وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَأْتِينَا ٱلسَّاعَةُ ۖ قُلْ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّى لَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَآ أَصْغَرُ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْبَرُ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ 3
Translations
But those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will not come to us." Say, "Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [Allāh is] the Knower of the unseen." Not absent from Him is an atom's weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register -
Transliteration
Wa qāla alladhīna kafarū lā ta'tīnā as-sā'ah, qul balā wa rabbī la-ta'tiyannakum 'ālim al-ghayb, lā ya'zubu 'anhu mithqāl dharrah fī as-samāwāti wa lā fī al-ard, wa lā asghar min dhālik wa lā akbar illā fī kitāb mubīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the disbelievers' denial of the Day of Judgment, presenting a powerful refutation through divine attributes. The Prophet (ﷺ) is commanded to affirm with certainty that the Hour will come, supported by evidence of Allah's perfect knowledge of all unseen matters—from the smallest atom to the greatest thing—all recorded in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz). Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this comprehensive knowledge of all creation demonstrates Allah's absolute power over Resurrection, making the disbelievers' denial logically untenable.
Revelation Context
Surah Saba is a Meccan surah addressing the pagan Arabs' rejection of the Hereafter. This ayah responds directly to their stubborn denial of resurrection and the Day of Judgment, a central theme of Meccan revelation. The context reflects the Quraysh's persistent mockery of Islamic teachings about the afterlife during the early Meccan period.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Allah has appointed an angel over my grave who will guard it, and He will resurrect me on the Day of Judgment' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet describes the Day of Judgment in detail, affirming its certainty despite the disbelievers' denials.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that skepticism about divine promises stems from limited human perspective, while complete trust in Allah's infinite knowledge of all matters—visible and invisible—provides unshakeable certainty in the Hereafter. For modern readers, it encourages reliance on Allah's wisdom even when worldly evidence seems to contradict religious truths.