Translation of the meanings Ayah 187 Surah Al-A‘rāf - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 187

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّيۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقۡتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ ثَقُلَتۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَا تَأۡتِيكُمۡ إِلَّا بَغۡتَةٗۗ يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنۡهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

(187) They ask you ˹Muhammad˺ about the Hour: “When is its materialization?”^[1838] Say: “This knowledge is with none but my Lord^[1839]. None reveals it at its ˹due˺ time except Him. Heavy^[1840] it is in the Heavens and on Earth. It will come to you naught but all of a sudden^[1841]”. They ask you ˹Muhammad˺ as if you were too keen on it! Say: “Its knowledge is with none but Allah”—indeed most people know ˹that˺ not.

[1838] Showing how far off in their blindness the Qurayshites have strayed, they toyingly asked the Messenger to pin point for them the exact time of the Final Hour’s happening (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). Denying its happening is sheer folly; the Hour (al-sāʿah) at which people will be resurrected, then held to account for their deeds on the Day of Judgement and consigned to their eternal abodes, is an inevitability. A wise person knows better than to ridicule this gravest of all matters: “But the Deniers say: “Shall we show you a man ˹i.e. Muhammad˺ who claims that, when you have been utterly torn to pieces, you will be raised in a new creation?” (34: 7); “And they say: “When will this promise ˹come true˺, if you are ˹really˺ telling the truth? *Say, ˹Muhammad˺: “A Day has ˹already˺ been appointed for you, which you can neither delay nor advance by a ˹single˺ moment” (34: 29-30); “Yet man wants to deny what is ahead of him: *he says: “So, when will this Day of Judgement be?” (75: 5-6).
[1839] This is a very calculated answer, which is not driven by self-vindication, to their slanderous question. That Prophet Muhammad was just a human Messenger of God is the greatest honour any human being can be given, and not the stigma they alluded to (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). Anas Ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) narrated that: “A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ): “Messenger of Allah, When is the Hour?” He replied: “What did you prepare for it?” He said: “Nothing much with regards to Praying, fasting and giving in charity. But I love Allah and His Messenger”. He (ﷺ) replied: “You are with those whom you love ˹in Paradise˺”” (al-Bukhārī: 6171, Muslim: 2639).
[1840] This is a direct translation of thaqulat which signifies the Hour’s heaviness and solemnity, after both Ibn ʿĀshūr and al-Shinqīṭī. Another reading, albeit more exegetical given the co-text, is that thaqulat means it is ‘concealed’ (khafiyat) for its sheer profundity from the dwellers of both the Heavens and Earth; no angel, no matter how nearly drawn to God he might be, or an honourable Prophet Messenger is made privy to its timing. This meaning is chosen by al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Kathīr. al-Saʿdī marries the two meanings and says that it is a grave occurrence which no one, except God Almighty, knows when it will take place: “…how can you tell? The Last Hour may well be near: *Those who Believe not in it seek to hasten it, and those who Believe are ˹fearfully˺ wary of it and know that it is the Truth. Are not those who dispute the Hour far astray?” (42: 17-18); “So if you Deny, how can you guard yourselves against a Day that will turn children’s hair grey; *it will ˹even˺ cause the sky to crack ˹open˺. His promise must be fulfilled” (73: 17-18). Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that: “One day, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was out with the people. ˹Archangel˺ Gabriel came to him and asked: “When is the Hour?” He (ﷺ) replied: “The one being asked about it knows none better than the one asking!”” (al-Bukhārī: 50, Muslim: 9)
[1841] Its suddenness calls for greater angst of it and better preparedness for it: “And they say: “When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful? *They await naught but a single cry that will seize them while they dispute among themselves, *They will not even be able to leave a will, nor will they be able to return to their families” (36: 48-50). Abū Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The Hour will only be announced after the sun rises from where it sets ˹the West˺. When it rises thus, people will see it and they will all then Believe and that’s when: “… a soul’s Believing will be to no avail to it had it not Believed earlier or earned good in its Believing…” (6: 158). Verily, the Hour will be announced ˹suddenly˺ while two men are spreading a cloth between them; they would not be given time to finish their bargain or to fold the cloth. Verily, the Hour will be announced ˹suddenly˺ while a man is still carrying the milk he got from his she-camel but he will not be able to taste it. Verily, the Hour will be announced ˹suddenly˺ while a man is caring for his watering bowl, and he will not have the time to water ˹his herd˺ from it. Verily, the Hour will be announced ˹suddenly˺ while a person raises his morsel of food to his mouth but he will not be able to eat it” (al-Bukhārī: 6506, Muslim: 157).