Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:187
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know."
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 His word: يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلا هُوَ (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass? Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none will reveal it at its time except Him).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The exegetes of the Scripture have differed concerning those who are intended by His word: (They ask you about the Hour). Some of them said: by it is meant the people of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the Quraysh, and they had questioned the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that.
* Mention of who said that:
15462 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: The Quraysh said to Muḥammad ﷺ: between us and you there is kinship, so confide to us in secret when the Hour will be! Then Allah said: يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it).
* * *
And others said: no, by it is meant a group of the Jews.
* Mention of who said that:
15463 — Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Yūnus ibn Bukayr related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, the freedman of Zayd ibn Thābit, related to me, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr or ʿIkrima related to me, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: Jabal ibn Abī Qushayr and Shamwīl ibn Zayd said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: O Muḥammad, inform us when the Hour is, if you are a prophet as you claim, for we know when it is. Then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent down: (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass? Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord), up to His word: وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (but most people do not know).
15464 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, on the authority of Ṭāriq ibn Shihāb, who said: The Prophet ﷺ kept speaking continually about the matter of the Hour, until there was sent down: (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass?).
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: And the correct judgment concerning this is to say: a people questioned the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the Hour, and Allah sent down this verse = and it is possible that they were from the Quraysh = and it is possible that they were from the Jews; and there is with us no report that permits rendering a decisive judgment as to which of the two it was.
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: The explanation of the verse is then: the people who question you ask you about the Hour (when will it come to pass)? He says: when is its arising?
* * *
And the meaning of "ayyāna" is: "matā" (when), in the speech of the Arabs, and to that belongs the word of the rajaz-poet:
"When (ayyāna) will my need be fulfilled, when (ayyāna)? Do you then not see the fitting time for its fulfillment?"
* * *
And the meaning of His word: (mursāhā) is: its arising, derived from the word of the speaker: "Allah brought it to a standstill, so it was brought to a standstill (mursāh)," and "the people brought it to a standstill" when they hold it back, and "it came to a standstill, it comes to a standstill, with a coming-to-a-standstill."
* * *
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes of the Scripture have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
15465 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass?): he says: when is its arising.
* * *
15466 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass?): when is its arising?
* * *
And others said: the meaning of it is: its end-point = and that is in meaning close to the meaning of him who said: it means "its arising," because its end-point is the reaching of its time. And we have already explained that the origin of it is the holding back and the coming to a standstill.
* Mention of who said that:
15467 — Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (They ask you about the Hour: when will it come to pass?), he means: its end-point.
* * *
And as for His word: (Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none will reveal it at its time except Him), this is a command from Allah to His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ to answer those who question him about the Hour that none knows the time of its arising except Allah, who knows the unseen, and that none will disclose it at its time nor will know it except Him, exalted be His mention, just as: -
15468 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none will reveal it at its time except Him), he says: the knowledge of it is with Allah, He makes it appear at its time, and none knows that except Allah.
15469 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (none will reveal it): brings it.
15470 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Mujāhid said: (none will reveal it), he said: none brings it except Him.
15471 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (none will reveal it at its time except Him), he says: none sends it at its time except Him.
* * *
The explanation of His word: ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ لا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلا بَغْتَةً (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth; it will not come to you except suddenly).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The exegetes of the Scripture have differed concerning the explanation of it.
Some of them said: the meaning of it is: the Hour weighs heavily upon the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, that they should know its time and its coming, on account of its hiddenness from them and because Allah has reserved the knowledge of it for Himself.
* Mention of who said that:
15472 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word: (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth), he says: it is hidden in the heavens and the earth, so that no angel brought near and no sent prophet knows when its arising will take place.
15473 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us = and al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us = both, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of some of the exegetes of the Scripture: (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth), he said: the knowledge of it weighs heavily upon the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth, for they do not know it.
* * *
And others said: the meaning of it is: that at its coming it will be tremendously great for the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth.
* Mention of who said that:
15474 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us = and al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us = both, on the authority of Maʿmar, who said: al-Ḥasan said concerning His word: (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth), he means: when it comes, it weighs heavily upon the inhabitants of the heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. He says: it is tremendously great for them.
15475 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth) he said: when it comes, the heaven is split, the stars are scattered apart, the sun is rolled up, the mountains are set in motion, and there comes to pass what Allah has said; and that is its heaviness.
15476 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: some people said about "it weighs heavily": it is tremendously great.
* * *
And others said: the meaning of His word: (in the heavens and the earth) is: upon the heavens and the earth.
* Mention of who said that:
15477 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (It weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth), that is to say: upon the heavens and the earth.
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most correct of that in my judgment is the word of him who said: the meaning of it is: the Hour weighs heavily in the heavens and the earth upon their inhabitants, that they should know its time and its arising; because Allah has kept that hidden from His creatures, and has caused none of them to look upon it. And that is because Allah reported this after His word: قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلا هُوَ (Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none will reveal it at its time except Him), and He reported afterward that it does not come except suddenly. The most correct, then, is: that what lies between the two is also a report about the hiddenness of the knowledge of it from the creatures, since what comes before it and what comes after it are likewise so.
* * *
And as for His word: (it will not come to you except suddenly), He says: the Hour comes only unexpectedly, you do not perceive its coming, just as: -
15478 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (it will not come to you except suddenly), he says: its arising overtakes them, it comes to them in a state of heedlessness.
15479 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (it will not come to you except suddenly), Allah has decreed that it comes to you only suddenly. He said: And it has been related to us that the prophet of Allah ﷺ used to say: indeed, the Hour breaks out among the people while the man is mending his watering-trough, and the man is watering his cattle, and the man is setting out his merchandise in the market, and the man is lowering and raising his balance.
* * *
The explanation of His word: يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it. Say: the knowledge of it is only with Allah, but most people do not know) (7:187).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: this people asks you about the Hour, as though you had carefully inquired about it.
* * *
[And the exegetes of the Scripture have differed concerning the explanation of His word: (ḥafiyy ʿanhā).]
Some of them said: they ask you about it as though you were greatly devoted to them. And they said: the meaning of His word "ʿanhā" is a fronting, even though it stands at the end.
* Mention of who said that:
15480 — 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, concerning His word: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it), he says: as though between you and them there were affection, as though you were a friend of theirs. Ibn ʿAbbās said: when the people questioned Muḥammad ﷺ about the Hour, they questioned him as a people who suppose that Muḥammad is greatly devoted to them, whereupon Allah revealed to him: the knowledge of it is only with Him, He has reserved the knowledge of it for Himself and has revealed it neither to an angel nor to a messenger.
15481 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, who said: Qatāda said: The Quraysh said to Muḥammad ﷺ: between us and you there is kinship, so confide to us in secret when the Hour is! Then Allah said: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it).
15482 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it): that is to say, greatly devoted to them. He said: The Quraysh said: O Muḥammad, confide to us in secret the knowledge of the Hour, on account of the kinship that exists between us and you = because of our kinship with you.
15483 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Abū Khālid al-Aḥmar and Hāniʾ ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Ḥajjāj, on the authority of Khuṣayf, on the authority of Mujāhid and ʿIkrima: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: greatly devoted to them when they question you.
15484 — Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Simāk, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: near to them, and devoted to them = he said: and Abū Mālik said: as though you were greatly devoted to them. He said: near to them, and devoted to them = he said: and Abū Mālik said: as though you were greatly devoted to them, and would thus tell it to them.
15485 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it), as though you were a friend of theirs.
* * *
And others said: no, the meaning of it is: as though you had thoroughly inquired into the matter and had thereby come to know it.
* Mention of who said that:
15486 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (as though you had carefully inquired about it): you have inquired thoroughly about it until you came to know it.
15487 — Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Abū Saʿd related to us, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: (as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: you have inquired thoroughly about it until you came to know its time.
15488 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: al-Muḥāribī related to us, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: as though you knew it.
15489 — He said: Ḥāmid ibn Nūḥ related to us, on the authority of Abū Rawq, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: as though you knew it.
15490 — It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to me, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, concerning His word: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it), he says: they ask you about the Hour, as though you had knowledge of it = قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي (Say: the knowledge of it is only with my Lord).
15491 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of some of them: (as though you had carefully inquired about it): as though you knew it.
15492 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: (as though you had carefully inquired about it) he said: as though you knew it. And he said: He has kept the knowledge of it hidden from His creatures. And he recited: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ (Verily, with Allah is the knowledge of the Hour) [Sūrat Luqmān: 34], until he brought the sūra to its end.
15493 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (They ask you as though you had carefully inquired about it), he says: as though their questioning of you pleases you = (Say: the knowledge of it is only with Allah).
* * *
And His word: (as though you had carefully inquired about it), he says: subtly acquainted with it.
* * *
Thus these directed the explanation of His word (as though you had carefully inquired about it) to "greatly devoted to them," and they said: the Arabs say: "I showed him affection in the question (taḥaffaytu lahu fī al-masʾala)," and "I showed affection concerning him (taḥaffaytu ʿanhu)." They said: and therefore it is said: "we came to so-and-so to ask about him (nasʾalu bihi)," in the sense of: we ask about him (ʿanhu).
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most correct of the two statements concerning this is the word of him who said: the meaning of it is: as though you had inquired carefully by asking about it, so that you know it.
If someone says: and how is it said: (ḥafiyy ʿanhā), while it is not said "ḥafiyy bihā," if that is the explanation of the words?
It is answered: that is said thus, because the careful inquiry (ḥafāwa) takes place only in the asking, and that is the kindly openness toward the one questioned at the question, and the abundant asking about a thing. And asking is at one time connected with "ʿan" and at another with "al-bāʾ." One thus says: "I asked about him (saʾaltu ʿanhu)" and "I asked about him (saʾaltu bihi)." And when the word "ḥafiyy" was placed in the position of asking, it was connected with the more current of the two particles with which "asking" is connected, namely "ʿan," just as the poet said:
"The asking of one carefully interested about his brother, as though he, at the recollection of him, were half asleep or half drowsing."
* * *
And as for His word: (Say: the knowledge of it is only with Allah), the meaning of it is: say, O Muḥammad, to those who question you about the time of the Hour and the moment of its coming: I have no knowledge of it, and none has knowledge of it except [with] Allah, who knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth = (but most people do not know), he says: but most people do not know that none knows that except Allah, rather, they suppose that the knowledge of it is to be found with some of His creatures.
