That is, are they waiting to perceive, and perceiving something is done either by looking directly at it, or by realizing it through knowledge and information.

After the demonstration of the rules and judgments, showing guidance and its way and having sent the Prophets PBUT and the books with them, they wait, that day when they will be surprised that the command of Allah (swt) would come!

( أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ ) (that Allah should come to them..): Meaning, are they waiting for Allah’s order to come to believe. We are going to interpret the verse in a way that we neither likened Him (swt) to His creation, nor do we change the meaning of the verse. In other words, Allah (swt) is not similar to His creation, He is unimaginable. Whatever you think of Him in your mind, Allah (swt) is otherwise, you can’t imagine Him (swt).  Do not say, He (swt) comes, that is, He (swt) never moves from one place to another, rather He (swt) exists in all places and that is His greatness (swt). Everything related to Allah (swt) of actions, of attributes, of names, you may find that some of these qualities may be shared with humans or their names. For example, you say, Allah (swt) is alive, and you say about yourself that you are alive, you say, Allah (swt) is generous, and you may describe one of the humans as generous. You say, Allah (swt) is capable, and Man is capable, but always remember that Allah (swt):

 {لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ }

(There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.)  (Ash-Shura: 11)

Allah (swt) cannot be conceived and His actions are not such the humankinds’ actions. Allah’s (swt) actions are attributed to His Power, whereas humans’ actions are not attributed to their abilities. You cannot measure His (swt) actions to the law of your acts otherwise you fall into wrong. For example, you say, “I can carry this pot from here to there”. This act needs work, strength and it takes time. However, Allah (swt) is not in need to be involved in the action, rather He (swt) says to the thing: “Be” and it becomes.

In the verse under study, are they waiting for the Day of Judgement? Are they waiting except for the Hour to come upon them suddenly while they perceive not? Hence, (that Allah should come to them..) must be understood according to the attributes of Allah (swt) and not according to our actions. For that, in the following verse:

   {سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ }

(Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.)  (Al-Issraa: 1)

Allah (swt) says (Exalted) before (took), exalted Allah of having a resemblance in the being, in attributes or in actions. Everything attribute to Allah (swt) do not attributed to humans’ actions or to human’s laws. That is because He (swt) is the creator of humans and is not subjected to any laws, actions, or characteristics of the humans.

( فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ ) (in covers of clouds..): Do they await but that Allah should come to them in covers of clouds and the angels? As Allah (swt) says:

 {وَيَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَاءُ بِالْغَمَامِ وَنُزِّلَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَنزِيلًا }

(And [mention] the Day when the heaven will split open with [emerging] clouds, and the angels will be sent down in successive descent.)  (Al-Furqaan: 25)

Therefore, it is one of the signs of the Day of Judgment.

( وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ  ۚ) (and the matter is [then] decided?): The matter is over, the actions of human beings have ended here, and the world has ended. This world of tests, of trials. In this worldly life, you are free to do or not to do, you are free to believe or not to believe, you are free to follow or not to follow, nothing is forced upon you.

( وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ  ۚ) (and the matter is [then] decided?): The free choice for human beings has ended and they entered the stage of compulsion. Then they are forced to torment the fire and miserable fate. At these moments, there is no choice for man, the time of choice is over, the process of account began. There must be reword or punishment, Paradise or fire.

( وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ ) (And to Allah [all] matters are returned): All matters return to Allah (swt). Therefore, we always say, ‘We are of Allah (swt) and we return to Him’ because we are originally from Allah (swt). He Who created us. He (swt) Who brought our father Adam and our mother Eve from heaven to earth and we all will return to Him (swt). Allah (swt) decreed all the matter, so to Allah (swt) will return all things, all what the humans have done will find in front of them:

 يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ * فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ * إِنِّي ظَنَنتُ أَنِّي مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ * فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ * فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ * قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ * كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ

(That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed. %  So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, “Here, read my record! %  Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account.” %  So he will be in a pleasant life – %  In an elevated garden, %  Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near. %  [They will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in the days past.)  (Al-Haaqqa: 18-24)

(in the days past), the days of this worldly life before the matter is decided.

 {وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ * وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ * يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ * مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ ۜ * هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ }

(But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record % And had not known what is my account. % I wish my death had been the decisive one. % My wealth has not availed me. % Gone from me is my authority.)  (Al-Haaqqa: 25-28)

Because Satan’s enters into humans by:

 {فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَىٰ }

(Then Satan whispered to him; he said, “O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?”.)  (Taa-Haa: 120)

Man wants Eternity as well as money, and the the authority in this world. Yet on the Day of Resurrection, he will lose everything and to Allah (swt) everything returns, as He (swt) says:

 وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَىٰ كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُم مَّا خَوَّلْنَاكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ ۖ وَمَا نَرَىٰ مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَاءُ ۚ لَقَد تَّقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

([It will be said to them], “And you have certainly come to Us alone as We created you the first time, and you have left whatever We bestowed upon you behind you. And We do not see with you your ‘intercessors’ which you claimed that they were among you associates [of Allah]. It has [all] been severed between you, and lost from you is what you used to claim.)  (Annam: 94)