سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 63
يَسْـَٔلُكَ ٱلنَّاسُ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا ﴿63﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
People ask you concerning the Hour, say: "The knowledge of it is with Allâh only. What do you know? It may be that the Hour is near!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَسْـَٔلُكَ
yasaluka
Ask you
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
the people
عَنِ
ʿani
about
ٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ
l-sāʿati
the Hour
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
عِلْمُهَا
ʿil'muhā
its knowledge
عِندَ
ʿinda
(is) with
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
وَمَا
wamā
And what
يُدْرِيكَ
yud'rīka
will make you know
لَعَلَّ
laʿalla
Perhaps
ٱلسَّاعَةَ
l-sāʿata
the Hour
تَكُونُ
takūnu
is
قَرِيبًا
qarīban
near
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 63) ➊ { يَسْـَٔلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ:} Qurtubi said: “By ‘those who ask’ are meant the same people who used to harm the Prophet, those with diseased hearts, hypocrites, and those who spread false news, who were mentioned earlier. When they were warned of a humiliating punishment, they would say {’’اَلسَّاعَةُ‘‘} ‘When is that hour of punishment, i.e., when is the Resurrection?’ Their purpose was not to ask, but rather to deny, mock, and try to leave the Prophet speechless, as if he did not even know when the Resurrection would be.” See Surah Al-A’raf (187), Ta-Ha (15), Naml (66), Nazi’at (42–44), and Surah Al-Mulk (25–27), etc.
➋ { قُلْ اِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ :} That is, its knowledge is only with Allah, and if Allah has kept its knowledge hidden from me just as He has from all other people, this does not affect my truthfulness in any way, nor is it a condition of prophethood that the Prophet must be a knower of the unseen and know those things which Allah has not informed him of.
➌ {وَ مَا يُدْرِيْكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُوْنُ قَرِيْبًا :} That is, although no one except Allah knows its appointed time, still know that it is very near, as Allah said: « اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ » [ القمر : ۱ ] “The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split.” And He said: «اِقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَ هُمْ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُوْنَ » [ الأنبیاء : ۱ ] “The reckoning of mankind has drawn near to them, while they turn away in heedlessness.” And He said: « اَتٰۤى اَمْرُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْهُ» [ النحل : ۱ ] “The command of Allah has come, so do not seek to hasten it.” And Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [ رَأَيْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ قَالَ بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ هٰكَذَا بِالْوُسْطٰی وَالَّتِيْ تَلِی الْإِبْهَامَ بُعِثْتُ وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيْنِ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب سورۃ : « والنازعات » : ۴۹۳۶ ] “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he pointed with his middle finger and the finger next to the thumb and said: ‘I and the Hour have been sent like this (together, close to each other).’”
➍ Here is a question: {’’ السَّاعَةِ ‘‘} is feminine, so why is its predicate {’’ قَرِيْبًا ‘‘} masculine? For the answer, see the commentary of Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah (56): «اِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيْبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ».
➋ { قُلْ اِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ :} That is, its knowledge is only with Allah, and if Allah has kept its knowledge hidden from me just as He has from all other people, this does not affect my truthfulness in any way, nor is it a condition of prophethood that the Prophet must be a knower of the unseen and know those things which Allah has not informed him of.
➌ {وَ مَا يُدْرِيْكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُوْنُ قَرِيْبًا :} That is, although no one except Allah knows its appointed time, still know that it is very near, as Allah said: « اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَ انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ » [ القمر : ۱ ] “The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split.” And He said: «اِقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَ هُمْ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُوْنَ » [ الأنبیاء : ۱ ] “The reckoning of mankind has drawn near to them, while they turn away in heedlessness.” And He said: « اَتٰۤى اَمْرُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْهُ» [ النحل : ۱ ] “The command of Allah has come, so do not seek to hasten it.” And Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [ رَأَيْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ قَالَ بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ هٰكَذَا بِالْوُسْطٰی وَالَّتِيْ تَلِی الْإِبْهَامَ بُعِثْتُ وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيْنِ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب سورۃ : « والنازعات » : ۴۹۳۶ ] “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he pointed with his middle finger and the finger next to the thumb and said: ‘I and the Hour have been sent like this (together, close to each other).’”
➍ Here is a question: {’’ السَّاعَةِ ‘‘} is feminine, so why is its predicate {’’ قَرِيْبًا ‘‘} masculine? For the answer, see the commentary of Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah (56): «اِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيْبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ».
