33. Surah Al-Ahzab

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

يَسْأَلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ...

33: 63 [Ali] Men ask thee concerning the Hour:

...قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ...

say, "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone)":

C3771. Cf. 7:187 and n. 1159, where the idea is further explained.

The knowledge of the Final Hour is with Allah alone.

The fact of its coming is certain; the exact time when it will come has not been revealed. If it were, it would disturb our thoughts and life.

"Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth."

But at any given moment it cannot be far distant.

In theological language, each individual's death is a Final Hour, a Qiyamah Sughra (Lesser Day of Judgement).

In that sense it is not the same for all individuals, and is certainly always near. "In the midst of life we are in death", as the Anglican Prayer-Book says in its Burial Service.

...وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا ﴿٦٣﴾

and what will make thee understand? -- perchance the Hour is nigh!

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَافِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيرًا ﴿٦٤﴾

33: 64. Verily Allah has cursed the Unbelievers and prepared for them a Blazing Fire --

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لَّا...

33: 65. To dwell therein forever:

...يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا ﴿٦٥﴾

no protector will they find, nor helper.

يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ...

33: 66. The Day that their faces will be turned upside down in the Fire, they will say:

C3772. The face is the expression of their Personality, their Self; and turning upside down is a sign of degradation and ignominy.

When the Retribution comes, the evil ones will be humiliated, and they will wish that they had followed right guidance when they had the chance. They will then fall to accusing their leaders who misled them. But they forget their own personal responsibility.

...يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا ﴿٦٦﴾

"Woe to us! would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!"

وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا ﴿٦٧﴾

33: 67. And they would say:

"Our Lord! we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as to the (right) path.

رَبَّنَا آتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا ﴿٦٨﴾

33: 68. "Our Lord! give them Double Penalty and curse them with a very great Curse!"

C3773. Cf. 25:69 and n. 3129, and 11:20 and n. 1515.

The double Penalty invoked will be because:

- they went wrong themselves and

- they misled others.

Asad’s Version:

33:63 PEOPLE will ask thee about the Last Hour. Say: "Knowledge thereof rests with God alone; yet for all thou knowest, the Last Hour may well be near!" 82

(33:64) Verily, God has rejected the deniers of the truth, and has readied for them a blazing fire,

(33:65) therein to abide beyond the count of time: no protector will they find, and none to bring them succour.

33:66 On the Day when their faces shall be tossed about in the fire, 85 they will exclaim, "Oh, would that we had paid heed unto God, and paid heed unto the Apostle!"

(33:67) And they will say: "O our Sustainer! Behold, we paid heed unto our leaders and our great men, and it is they who have led us astray from the right path!

(33:68) O our Sustainer! Give them double suffering, and banish them utterly from Thy grace!" 84

[[Asad’s notes -

82 See 7:187.

83 As in several other instances in the Qur'an. the "face", being the noblest and most expressive

part of a human person, represents here man's "personality" in its entirety; and its being "tossed

about in the fire" is symbolic of the annihilation of the sinner's will and his reduction to utter

passivity.

84 Lit., "reject them (il'anhum) with agreat rejection", i.e., "from Thy grace" ]]

The Moment [Yuksel]

33:63 The people ask you regarding the moment. Say, "Its knowledge is with God. For all that you know the moment may be near!"*

The Moment

33:63 The people ask you regarding the moment. Say, "Its knowledge is with God. For all that you know the moment may be near!"*

33:64 God has cursed the ingrates, and He has prepared for them hell.

33:65 Eternally they abide therein. They will find no ally, or victor.

33:66 On the day when their faces will be turned over in the fire, they will say, "Oh, we wish we had obeyed God, and obeyed the messenger"

33:67 They will say, "Our Lord, we have obeyed our leaders and our learned ones, but they misled us from the path."

33:68 "Our Lord, give them double the retribution, and curse them with a mighty curse."

[[ Yuksel’s notes - 033:062 The only valid sunna is God's sunna. See 33:38.

033:063 We may learn some of the things that God knows. See 20:15.

033:072 See 3:83; 13:15; 41:11.]]