Appearance
Verses 187–188
يَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْساها قُلْ إِنَّما عِلْمُها عِنْدَ رَبِّي لا يُجَلِّيها لِوَقْتِها إِلاَّ هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ لا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً يَسْئَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْها قُلْ إِنَّما عِلْمُها عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ ١٨٧ قُلْ لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعاً وَ لا ضَرًّا إِلاَّ ما شاءَ اللَّهُ وَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَ ما مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ وَ بَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ١٨٨
- They question you concerning the Hour, when will it berth? Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord: none except Him shall manifest it at its time. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth. It will not overtake you but suddenly.” They ask you as if you were well-informed of it. Say, “Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know.”
- Say, “I have no control over any benefit for myself nor [over] any harm except what Allah may will. Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill would have befallen me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who have faith.”
Introduction
These two verses clarify that knowledge of the Hour [that is, the Resurrection, the hereafter] is among unseen matters that are reserved for God. No one other than God knows about it. There is no evidence to help one determine its time or speculate its occurrence whatsoever. That is why it will only occur abruptly. Some of the descriptions in these verses also give us some hints about the reality of the Hour.
Commentary
يَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْساها قُلْ إِنَّما عِلْمُها عِنْدَ رَبِّي لا يُجَلِّيها لِوَقْتِها إِلاَّ هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ لا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً يَسْئَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْها قُلْ إِنَّما عِلْمُها عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ ١٨٧
(7:187) They question you concerning the Hour (al-Sāʿah), when will it berth (mursāhā)? Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord: none except Him shall manifest it (yujallīhā, from tajliyah) at its time. It is heavy in the heavens and the earth. It will not overtake you but suddenly.” They ask you as if you were well-informed of it. Say, “Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know.”
Al-sāʿah (the hour, the time, the moment) refers to the time of the people’s resurrection and return to God for His universal judgment of all affairs. The article al- (the) is a definite article, indicating that the term is already known by the audience. Nonetheless, the word al-sāʿah is rather used as a proper noun in the Qur’an and hadith [even when there is no prior discussion or introduction of it].
Mursá can serve three functions: (1) a locative noun (ism makān); (2) a temporal noun (ism zamān); (3) a verbal noun or gerund (maṣdar). When one fixes and establishes something, one says: arsaytu al-shayʾ. What is meant here is: “When shall the Hour occur and be established?” Tajliyah means “to unveil, to manifest.” When someone uncovers something, it is said: jallāhu. When something appears, it is said: injalá.
… none except Him shall manifest it at its time…: Upon its time of occurrence, it is only God Who shall disclose and uncover it. Since the “knowledge of the Hour” and “its manifestation” are used interchangeably, it shows that the occurrence or existence of the Hour is the same as the knowledge of it. The Hour is a reality which is preserved in the unseen treasury of God. He will reveal and disclose it whenever He wills. It is not encompassed or known by any other being. That is impossible because its occurrence and manifestation is accompanied by the annihilation of all things other than God. No being can behold the annihilation of itself. One’s own disappearance cannot appear to any being. Besides, our knowledge is based on the forces and causes that govern this world. However, this entire system will end and transform with the occurrence of the Hour.
… It is heavy in the heavens and the earth…: Exegetes differ on the sense in which the Hour is heavy. Here are some suggested interpretations:
The knowledge of the Hour is a heavy weight on the back of the heavens and the earth.
The features of the Hour weigh heavy on the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, because of its intensity, punishments, reckoning and retribution.
The occurrence of the Hour is heavy, since the heaven will be rolled up, the stars will be scattered, the sun and the moon will be gathered together, and the mountains will start moving.
The graveness and intensity of the Hour is so strong that the heavens and the earth cannot bear it.
Given what we said above, the “heaviness of its knowledge” is the same as the “heaviness of its external existence and occurrence.” In other words, the Hour is heavy in all its aspects, including its occurrence, its knowledge and its features. The heavens and the earth cannot bear its manifestation because it necessitates their annihilation, and nothing can endure its own annihilation. Therefore, the exegetes’ difference of opinion is rather out of place. God knows best.
… It will not overtake you but suddenly…: Our explanation above should clarify the meaning here. Something is said to appear suddenly and abruptly when it was now known prior to its appearance. This is the case of the Hour due to its heaviness: none of its parts or features is known before its complete appearance. That is why its appearance to all beings will be abrupt and unanticipated. This should also clarify what is meant by the next part of the verse: They ask you as if you were well-informed of it. We shall discuss this presently.
… They ask you as if you were well-informed (ḥafī) of it…: According to al-Rāghib, ḥafī means “knowledgeable.” Apparently it is a cognate of ḥafītu, which is used when one insists in asking for something. The phrase of it is in fact the complement of They ask you, but the two are separated with the interjection of as if you were well-informed. The effective meaning is: “They ask you of it as if you were well-informed about it.” The sentence suggests that the audience used to repeat this question and insist on it. That is why the question and answer are somewhat repeated in the verse with different expressions.
This second question shows, either directly or indirectly, that the polytheists thought the Prophet’s initial answer—Its knowledge is only with my Lord—to be only a polite gesture. This means that while he did not know about the time of the Resurrection, he did not admit it, but deferred its knowledge to his Lord, out of religious courtesy. That is why he used the word “Lord” to refer to God, which implies his status as a servant who must only follow his duties. Similarly, his next sentence—none except Him shall manifest it at its time—only refers to the immensity of this occurrence, but does not address the knowledge of its time. For all these reasons, the audience repeated their question so that he may either respond to it directly, or otherwise acknowledge his ignorance. Hence God orders him to say:
… Its knowledge is only with Allah…: This clarifies that what is said here is a final and earnest answer. This statement is made out of knowledge, not out of ignorance. If one realizes that the Hour is something that is only known to God, this is a sign of one’s knowledge of it, not one’s ignorance about it. Nor is it merely a deferral of the matter to one’s Lord out of one’s duty as a servant. This is why here the answer refers to God as Allah instead of my Lord [in the first answer].
… but most people do not know: This refers to the ignorance of most people. It is equivalent to an earlier part of the verse: Its knowledge is only with my Lord. Since the audience were accustomed to sense perception, they used to assume that whatever they hear is of the nature of sensory information and follows the same rules. As a result, they thought that they have the capacity to know what is described for them and comprehend it within their knowledge. If they did not know something, it must have been due to some concealment and secrecy; otherwise, they would know it like they know other sensory matters if it were to be revealed to them. The verse shows that this impression is incorrect. They cannot compare all forms of knowledge to sensory information. There are some unseen realities—such as the Hour—which cannot be known by anyone save God. The verse also shows that the knowledge of the Hour is something that no one can bear except God. The same is true about the reality of its features: all aspects of the Hour are heavy.
قُلْ لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعاً وَ لا ضَرًّا إِلاَّ ما شاءَ اللَّهُ وَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَ ما مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ وَ بَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ١٨٨
(7:188) Say, “I have no control over any benefit for myself nor [over] any harm except what Allah may will. Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill would have befallen me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who have faith.”
The polytheists’ question in the last verse implied that one who claims to be a prophet is effectively claiming to know the unseen. But that is not true, because only God has genuine and independent knowledge of the unseen. Others can know only through God’s revelation and teaching. In this verse, God orders His Prophet to dissociate himself from the claim of knowing the unseen.
The real reason for why God is the only being with knowledge of the unseen is that all other beings—without exception—are limited in their existence. Their being is defined by some boundaries. A corollary of this is that they do not have access to what lies beyond their existential boundaries. God is the only being that is unlimited, infinite and encompassing of all things. Hence, He is the only One Who knows the unseen.
Explaining this real reason would be somewhat advanced for the simple minds of the Prophet’s audience at the time. That is why God commands His Prophet to talk to them in terms that they would be able to comprehend. The verse’s explanation can be elaborated as follows: (1) The knowledge of the unseen would guide one to every benefit and harm. (2) If one were to know what is beneficial and what is harmful to them, they would naturally use that knowledge in their advantage. (3) Therefore, if one does not maximize their benefit and minimize their harm, it is a sign that they do not know the unseen.
Say, “I have no control…”: This part of the verse gives a description of the Prophet which contradicts his knowledge of the unseen.
… Had I known the Unseen…: This part of the verse clarifies the consequence of knowing the unseen. The two parts together negate knowledge of the unseen from the Prophet.
… I am only a warner…: The last part of the verse clarifies the Prophet’s real function and position. His sole claim is that he is a messenger, nothing else.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning the verse, They question you concerning the Hour, when will it berth? () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: People of the tribe Quraysh sent al-ʿĀṣ b. Wāʾil al-Sahmī, al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith b. Kaladah, Uqbat b. Abī Muʿayṭ to the Jewish scholars in Najrān [in Yemen] to teach them some questions that they may ask the Messenger of God. Among those questions was: “When will the Hour set in?” In response, God revealed: They question you concerning the Hour, when will it berth?… ().
- Concerning al-sūʾ (ill, evil, misfortune) in Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill (al-sūʾ) would have befallen me () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: It means faqr (poverty, need, lack).
As a locative noun, it would mean “the place of establishment and occurrence.” As a temporal noun, it would mean “the time of establishment and occurrence.” As a verbal noun, it would mean “establishment and occurrence.” Given the word ayyāna (when) in the verse, the last meaning is intended here, as the author suggests presently. (Trans.) ↩︎
The interjection serves to remove the need for a second complement, because of it indicates the complement for both they ask you and well-informed. This is an eloquent concision. (Trans.) ↩︎
The root meaning of ḥafī is “to push to the end.” Thus it is used for one who has many requests, one who knows much, and one who is very kind. God is al-Ḥafī () in the sense that He always cares for and looks after His servants. (Trans.) ↩︎
The Qur’an refers to the Resurrection as the “meeting” (liqāʾ) of God in numerous verses. God does not exist in time. The absolute is not a temporal reality. Therefore, meeting the divine cannot occur in time either: It will not overtake you but suddenly (). A crucial point to always remind ourselves is that as long as we are bound by the shackles of time, we cannot have a proper understanding of God and the hereafter. The experience and realization of timelessness is a necessary condition to decoding the profundity of religious teachings. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, there is no “unseen” for Him to begin with, while the term is applicable to other beings. (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of Khalaf b. Ḥammād, on the authority of a man. This is also narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq in Maʿānī al-akhbār, on the authority of Khalaf b. Ḥammād, on the authority of a man. It is also narrated from Imam al-Bāqir in Ṭibb al-Aʾimmah, on the authority of Jābir b. Yazīd. ↩︎