يَسْأَلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ. قُلْ: إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ. وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا. (الآية ٦٣)
People ask you about the Last Hour. Say: ‘Knowledge of it rests with God alone.’ Yet for all you know the Last Hour may well be near. (Verse 63)
وكان أولئك القوم يواصلون سؤال النبي ﷺ عن الساعة، وقد كان قد حذّرهم منها منذ زمن طويل، في حين كان القرآن يصف بعض مشاهدها وصفاً حيّاً، حتى كان بعضهم يكاد يراها رأي العين. كانوا يسألونه عن وقت قيامها، ويطالبون بتعجيلها. وكان هذا يتضمن شكّاً فيها أو إنكاراً لها أو استهزاءً بالمسألة كلها، بحسب طبيعة السائل ومدى قربه من الإيمان أو بعده عنه.
Those people continued to ask the Prophet about the Last Hour, which he has long warned them against, while the Qur’ān gave vivid descriptions of some of its scenes, which they could almost see before their eyes. They ask the Prophet about its timing, and demand that it should he hastened. This implied doubt, rejection or ridicule of the whole question, according to the nature of the person asking and how close or far removed they were from faith.
إن الساعة من الغيب الذي يقع خارج نطاق إدراكنا. والله وحده هو العالم بها علمًا تامًّا. وقد شاء سبحانه ألّا يعلم أحد من خلقه وقتها، لا رسله ولا الملائكة المقرّبون. وقد روى عمر بن الخطاب حديثًا يجمع أصول الإيمان الإسلامي، قال:
The Last Hour is part of what lies beyond our perception. God is the only one who knows all about it. It is His will that no one among His creatures should know its timing, not even His messengers and favoured angels. A ĥadīth summing up Islamic faith is reported by `Umar ibn al-Khaţţāb, who reports:
بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ، حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ.
One day as we were sitting with God’s Messenger (peace be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no sign of travelling was o be seen on him but none of us knew him. He walked up to the Prophet and sat down by him.
فأسند ركبتيه إلى ركبتي النبي ﷺ ووضع كفيه على فخذيه، وقال: «يا محمد، أخبرني عن الإسلام». فقال النبي ﷺ: «الإسلام أن تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله ﷺ، وأن تقيم الصلاة، وتؤتي الزكاة، وتصوم رمضان، وتحج البيت إن استطعت إليه سبيلاً». قال الرجل:
Resting his knees against the Prophet’s knees and placing his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘Muĥammad, tell me about Islam.’ The Prophet said: ‘Islam is to testify that there is no deity other than God and Muĥammad is God’s Messenger, to attend regularly to prayer, to pay zakāt, to fast in Ramađān and o make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.’ The man said:
«أَصَبْتَ». وَكُنَّا نَعْجَبُ مِنْهُ يَسْأَلُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَدِّقُ الجَوَابَ.
‘You have spoken rightly.’ We were amazed at him asking the question and then confirming that the answer was right.
ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ». فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ، وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ، وَرُسُلِهِ، وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ، خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ». ثُمَّ قَالَ:
He then said: ‘Tell me about faith, or īmān.’: The Prophet said: ‘Faith is to believe in God, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both its good and evil manifestations. He said:
"أنتَ صَدَقْتَ." ثم قال: "فأخبرني عن الإحسان." قال النبي ﷺ: "أن تعبُدَ اللهَ كأنك تراه، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك." قال: "فأخبرني عن الساعة." قال النبي ﷺ: "ما المسئولُ عنها بأعلمَ من السائل." ... ثم قال النبي ﷺ لنا: "هذا جبريلُ أتاكم يعلّمكم دينَكم." [رواه مسلم، وأبو داود، والترمذي، والنسائي.] وهو كما قال النبي ﷺ: المسئولُ عن الساعةِ، أي
‘You have spoken rightly. Then tell me about attaining to perfection, or iĥsān.’ The Prophet answered: ‘It is to worship God as though you are seeing Him, knowing that while you cannot see Him, yet He sees you.’ He said: ‘Then tell me about the Last Hour.’ The Prophet said: ‘The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.’ ... The Prophet then told us: ‘The man was Gabriel who came here to teach you your religion.’ [Related by Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasā’ī.] It is exactly as the Prophet said: the one questioned about the Last The Hour, i.e.
ولا يعلمها النبي ﷺ نفسه، ولا السائل، أي جبريل عليه السلام، وذلك لأن «علمها عند الله وحده»، وهو لا يُطلع أحدًا من خلقه عليها.
the Prophet himself, and the questioner, i.e. the Angel Gabriel, have no knowledge of it. This is because ‘Knowledge of it rests with God alone,’ and He imparts that knowledge to none of His creatures.
قَدْ شَاءَ اللهُ هَذَا لِحِكْمَةٍ، وَنَرَى مِنْهَا جُزْءًا: فَيُحَذَّرُ النَّاسُ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَوَقَّعُوهُ فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ، وَأَنْ يَكُونُوا مُسْتَعِدِّينَ لِاسْتِقْبَالِهِ حِينَ يَأْتِي فَجْأَةً.
God has willed this for a purpose, of which we can see a part: people are warned that they should expect it at any time, ready to receive it as it comes all of a sudden.
هذا هو موقف المؤمنين الذين يبقون متقين لله. أما الذين يغفلون عن الساعة، ولا يتوقعون قدومها في أي وقت، فهم الذين يخدعون أنفسهم ولا يحمون أنفسهم من عذاب الله.
This is the attitude of the believers who remain God-fearing. By contrast, those who are oblivious of the Last Hour, and do not expect its arrival at any time, are the ones who deceive themselves and do not protect themselves against God’s punishment.
وقد حذّرهم اللهُ، وجعل الساعةَ أمرًا مستورًا قد تأتيهم في أيّ لحظةٍ من ليلٍ أو نهار: ﴿وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا﴾ (الأحزاب: 63).
God has warned them, making the Last Hour a secret that could come upon them at any moment of the night or day: ‘Yet for all you know the Last Hour may well be near.’ (Verse 63)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا * خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لَا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا * يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا * وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا
God has certainly rejected the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire, where they will permanently abide. They will find none to protect or support them. On the day when their faces shall be tossed about in the fire, they will say: ‘Would that we had obeyed God and obeyed His Messenger.’ And they shall say: ‘Our Lord! We have paid heed to our masters and our leaders, but they have led us astray from the right path.
رَبَّنَا آتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا
Our Lord/ Give them double suffering, and banish them utterly from Your grace.’ (Verses 64-68)
وَهُمْ يَسْأَلُونَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ، فَيُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَشْهَدٌ مِنْهَا: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا﴾ (الآية 64). فَقَدْ طَرَدَهُمْ وَأَبْعَدَهُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ نَارًا مُسْتَعِرَةً مُهَيَّأَةً لَهُمْ: ﴿خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا﴾ (الآية 65). يَمْكُثُونَ فِيهَا زَمَنًا طَوِيلًا، لَا يَعْلَمُ مِقْدَارَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَلَا يَعْلَمُ مُنْتَهَاهُ إِلَّا هُوَ، وَهُوَ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ.
As they are questioning the Prophet about the Last Hour, they are given a scene from it: “God has certainly rejected the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire.” (Verse 64) He has rejected them, expelling They abide there for an extended term, the length of which is known only to God. Its end is known only to Him and is dependent on His them from His grace. And He has prepared for them a raging fire which is kept ready for them: “where they will permanently abide.” (Verse 65)
لَيْسَ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَيُّ عَوْنٍ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ، وَلَا يَرْجُونَ النَّجَاةَ بِأَيِّ حَالٍ. «فَلَا يَجِدُونَ لَهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا» (الآية ٦٥)
They are deprived of all help and support. They cannot hope to escape: “They will find none to protect or support them.” (Verse 65)
في خضمّ كل هذا العذاب، يبدون في غاية البؤس: ﴿يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ﴾. تحيط بهم النار من كل جانب. ومع ذلك فإن التعبير هنا يقصد المبالغة في الحركة، حتى يُشعَر بأن النار تلامس كل موضع من وجوههم. ﴿يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا﴾ (الآية 66). إنها أمنية لا جدوى منها، ولا يمكن أن تُقبل بحال، فقد فات الأوان الآن لكل شيء. لا يستطيعون إلا أن يُعبّروا عن الندم وأن يشعروا بالحسرة.
In the midst of all this suffering, they appear very miserable: “On the day when their faces shall be tossed about in the fire.” The fire surrounds them from every corner. Yet the description here is intended to exaggerate the movement so as to feel that the fire touches every spot on their faces. “They will say: Would that we had obeyed God and obeyed His Messenger.” (Verse 66) It is a useless wish that can in no way be accepted. It is now too late for anything. They can only express regret and feel remorse.
وَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يُعْلِنُونَ غَضَبَهُمُ الَّذِي لَا حَدَّ لَهُ عَلَى سَادَتِهِمْ وَقَادَتِهِمُ الَّذِينَ أَضَلُّوهُمْ: ﴿وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا * رَبَّنَا آتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا﴾ [الأحزاب: 67-68]. وَهَكَذَا تَكُونُ السَّاعَةُ، فَمَا حَاجَةُ السُّؤَالِ عَنْ وَقْتِهَا؟ وَإِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ الوَحِيدُ لِلنَّجَاةِ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ هُوَ الاجْتِهَادُ فِي طَلَبِ رِضَا اللهِ.
At this point, they express unreserved anger with their masters and leaders who led them astray: “And they shall say: ‘Our- Lord! We have paid heed to our masters and our leaders, but they have led us astray from the right path. Our Lord! Give double suffering, and banish them utterly from Your grace.’“ (Verses 67-68) Such is the Last Hour: what need is there to ask about its timing? The only way to ensure salvation on that day is o work hard in earning God’s pleasure.