The Hour

By: Maged Taman

1- The hour knowledge is exclusive to God:

وَتَبَارَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَعِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ (43:85)
43:85 (Picktall) And blessed be He unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Whom is knowledge of the hour, and unto Whom ye will be returned.

2- The hour is coming no doubt about it:

إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ ءاَتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَى (20:15)
20:15 (Picktall) Lo! the hour is surely coming. But I will to keep it hidden, that every soul may be rewarded for that which it striveth (to achieve).

وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِي الْقُبُورِ (22:7)
22:7 (Picktall) And because the hour will come, there is no doubt thereof; and because Allah will raise those who are in the graves.

إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَآتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (40:59)
40:59 (Picktall) Lo! the hour is surely coming, there is no doubt thereof; yet most of mankind believe not.

بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ (54:46)
54:46 (Picktall) Nay, but the hour (of doom) is their appointed tryst, and the hour will be more wretched and more bitter (than their earthly failure).

3- The hour is a very great event:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ (22:1)
22:1 (Picktall) O mankind! Fear your Lord. Lo! the earthquake of the hour (of Doom) is a tremendous thing.

4- Some of the disbelievers looked at the hour in doubt:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَالسَّاعَةُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا قُلْتُم مَّا نَدْرِي مَا السَّاعَةُ إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنًّا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ (45:32)
45:32 (Picktall) And when it was said: Lo! Allah's promise is the truth, and there is no doubt of the hour's coming, ye said: We know not what the hour is. We deem it

5- For their arrogance some of the disbelievers call to God to bring the hour soon:

يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ أَلَا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فِي السَّاعَةِ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ بَعِيدٍ (42:18)
42:18 (Picktall) Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it, while those who believe are fearful of it and know that it is the Truth. Are not they who dispute, in doubt concerning the hour, far astray?

6- Some of the disbelievers categorically denied the hour:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَأْتِينَا السَّاعَةُ قُلْ بَلَى وَرَبِّي لَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا أَصْغَرُ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرُ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ (34:3)
34:3 (Picktall) Those who disbelieve say: The hour will never come unto us. Say : Nay, by my Lord, but it is coming unto you surely. (He is) the Knower of the Unseen. Not an atom's weight, or less than that or greater, escapeth Him in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a clear Record, -

7- Some disbelievers think even if there is an hour that they do not believe in they will do very well anyway:

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِن بَعْدِ ضَرَّاء مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِندَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ (41:50)
41:50 (Picktall) And verily, if We cause him to taste mercy after some hurt that hath touched him, he will say: This is my own; and I deem not that the hour will ever rise, and if I am brought back to my Lord, I surely shall be better off with Him--But We verily shall tell those who disbelieve (all) that they did, and We verily shall make them taste hard punishment. -

وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَى رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا (18:36)
18:36 (Picktall) I think not that the hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back unto my Lord I surely shall find better than this as a resort. -

8- The signs of hour already came: the last messenger Muhammad is a sign that the hour is approaching and many signs around us now:

فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَاء أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ (47:18)
47:18 (Picktall) Await they aught save the hour, that it should come upon them unawares? And the beginnings thereof have already come. But how, when it hath come upon them, can they take their warning? -

9- Jesus is a sign of the hour:

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (43:61)
43:61 (Picktall) And lo! verily He (Jesus) is knowledge of the hour. So doubt ye not concerning it, but follow Me. This is the right path.

10- When the Hour comes upon them the disbelievers will be in regret and confusion:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ (30:12)
30:12 (Picktall) And in the day when the hour riseth the worng doers will despair.

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ (30:14)
30:14 (Picktall) In the day when the hour cometh, that day they will be sundered.
Ar-Rum (The Romans)

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ كَذَلِكَ كَانُوا يُؤْفَكُونَ (30:55)
30:55 (Picktall) And on the day when the hour riseth the guilty will vow that they did tarry but an hour-- thus were they ever deceived.

وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ (22:55)
22:55 (Picktall) And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt thereof until the hour come upon them unawares, or there come unto them the doom of a disastrous day.

وَلَلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرضِ وَيَومَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَخْسَرُ الْمُبْطِلُونَ (45:27)
45:27 (Picktall) And unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and on the day when the hour riseth, on that day those who follow falsehood will be lost.

قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَاء اللّهِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُواْ يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَى مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلاَ سَاء مَا يَزِرُونَ (6:31)
6:31 (Picktall) They indeed are losers who deny their meeting with Allah until, when the hour cometh on them suddenly, they cry: Alas for us, that we neglected it! They bear upon their back their burdens. Ah, evil is that which they bear!