion belonging to Him. Others attach it to creation (6:73; 39:46), while 32:6 characterizes "that" — the one described in the preceding context — to denial of the Moment (34:3), and to what is within the chests (35:38).
Where it occurs
- 6:73 Describes Him at the day the trumpet is blown, when dominion is His, as Knower of the hidden and the witnessed.
- 9:94 Names the one to whom they will be turned back, who will inform them of what they had been doing.
- 9:105 Names the one to whom they will be returned, who will inform them of what they had been doing.
- 13:9 Opens the verse as a standing epithet, followed by "the Great, the Supremely High".
- 23:92 Grounds the statement that He is exalted above what they make Him share in.
- 32:6 Characterizes "that" — the one described in the preceding context — as Knower of the hidden and the witnessed, the Mighty, the Merciful.
- 34:3 In an oath-like affirmation that the Moment will come, stands alone without "the witnessed" and is followed by the speck-weight clause.
- 35:38 Takes an indefinite object: knower of the hidden [things] of the heavens and the earth, paired with knowing what is within the chests.
- 39:46 Appears in the accusative within an invocation to the Originator of the heavens and the earth who judges between His servants.
- 59:22 Follows the declaration that there is no god except Him, before "the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful".
- 62:8 Names the one to whom those fleeing death will be turned back, who will inform them of what they had been doing.
- 64:18 Stands as an epithet, followed by "the Mighty, the Wise".
- 72:26 Stands alone and is immediately qualified: He does not make anyone aware of His hidden realm.
All Qur'anic expressions