Surah Muhammad Tafseer

فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً

Do they then await except that the Hour should come upon them suddenly,

meaning, while they are unaware of it.

فَقَدْ جَاء أَشْرَاطُهَا

But already there have come (some of) its portents;

meaning, the signs of its approach.

This is similar to Allah's saying,

هَـذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الاٍّوْلَى

أَزِفَتِ الاٌّزِفَةُ

This is a warner of the warners of old. The approaching Day has drawn near. (53:56-57)

And His saying,

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split. (54:1)

And His saying,

أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

The command of Allah is coming, so do not be impatient for it. (16:1)

And His saying,

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ

The people's Day of Reckoning has approached while they turn away in heedlessness. (21:1)

Thus, the Messenger's advent is one of the signs of the Hour, because he is the Finality of the Messengers. With him, Allah has completed the religion and established the evidence against all people in a way that was never done by a previous Prophet. Allah's Messenger has most clearly informed about the signs and indications of the Hour, as we have discussed elsewhere. Al-

Bukhari recorded from Sahl bin Sa`d, may Allah be pleased with him, that he saw Allah's Messenger bring his index and middle fingers together while he said,

بُعِثْتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةَ كَهَاتَيْن

I have been sent before the Hour as these two (fingers).

Allah continues,

فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ

and when it (actually) is on them, how can they benefit then by their reminder?

meaning, how would remembering benefit the disbelievers when the Hour comes upon them

This is similar to Allah's saying,

يَوْمَيِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ الاِنسَـنُ وَأَنَّى لَهُ الذِّكْرَى

On that Day will the human being remember, but what would that remembrance avail him then? (89:23)

And His saying,

وَقَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَأَنَّى لَهُمُ التَّنَاوُشُ مِن مَّكَانِ بَعِيدٍ

They will say (in the Hereafter):"Now we believe in it!"

But how could they claim belief from such a far place? (34:52)

Allah then says