Yasaloonaka AAani alssaAAati ayyana mursaha qul innama AAilmuha AAinda rabbee la yujalleeha liwaqtiha illa huwa thaqulat fee alssamawati waalardi la tateekum illa baghtatan yasaloonaka kaannaka hafiyyun AAanha qul innama AAilmuha AAinda Allahi walakinna akthara alnnasi la yaAAlamoona
English
Ahmed Ali
They ask you about the Hour: "When is its determined time?" Say: "Only my Lord has the knowledge. No one can reveal it except He. Oppressive will it be for the heavens and the earth. When it comes, it will come unawares." They ask you about it as if you were in the know. You tell them: "Only God has the knowledge." But most people do not know.
187
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (they) the people of mecca (ask thee) o muhammad (of the (destined) hour) about the timing and occurrence of the last hour, (when will it come to port. say: knowledge thereof) the knowledge of its timing and occurrence (is with my lord only) is from my lord. (he alone will manifest it at its proper time) none but he manifests its occurrence and timing. (it is heavy in the heavens and the earth) the knowledge of its occurrence and timing is heavy on the dwellers of the heavens and earth. (it cometh not to you save unawares) except all of a sudden. (they question thee) o muhammad about the hour (as if thou couldst be well informed thereof) as if you have knowledge of its timing; it is also said that this means: as if you are ignorant of it; as it is said that this means: as if you are oblivious to it. (say) o muhammad: (knowledge thereof) knowledge of its occurrence and timing (is with allah only) from allah only, (but most of mankind) the people of mecca (know not) nor believe in it.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : they, that is the people of mecca, will question you about the hour, the resurrection, when it shall come to pass. say, to them: ‘the knowledge of, when, it, shall be, is only with my lord. he alone shall reveal it, manifest it, at its proper time (li-waqtihā: the lām here functions as fī, ‘at’). it weighs heavily, tremendously, in the heavens and the earth, upon their inhabitants, because of its awesomeness. it will not come on you save all of a sudden’. they will question you, as if you were preoccupied with, obsessed with inquiring about, it, such that you have come to acquire knowledge of it. say: ‘knowledge of it is only with god (innamā ‘ilmuhā ‘inda’llāhi is for emphasis), but most people do not know’, that knowledge of it lies with god, exalted be he.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (they ask thee of the (destined) hour, when will it come to port…) [7:187].
said ibn 'abbas: “jabal ibn qushayr and shamwal ibn zayd, who belonged to the jews, said: 'o muhammad, tell us when the last hour will be, if you are really a prophet, for we know when it is going to be?' and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse”.
qatadah said: “the quraysh said to muhammad: 'there are between us ties of kinship, so tell us the timing of the last hour?' and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse (they ask thee of the (destined) hour)”.
abu sa'id ibn abu bakr al-warraq informed us> muhammad ibn ahmad ibn hamdan> abu ya'la> 'uqbah ibn mukram> yunus> 'abd al-ghaffar ibn al-qasim> aban ibn laqit> qarzah ibn hassan who said: “i heard abu musa on a friday on the pulpit of the main mosque of basrah say: 'the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, was asked about the timing of the last hour while i was present, and so he said: 'none know its timing except allah. he alone will manifest it at its proper time. however, i will inform you about its signs and what will happen ahead of it. there will be a lot of trials and harj ahead of the last hour'. they asked: 'what does harj mean, o messenger of allah?' he said: 'this is an abyssinian word which means killing, dryness of people's hearts and that one is cast among strangers, such that people hardly know each other, those who have good minds will disappear and only a group of weak people will remain who would neither know good nor forbid evil” '.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : he alone will reveal it at its proper time… that is, no one can reform the natural self (nafs al-ṭabʿ) from being ruled by passion (hawā) to obeying god, save he. this is the inner meaning of the verse. his words:
…they will question you as if you were eager to find it out… that is, as if you knew the time it would occur. his words:
