وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ كَأَن لَّمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّهَارِ يَتَعَارَفُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِلِقَآءِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ 45
Translations
And on the Day when He will gather them, [it will be] as if they had not remained [in the world] but an hour of the day, [and] they will know each other. Those will have lost who denied the meeting with Allāh and were not guided.
Transliteration
Wa-yawma yahshuruhum ka-an lam yalbathoo illa sa'atan min an-nahari yata'arafoon baynahum. Qad khasira alladhina kadhdhabo biliqaa-illahi wa-ma kanoo muhtadeen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will gather all people, and to them their worldly life will seem as though it lasted only an hour of a day, yet they will recognize one another. Ibn Kathir explains this refers to how the disbelievers will perceive the vast span of their earthly life as extremely brief, and they will lament their heedlessness. Al-Qurtubi notes that despite their mutual recognition, those who denied meeting Allah (disbelieved in the afterlife) will have lost everything and were never guided to the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in Surah Yunus (a Meccan chapter), which addresses the deniers of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. The context emphasizes the reality and inevitability of the afterlife, countering the Meccan disbelievers' mockery and denial of resurrection. This ayah is part of a broader passage (10:45-46) that describes events on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The worldly life compared to the Hereafter is like dipping your finger in the ocean—see what it brings back' (Sahih Muslim 2858). Also relevant: 'How will you be when I bring you together into one day about which there is no doubt?' emphasizing the certainty of the Day of Judgment (Sahih Bukhari 3340).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that our earthly existence, however long it seems, is insignificant compared to eternity, and that denial of meeting Allah and the afterlife represents the greatest loss imaginable. We should use our limited time wisely and prepare for the Day of Judgment with sincere belief and righteous deeds.