The Knowledge of That Is With My Lord

The other verse to be noted is this. Muslims are very often asked: so what is it that you people believe — what is your belief about Christians, about Jews, about atheists, as to where they are going to go? In an interfaith forum it becomes quite difficult to answer that question honestly, because Allah states very clearly where people are to go. There are a few isolated opinions, such as al-Ghazālī's concerning certain kinds of disbelievers, and Ibn ʿArabī's; but otherwise, for the majority, what the Qur'an states is very clear — and it is at times a difficult answer to give.

The best answer, in truth, is the one taught to us by Mūsā (peace be upon him): Allah teaches it to us in the Qur'an as the answer Mūsā (peace be upon him) gave.

When he challenged Pharaoh and declared, I have come from Allah (swt), I have these miracles, Pharaoh and his court put a few questions to him:

Here, then: who is your Lord? This is from verse 49, and the verses repay reading. Who is your Lord? He answers that. Then Pharaoh asks:

If you are saying that all of these people held the wrong faith, then what of all the earlier generations? He wants Mūsā to say something ill of them, so that those present will think: they are speaking ill of our forefathers. That is the question: what is to become of people who have died in another faith?

This is the answer he gives:

The knowledge of that is with my Lord, in a record. My Lord never deviates, never goes astray, and does not forget. Allah knows best.

One may simply say: that knowledge is with Allah. "No, but we want to know what it is." That knowledge is with Allah. And if there is time to explain it in a nuanced way, then it should be explained as it is set out in the Qur'an.