• God’s plan is unbreakable

• The Time or The Day of Resurrection known only to God

• The Doom shall be sudden

Al-A’raaf Verses 182 – 188

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

And those who belie Our signs,1soon shall We gradually draw them to ruin from whence they know not. (7:182)2

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

And I grant them;3respite. Verily My scheme is (unfailingly) strong.4(7:183)

أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا۟ مَا بِصَاحِبِهِم مِّن جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

What! reflect they not that their companion5(Our Apostle Muhammad) is not seized with madness, He is but only a plain Warner. (7:184)6

أَوَلَمْ يَنظُرُوا۟ فِى مَلَكُوتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ وَأَنْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ قَدِ ٱقْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَهُۥ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Or look7they not into the kingdoms of the heavens and the earth and whatever things (God) created, and maybe that their term8hath drawn nigh; then in what other words after this would they believe? (7:185)

مَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِىَ لَهُۥ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

Whomsoever God suffereth to stray9there is no guide for him, and He leaveth them alone in their transgression, blindly wandering (bewildered). (7:186)

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّى لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِىٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

They ask thee about the Hour (of Resurrection) when will be its fixed time; Say: “The knowledge of it is only with my Lord10, None shall manifest it at its time11but He; Heavy12shall it be in the heavens and the earth; it will not come to you but of a sudden.”13They ask thee as if thou wert solicitous about it. Say: “Its knowledge is only with God, but most people know not.” (7:187)14

قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Say: ‘neither I15own for myself any benefit nor harm except what willeth God; and had I known the unseen16indeed I would have had much of good and evil had touched me not, and I am not but a Warner and the bearer of good news for a people who believe?” (7:188)

Commentary

Verse 184

The total absorption in meditation every now and then made his opponents to allege about him to be in fits or seized. Qur’an refutes this here in one single brief clause proceeding with a warning to reflect on his lofty teachings and clear warning which never allow any possibility of any seizure as the teachings of Qur’an are the self-evident testimony of their divine origin, if he is seized, he is seized by God Himself. (A.P.).

Verse 187

About the end of the world and the Day of Judgment, Jesus also has given a similar reply.

Mark 13/32; and Math. 24/36. “But of that day and that hour knoweth, no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Mark 13/32.

“But of that day and hour knoweth, no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Math. 24/36.

Regarding the term ‘Sa’ah’ (Hour) used in Qur’an and the time of its coming, there are several passages of Qur’an, asserting that none knows it save God but in 79:42-44 deals with the same question, is answered ‘To your Lord is the end of it.’ Thus, destiny is fixed and not the time though the question here also is about the time which means the question is not answerable when the destiny is to the unlimited and absolute and no finite being can grasp it.

The word ‘Sa’ah’ refers to the end of the creature’s strive towards its destiny. It may be individual, collective and that also in various grades. It is a relative term applicable to the resurrection or the destiny of an individual, or the community, or of the whole solar system. So worlds have already been created and reached their destinies, and their resurrections have taken place and many worlds have not yet come into being and many are in the early stages of becoming and many are nearing to their end.

Therefore, it is obvious that there is no answer to this question for a finite being except that the end is with God - the end is He and towards Him is everything moving and to Him is everything returning, Who is beyond time and space. Time and space themselves are finite beings applicable only to dimensional beings and the resurrection is beyond dimensions. (A.P.)

Verse 188

This verse exemplifies the Holy Prophet with the matchless simplicity and charity of the declaration about his personality as an Apostle of God against any ambiguity of a statement but the people might deify him as they have done in the case of the leaders of the other faiths (Jesus etc.)

• 1. One of the most prominent Signs of God is what is referred to in the previous verse 7:181.
• 2. Refer to verse 68:44.
• 3. Those who belie the signs.
• 4. Effective.
• 5. The Holy Prophet Muhammad.
• 6. Refer to verses 53:2-5.
• 7. Consider the instability of the transitory state and infer their terms coming nigh to the end.
• 8. End.
• 9. One who is not benefited or availed of the guidance of the Word of God.
• 10. Refer to Mark 13/32. But that day and that hour knoweth no man no, not the angels, which are in heaven, neither the Son but the Father. N. T. Math 13/32. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven but my Father only. Math. 24/36.
• 11. Time here is only a figurative expression for there is no other term for the conditions of the timeless realm.
• 12. The stage is so difficult to be grasped as it is within the limitations of the heavens and the earth.
• 13. It will be a sudden change from the dimensional state to the undimensional state not requiring any time.
• 14. Refer to verses 31:34, 79:42-44, 6:50, 79:42.
• 15. The Holy Prophet Muhammad.
• 16. Refer to note on verse 6:50.