Surah Al-A'raf 7:182-188 - Quran Translation Commentary

185. Have they not reflected on the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all the things that Allah created and that their hour might, be drawing near²⁸⁴? Then in what other word, after this, will they believe²⁸⁵?

186. Whom Allah leads astray, none can guide. He leaves them to wander in their contumacy.

187. They ask you about the Hour (of Doom), when it is to come. Say: “Its knowledge, is with my Lord only. None but He will manifest it at its proper time. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth²⁸⁶. It will come to you all of a sudden²⁸⁷”. They inquire of you as though you have knowledge of it ²⁸⁸ Say: “Its knowledge is with Allah only, but most men do not know²⁸⁹”.

188. Say: “I have no power over benefit or harm to myself ²⁹⁰, except by the will of Allah. Had I knowledge of the unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me²⁹¹. I am merely a warner and a bearer of good tidings to the people who believe”.

Commentary

282. They are under the impression that all is well and safe for them, as they are having a good time. But Allah is pushing them towards their doom, eternal punishment.

283. For explanation. please refer to Note No. 25, Surah Takveer.

284. That is, the hour of death.

285. If after these clear arguments and perfect warnings, they do not believe in Quran, then what teaching can be more reasonable and a more effective warner in which they would believe?

286. As a woman in the family way is burdened, and it is not known when she will be relieved, in the same way the heavens and the earth are burdened with the burden of the Doomsday and it is not certain when the child of the Doomsday will be born from their womb.

It shows that the Doomsday is not to be caused from any external source but will manifest from within the limits of the universe. Its lava is boiling within its own interior, and soon it will burst and will appear as a sudden, unannounced catastrophe. The earth has become red with the blood of the oppressed and the sky is filled with their sighs. The struggle of the right and falsehood that is going on for thousands of years is crying for justice. This call for justice can be heard by everyone whose ears are tuned to the voice of justice and truth. He can hear this rising from the earth that the Ruler of the Universe is about to spread His Throne of Justice on the earth and he can also hear this message being broadcast from the skies that the Scales of Justice are about to be established.

287. The signs indicating the coming of the Day of Resurrection are manifesting themselves every now and then, but the actual day of its occurrence is not known to anyone except Allah. It will occur suddenly, when man will be unaware. In hadith, its picture has been drawn in this way:

“The Doomsday will occur in such a way that two persons would be busy in trading for which they would have spread cloth between them, and this matter would not have been completed between them and they would not have gathered the cloth that the Doomsday would occur, A person would be returning with the milk of his she camel, and he would not have finished drinking it that the Doomsday would occur. A man would be repairing his water tank and he would not even have finished to fill its water that the Doomsday would occur. And the condition of a man would be that he would be putting a morsel of food in his mouth, and before he is able to ‘finish eating, the Doomsday would occur”. ( Bukhari- Kitabur- Riqaq )

288. This verse clarifies that even the Last Prophet does not know the exact time when the Doomsday will occur. In his sayings that have come to us, what he has’ stated are signs of the coming of the Day of the Resurrection and not the time when it would actually occur.

289. That is: The exact time of the Doomsday is one of those things the knowledge of which is with Allah only, and Allah in His wisdom has not allowed it to be known anybody else. As people do not understand this point, they go on asking the exact time of the occurrence of the Doomsday.

290. when the prophet himself has no power to derive any benefit or avert any harm coming to him, how can he, then, provide benefits to or harm others. And when a prophet cannot do this then how a saint can do it. Therefore, to invoke a’saint or a prophet for coming to our aid in the time of need is a senseless act. Invoking them for help not only would not be of help in the times of needs but also would entail the commitment of a sinful act of polytheism.

291. It is a fact that the prophet had suffered personal losses at various times. Had he possessed the knowledge of the Unseen, he would have known that certain things or acts would harm him and he would have tried to avert them. But since he did not do so proves the fact that he had no knowledge of the Unseen. However, so far as the duties of the prophethood were concerned, Allah had imparted to him that much knowledge of the Unseen as was not known by the general people. To foretell the exact time of the Doomsday is not among the duties of the prophethood, therefore, He did not impart its knowledge to him.