Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:187

After mentioning the approaching of their term, He, Glory be to Him, followed it by mentioning their questioning regarding the Hour. So, the Almighty said: "They ask you about the Hour." It is said that this is an inception introduced to illustrate some of their tyranny and misguidance.

"Al-Sa'ah" (the Hour) in its origin is a name for a small, unspecified amount of time. Among astronomers, it is one part of twenty-four parts of the day and night, and it is divided into uneven and equal [hours]. In the custom of the Shari'ah, it is applied to the day of the death of creation and to the day of the rising of the people for the Lord of the worlds. They have interpreted it as the Day of Resurrection, and perhaps what is intended is one of those two days, even if the "Last Day" is the most famous interpretation. It is apparent that what is being asked about is the first day (the Day of Resurrection), and Zajjaj held this view.

"The Hour" is one of the "dominant names" (al-asma' al-ghalibah) in this context. The reason for applying this term to it—as well as to the time of rising—is apparent if the time of death or the time of rising is intended without regard to duration, as it is obviously a small amount in itself. If the extended time is intended, then its application to it is either because it comes suddenly, as has been said; or because it overwhelms those to whom it comes, so it seems little to them or makes what preceded it seem little; or because, for all its length, it is a small amount to God Almighty; or due to the speed of His reckoning. It has also been permitted that naming it thus is a case of naming something by its opposite for wit (like calling black "camphor").

Those who asked about this were a group of Jews. Ibn Ishaq and others recorded from Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, that he said: Huyayy ibn Akhtab and Sumul ibn Zayd said to the Messenger of God, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him: "Inform us when the Hour is, if you are a Prophet as you claim, for we know when it is." This was a test from them, despite their knowledge that He, the Almighty, had kept the knowledge of it to Himself. So God Almighty revealed the verse.

Others held that the questioners were the Quraysh. Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn Jarir recorded from Qatadah that the Quraysh said: "O Muhammad, disclose to us when the Hour is, because of the kinship between us and you," and so it was revealed.

His saying, Glory be to Him: "When is its mooring?" (The hamza of ayyan is read with a fatha; Sulami read it with a kasra, which is a dialectal variation). It is a noun of time containing the meaning of an interrogation. It is followed by an initial sentence (mubtada') or a present-tense verb, but not a past-tense verb—unlike mata (when), which can be followed by both.

Research indicates it is a simple, impromptu noun. It is said it is derived from ay (which), and is on the pattern of fa'lan from it, because its meaning is "which time" and "which act." Or, it is derived from awaytu in the sense of "I returned"—because the tawwaytu and shawwaytu paradigms are weaker than the hayyitu and wa'aytu paradigms, and because of its proximity in meaning, as the part returns to the whole and depends upon it. Its root would be away, then the waw was changed to a ya and assimilated into the ya, becoming ayya. It was not made a verb, nor derived from ayna (where), because ayyan is a noun of time while ayna is a noun of place. Some people claim its root is ay or in or ay-ana, but that is nothing of substance.

Al-Kashf critiqued the derivation from ay by stating it contradicts what Zamakhshari mentioned in Surah an-Naml. If it were named from that, it would be fa'lan from ana-ya'inu (to be near), and it would not be declinable. Then he said: "The approach is what was mentioned there, because derivation for undeclinable words has no basis." Furthermore, its derivation from ay is no more primary than its derivation from ayn in the sense of hinunah (timing), because ayyan is temporal. It seems he was deceived by the interrogative nature, but this is nothing, for it is so by implication, just as in mata and the like. Similarly, the derivation of ay from awaytu has no basis, though it is more apparent that it may or may not be declinable, like himar qabban.

It has been answered that what was mentioned is a matter whose paradigms are for examination—to know its rule if it were to be named by it—so it does not contradict what Zamakhshari mentioned, nor does it contradict the research, so contemplate this. Regardless, it is in the place of a nominative as a fronted predicate, and mursaha (its mooring) is a delayed subject. It is a mim-prefixed verbal noun from arsahu (he anchored/fixed it), meaning: "When is its fixing and establishing?" Anchoring is rarely used except for something heavy, as in His saying: "And the mountains, He anchored them," and from this is the mirsa (anchor) of ships. Its attribution here to the Hour is based on comparing abstract concepts to physical bodies. Some permitted it to be a noun of time, and the objection that "this would require a time for a time" does not apply—there is a difference of opinion among philosophers regarding its permissibility—because it is interpreted as "when that will happen."

The sentence, it is said, is in the place of an accusative as a direct object for a deleted verb acting as a state (hal) from the pronoun in "they ask you," meaning: "They ask you, saying: 'When is its mooring?'" Others said it is in the place of a genitive as a substitution for "the Hour."

The research according to some eminent scholars is that its place is an accusative due to the removal of the preposition, as it is a substitution for the prepositional phrase (the Hour) rather than just the noun. In attaching the question to the Hour itself first, and to the time of its occurrence second, there is a notification that the primary goal of the question is the Hour itself in terms of its arrival at its appointed time, which is considered its place. What is in the answer—namely His saying, Glory be to Him: "Say: 'Its knowledge is only with my Lord'"—is based on this as well; meaning: "Its knowledge, in the aforementioned sense, is with Him, Glory be to Him, and none other." Thus, there is no need to say: "Its knowledge of the time of its anchoring is with Him." Some, having been heedless of the aforementioned subtlety, interpreted the majestic structure as having a deleted genitive possessor (idafa), and Abu al-Baqa points toward this.

The meaning of it being solely with Him, the Almighty, is that He has kept it to Himself, having informed no one of it—not an angel brought near, nor a sent Prophet. The mention of the title of Lordship while adding it to the pronoun of the Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, is said to be to indicate that his success, peace and blessings be upon him, in answering in the aforementioned manner, is a matter of upbringing and guidance—which is better than what we will point to later, God willing.

His saying, Glory be to Him: "None will reveal it at its time except Him" is a statement of the continuation of its hidden nature until the time it occurs, and a total despair of having its affair disclosed by way of information. Tajliya (revealing) is unveiling and showing. The lam is the lam of timing. There is disagreement regarding it: it is said it is in the sense of fi (in). Ibn Jinni said it is in the sense of inda (at). Radi said: "It is the lam that indicates specialization (ikhtisas)." This is of three types: either the action is specialized to the time because it occurs in it, or because it occurs after it, or before it. By default, specialization is for occurrence within it, unless the context suggests otherwise. Many have interpreted it here as fi. The meaning is: "None will unveil it, and none will show the people its affair—which you ask about—except the Lord, Glory be to Him, by Himself, without any creature sensing it so that he might mediate in showing it to them." However, this is not by not informing them of its time (as is the request), but by establishing it, so they will know it in the most perfect way. The prepositional phrase is connected to tajliya, and it is a restriction on it after the arrival of the exception. It is as if it were said: "None will reveal it except Him in its time." It was fronted to notify from the beginning that its revealing is not by way of informing of its time, but by showing the essence of it at the time they are asking about.

His saying, Almighty is He: "It is heavy in the heavens and the earth" is an inception, as before, reinforcing what preceded. The intent is that it has become great and weighty to their inhabitants because they do not know the time of its occurrence. From al-Suddi: "Whoever has something hidden from him, it is heavy upon him." From Qatadah: "It is great upon the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, for they dread it and fear its intensity." In another narration from him: "The meaning is that the knowledge of it is heavy upon them, so they do not know it"—which returns to what was mentioned first. It is also said the meaning is: "It is heavy at the time of occurrence upon the heavens themselves, until they split, their stars are scattered, and their sun is folded; and upon the earth itself, until its mountains are moved, its seas are set ablaze, and what is within it becomes what it becomes." What was narrated from Ibn Jurayj points to this, and according to this, there is no need to estimate a genitive. The word in all other views is a metaphor alerting to the firmness of the action, as is not hidden.

"It will not come to you except suddenly." That is, unexpectedly, at a time of heedlessness. The two Sheikhs (Bukhari and Muslim) recorded from Abu Huraira, may God be pleased with him, that he said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The Hour will surely rise when two men have spread their garment, but they will not trade in it nor fold it; the Hour will surely rise when a man has departed with the milk of his she-camel, but he will not drink it; the Hour will surely rise while he is plastering his basin, but he will not water [his livestock] from it; and the Hour will surely rise while one has raised his food to his mouth, but he will not taste it."

"They ask you as if you are familiar with it" (i.e., knowledgeable about it), as Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, said in what Ibn al-Mundhir and others recorded from him. Hafiyy is a fa'il form from hafia 'an al-shay' (he searched to know its condition). Some mentioned that hafawah originally means painstaking investigation into a matter out of concern for it. Al-A'sha said: "If you ask about me, many a seeker is hafiyy (persistent/knowledgeable) about Al-A'sha, where he ascended." From this is ahfa' al-sharib (trimming the mustache close). It is also applied to kindness and gentleness, as He, the Almighty, said: "Indeed, He has ever been hafiyyan (gracious) to me." The meaning intended here is derived from the first meaning, because whoever investigates a thing and asks about it has mastered its knowledge; so, it is intended by the necessary implication of its meaning, metaphorically or metonymically. The descriptor was linked with 'an (about) considering the root of its meaning, which is asking and searching. It is said it is because it implies the meaning of "uncovering"; otherwise, it would have been linked with bi (by). Abu al-Baqa permitted 'an to be in the sense of bi. It is narrated from the Master (Ibn Abbas) and Ibn Mas'ud that they recited it as such.

The simile sentence is in the place of an accusative as a state (hal) from the object of "they ask you"—meaning: "your state among them is likened to the state of one who is hafiyy." It is said that 'anha is connected to "they ask you" and the simile sentence is parenthetical. It is also interpreted as "familiar with it" (or them, depending on the interpretation that hafiyy is from hafawah in the sense of compassion). The Quraysh said to him, peace and blessings be upon him: "There is kinship between us and you, so tell us when the Hour is." This is narrated from Qatadah and the Translator of the Quran (Ibn Abbas) as well. The meaning according to this is: they think you have knowledge of it but are concealing it, so out of your compassion for them, they asked you to single them out with it. Connecting 'an in this view to a deleted verb like "tell them" or "uncover for them" is far-fetched. It is also said it is from hafia bi-al-shay' (he rejoiced in it), narrated from Mujahid, al-Dahhak, and others. The meaning: "as if you are delighted by the question about it, loving it." In this view, 'an is connected to hafiyy because it implies the meaning of asking.

The speech, according to what the Shaykh al-Islam said, is an inception introduced to explain their error in directing the question to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, based on their claim that he, peace and blessings be upon him, is knowledgeable about what is being asked, or that knowledge of that is a requirement of the Message—following the explanation of their error in the question itself by declaring the essence of the one asked about. In al-Intisaf, regarding the reason for repeating "they ask you," it is said that what is customary in such matters is that when speech is built upon a purpose and a contingency arises in its midst, and one wants to return to complete the first purpose, its time having passed, it is mentioned again so the end may connect to the beginning. Here, when the speech began with His saying, Glory be to Him: "They ask you about the Hour, when is its mooring?" then the mention of the answer was interrupted by "Say," to "suddenly," it was desired to complete their questioning about it by way of rejecting them, which is included in His saying, Glory be to Him: "As if you are familiar with it." It is strongly attached to the question, and its time having passed, it was mentioned again so its completion might follow it. You never see it being mentioned again except with some type of summarization; hence, the one asked about—the Hour—was not mentioned, suffice with what preceded. Then, when He, the Almighty, repeated the question for this benefit, He also repeated the answer summarized, saying: "Say, its knowledge is only with God." From this, one knows the reason for mentioning the Majestic Name here.

The first investigator (al-Muhaqqiq al-Awwal) stated that he, peace and blessings be upon him, was commanded to repeat the first answer to emphasize the ruling, establish it, and signal its reason through the demonstrative method by bringing the name of the Essence, which informs that it is followed by the attributes of perfection, among which is knowledge, and to pave the way for the reprimand of their ignorance in His saying, Glory be to Him: "But most of the people do not know."

Jubba'i claimed the first question was about the time of the Hour's rising, and this question was about its "how-ness" and the detail of the hardships and conditions within it. It is said that is why its answer was singled out with the name of the Essence, as it is the greatest of names in reverence. Naysaburi and others held this view, and it is related from the Imam and others, but I do not see they have a source for this. The object of "knowledge" according to what some indicate is deleted, meaning: they do not know what was mentioned regarding the exclusive nature of its knowledge with Him, the Almighty. Some deny it outright, so they only ask about it in mockery; some know it will definitely occur and claim you are aware of the time of its occurrence, so they ask out of ignorance; some claim knowledge of that is a requirement of the Message, so they take the question as a pretext to attack it. The one who is aware of the reality of the situation and asks to test is equated to the ignorant for not acting upon his knowledge.

God, the Almighty, concealed the matter of the Hour because the legislative wisdom requires it; for it is more conducive to obedience and more deterrent from disobedience, just as concealing a person's specific time of death is. If it were said that the cosmic wisdom requires that too, it would not be far-fetched. The outer meaning of the verses is that he, peace and blessings be upon him, did not know the time of its rising. Yes, he, peace and blessings be upon him, knew its nearness in a general sense, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, informed of it. Tirmidhi recorded—and authenticated—from Anas, in a marfu' (elevated) manner: "I and the Hour have been sent like these two," and he pointed with his index and middle fingers. In the Sahihayn from Ibn Umar, also in a marfu' manner: "Your term compared to those who have passed before you from the nations is only like the time between the Asr prayer and sunset." It has come in more than one tradition that the age of the world is seven thousand years, and that he, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent in the latter part of the sixth millennium, and most of the nation is in the seventh millennium.

Jalal al-Suyuti recorded a number of hadiths that the age of the world is seven thousand years and mentioned that the duration of this nation exceeds one thousand years, but the increase does not reach five hundred years. He used as evidence for this the reports and traces he mentioned in his treatise titled Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hadhihi al-Ummah al-Alf. Because of this, some called this second millennium the "Khidrimah" (transitional) millennium, because half of it is "dunya" (this world) and the other half is the "ukhra" (the Hereafter). If the Mahdi does not appear at the head of the century we are in, everything he built will collapse, as is not hidden to those who have reviewed it. It is as if I see you seeing it collapsing.

Al-Safarini related from the philosophers that they claimed the management of the world we are in belongs to the sign of Virgo (Sunbulah), and when its cycle is completed, corruption and decay will occur in the world; then when the matter returns to the sign of Libra (Mizan), the materials will gather and the Resurrection will be destined to return. Al-Bakri said: "The reign of Aries (Hamal) among them is twelve thousand years, and the reign of Taurus (Thawr) is less by one thousand, and so on, decreasing by a thousand, a thousand, until Pisces (Hut), so its reign is one thousand years. The total of that is seventy-eight thousand years, and when it is completed, the world of creation and corruption will come to an end." This was related from Hermes, who claimed he said: "There was no animal on earth under the rule of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. When the rule of Cancer (Saratan) occurred, the water creatures were formed, for it is the mother of the earth. When the rule of Leo (Asad) occurred, four-legged animals were formed. When the rule of Virgo (Sunbulah) occurred, the first two humans were born: Adam-nus and Hawa-nus." Some claimed the duration of the world is the amount of the fixed stars' traversal of the degrees of the sphere, and the star among them traverses a constellation—by their claim—in three thousand years, so that is thirty-six thousand years. End quote.

It is not hidden to those who have looked at the books of observation and astronomical tables that the cycles among them are three: major, medium, and minor, and they call them tasyirat (progressions). They are uniform in all constellations. The major cycle is what occurs in traversing each degree in one hundred years; the medium is what occurs in traversing each degree in ten years; and the minor is what occurs in traversing each degree in one year. They have a "greater cycle," which they also call the "Greatest Progression," which is what occurs in traversing each degree in one thousand years. The progression today is in Libra, and four degrees, fifty-six minutes, thirty-one seconds, and twelve thirds have passed. If you consider the duration of that from the head point of Aries to here, it reaches one hundred and eighty-four thousand, nine hundred and forty-three years. The duration of the movement of the fixed stars, according to what was related from Ptolemy, is in each constellation two thousand, one hundred and sixty-two years, eight months, sixteen days, and nineteen hours. If that is multiplied by twelve, the number of constellations, the duration of the traversal of the whole sphere results, which is much less than what he mentioned. Perhaps the intent of the constellation cycle is what was intended by its "reign" from the judgment of its influence and ordinary affecting, according to what is understood from some of their books, by the rule of originality for the constellation, which is what flows upon the planets descending into it. All of this is something for which God, the Almighty, has not sent down any authority.

The truth from which there is no escape is to say that the world is originated in time, and none knows its beginning except God, the Almighty. Likewise, the age of the world, the beginning of human existence, the duration of its remaining in this world, and the amount of time it stays in the intermediate realm (Barzakh)—none of this is known except by God, the Almighty. All that has been mentioned in this chapter are conjectural matters, for most of which there is no pillar to rely upon. Beyond this, I say to the people of China and others: it is more grievous and bitter than what has preceded. In short, the remaining age of the world, for those who say it will perish, is a minimal amount relative to the past of it. And God, the Almighty, knows best the truth of what is there.