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Al-A'raf 187

Ayah 187 of 206 · Meccan

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّيۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقۡتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ ثَقُلَتۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَا تَأۡتِيكُمۡ إِلَّا بَغۡتَةٗۗ يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنۡهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨٧

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?1 Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily2 upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allāh, but most of the people do not know."

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 Literally, "resting" or "establishment."

2 i.e., it is a source of concern, worry or fear.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَThey ask youyasalūnaka
  2. عَنِaboutʿani
  3. ٱلسَّاعَةِthe Hourl-sāʿati
  4. أَيَّانَwhen will beayyāna
  5. مُرۡسَىٰهَاۖits appointed timemur'sāhā
  6. قُلۡSayqul
  7. إِنَّمَاOnlyinnamā
  8. عِلۡمُهَاits knowledgeʿil'muhā
  9. عِندَ(is) withʿinda
  10. رَبِّيۖmy Lordrabbī
  11. لَاno (one)lā
  12. يُجَلِّيهَاcan reveal [it]yujallīhā
  13. لِوَقۡتِهَآits timeliwaqtihā
  14. إِلَّاexceptillā
  15. هُوَۚHimhuwa
  16. ثَقُلَتۡIt lays heavilythaqulat
  17. فِيinfī
  18. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavensl-samāwāti
  19. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚand the earthwal-arḍi
  20. لَاNotlā
  21. تَأۡتِيكُمۡwill it come to youtatīkum
  22. إِلَّاbutillā
  23. بَغۡتَةٗۗsuddenlybaghtatan
  24. يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَThey ask youyasalūnaka
  25. كَأَنَّكَas if youka-annaka
  26. حَفِيٌّ(were) well informedḥafiyyun
  27. عَنۡهَاۖabout itʿanhā
  28. قُلۡSayqul
  29. إِنَّمَاOnlyinnamā
  30. عِلۡمُهَاits knowledgeʿil'muhā
  31. عِندَ(is) withʿinda
  32. ٱللَّهِAllahl-lahi
  33. وَلَٰكِنَّbutwalākinna
  34. أَكۡثَرَmostakthara
  35. ٱلنَّاسِ(of) the peoplel-nāsi
  36. لَا(do) notlā
  37. يَعۡلَمُونَknowyaʿlamūna

Tafsir

Those who reject the truth and proud ask you about the Hour, asking when its appointed time is. Say to them O Muhammad: 'I do not have knowledge of it, nor anyone else; but Allah alone has knowledge of it. Only Allah will reveal its decreed time. Its appearance is hidden from all of those in the heavens and earth, and it will only come upon them unexpectedly.' They ask you O Muhammad about the Hour as if you are eager to know it, not realising that you did not ask about it because of your knowledge of your Lord. Say to them O Muhammad: 'The knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone, but most people do not know this.'

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran