Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:61
And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour, so do not doubt it, and follow Me: this is a straight path) (43:61).
The exegetes differed concerning the hāʾ (the "he") in His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ ) (And indeed, he) and concerning what is meant by it and to what it refers. Some of them said: it refers to Jesus, and it relates back to him. And they said: the meaning of the words is: and indeed, the appearance of Jesus is a sign of knowledge by which the coming of the Hour is recognized, for his appearance is among its portents, and his descent to the earth is an indication of the passing away of the worldly life and the approach of the Hereafter.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Abū Razīn, on the authority of Yaḥyā, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — he said: the appearance of Jesus the son of Mary.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Abū Razīn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, the like of it, except that he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary.
Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Aḥmasī related to me, saying: Ghālib ibn Qāʾid related to us, saying: Qays related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Abū Razīn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that he used to recite " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " (And indeed, he is a token for the Hour) — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn ʿAṭiyya related to us, on the authority of Fuḍayl ibn Marzūq, on the authority of Jābir, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās used to say: I do not know whether the people know the interpretation of this verse, or whether they have failed to perceive it: " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " (And indeed, he is a token for the Hour) — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلْمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary.
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ḥuṣayn informed us, on the authority of Abū Mālik and ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, that they both said concerning His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — they said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary; and one of them read it " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلْمٌ للسَّاعَةِ ".
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — he said: a sign for the Hour is the appearance of Jesus the son of Mary before the Day of Resurrection.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary is a sign for the Hour: the Resurrection.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary is a sign for the Hour.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — he said: the appearance of Jesus the son of Mary before the Day of Resurrection.
It has been related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — he means the appearance of Jesus the son of Mary and his descent from heaven before the Day of Resurrection.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) (And indeed, he is a sign of knowledge for the Hour) — he said: the descent of Jesus the son of Mary is a sign for the Hour when he descends.
And others said: the hāʾ in His saying: ( وَإنَّهُ ) refers to the Qurʾān, and they said: the meaning of the words is: and indeed, this Qurʾān is a sign of knowledge for the Hour that informs you of its onset and tells you of the Hour and of its terrors.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: al-Ḥasan used to say: " وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَمٌ للسَّاعَةِ " — this is the Qurʾān.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: there were people who said: the Qurʾān is a sign of knowledge for the Hour. And the reciters of the regions agreed upon the reading of His saying: ( وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ ) with a kasra on the ʿayn of al-ʿilm (knowledge). And from Ibn ʿAbbās there is related what I have mentioned concerning him regarding opening it (with fatḥa), and from Qatāda and al-Ḍaḥḥāk.
And the correct view concerning its reading is the kasra on the ʿayn, because of the agreement of the authoritative consensus of the reciters upon that.
And it has been mentioned that in the reading of Ubayy it reads: " وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ للسَّاعَةِ " (And indeed, he is a reminder for the Hour), and that confirms the correctness of the reading of those who read with a kasra on the ʿayn of His saying ( لَعِلْمٌ ).
And His saying: ( فَلا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا ) (so do not doubt it) means: so do not doubt it, nor its coming, O people.
As Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: ( فَلا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا ) (so do not doubt it) — he said: that you doubt it.
And His saying: ( وَاتَّبِعُونِ ) (and follow Me) — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and obey Me, and act according to that which I have commanded you, and desist from that which I have forbidden you. ( هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ ) (this is a straight path) — He says: your following of Me, O people, in My command and My prohibition is a straight path. He says: a way in which there is no crookedness, but which is rather straight.
