( يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ ) (They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour): Asking questions is mentioned fifteen times in the present tense in the Holy Quran, as if the question is posed in the present time:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, “They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.”) (Al-Baqara: 189)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ ۖ قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, “Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents)
(Al-Baqara: 215)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ
(They ask you about the sacred month – about fighting therein. Say, “Fighting therein is great [sin]) (Al-Baqara: 217)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ ۖ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ
(They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin) (Al-Baqara: 219)
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْيَتَامَىٰ ۖ قُلْ إِصْلَاحٌ لَّهُمْ خَيْرٌ
(And they ask you about orphans. Say, “Improvement for them is best) (Al-Baqara: 220)
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى
(And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm)
(Al-Baqara: 222)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], what has been made lawful for them. Say, “Lawful for you are [all] good foods) (Al-Maaida: 4)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord) (Al-A’raaf: 187)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنفَالِ ۖ قُلِ الْأَنفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the bounties [of war]. Say, “The [decision concerning] bounties is for Allah and the Messenger.) (Al-Anfal: 1)
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي
(And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord) (Al-Israa: 85)
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا
(And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, “I will recite to you about him a report.”) (Al-Kah: 38)
All of which are followed by: ( قُلْ ) (Say). But in another verse, it says:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ فَقُلْ
(And they ask you about the mountains, so say,) (Taa-Haa: 105)
There is the word (so) before (say) which indicates that they have not asked about the mountains yet but they will. While in the case of the other questions, they all had already been asked.
In the fifteen verses, in which Allah (swt) uses the form (they ask you), we find that every response is prefixed by (say), which is a command to the Prophet (saws) to say a certain ruling, except in one verse which says:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ
(And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near) (Al-Baqara: 186)
It was not mentioned in the present tense, nor does it have (say) because that word would have indicated that there is an obstacle, or partition, whereas the verse says: (indeed I am near), so that we feel how close we could be to the Lord of heavens and earth, Allah (swt).
(They ask you): This question is similar to the other questions. It was the Jews who asked the Prophet (saws) about three issues: They asked about Dhul-Qarnayn, the Hour, and the duration during which the young men stayed in the cave.
( عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا) (about the Hour: when is its arrival?): The question was about when it will happen.
( قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي ) (Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord): The answer to the Jews and to the entire world as well is that the Hour and the time when the life of all beings will end are known only to Allah (swt).
( لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ) (None will reveal its time except Him): Its time will only come by the Will of Allah (swt) alone.
( ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ) (It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth): It means that its weight is too heavy for the creatures of heavens, which are the Angels, and they know nothing about it, nor do the inhabitants of the earth.
( لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً) (It will not come upon you except unexpectedly): The Hour will come by surprise.
( يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا) (They ask you as if you are familiar with it): That is, as though you are concerned with and are always asking about it.
( قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ ) (Say, “Its knowledge is only with Allah): Allah (swt) reemphasizes the fact that only He (swt) knows about the time of the Hour. The first time Allah (swt) says: (“Its knowledge is only with my Lord). The second time is: (None will reveal its time except Him). The third time, Allah (swt) says: (“Its knowledge is only with Allah). The matter is decided. Allah (swt) restricted this knowledge to Him (swt) alone so that no Angel, no human, nor any creature knows about it. Allah (swt) says:
إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ
(Indeed, the Hour is coming – I almost conceal it – so that every soul may be recompensed according to that for which it strives.) (Taa-Ha: 15)
In the verse, it says: (I almost conceal it), because there are signs foretelling its arrival.
( وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ) (but most of the people do not know): Most people do not know the reality and terror of the Hour.