وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَـٰذَا ٱلْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ 48
Translations
And they say, "When is [the fulfillment of] this promise, if you should be truthful?"
Transliteration
Wa yaquluna mataa hadha al-wa'd in kuntum sadiqin
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers mockingly challenge the Prophet Muhammad and the believers, demanding to know when the promised Day of Judgment will come, sarcastically suggesting that if the Muslims are truthful about this promise, they should provide evidence of its timing. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that this ayah reflects the arrogance and denial of the Meccan disbelievers who rejected the message of monotheism and the certainty of the Hereafter, treating divine warnings with ridicule and defiance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan portion of Surah Yunus, which addresses the persistent mockery and denial faced by Prophet Muhammad from the Quraysh. The surah's broader context deals with how disbelievers continuously demand signs and ridicule the message of Tawhid and the afterlife, remaining obstinate despite clear evidence presented to them.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The Hour will be established, but I do not know when it will be' (Sahih Muslim 2953). Additionally, Surah Yunus 49 immediately follows with Allah's response that only He knows the unseen, reinforcing that knowledge of the Hour belongs exclusively to Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that ridicule from disbelievers is a test of faith, not evidence against the truth—certainty about divine promises does not depend on the skepticism of others. We should remain steadfast in our conviction of the Hereafter despite worldly mockery and remember that the timing of major divine events is known only to Allah.
Related Ayahs
قُل لَّوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَآ أَدْرَىٰكُم بِهِۦ ۖ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّن قَبْلِهِۦٓ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Say, "If Allāh had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you, for I had remained among you a lifetime before it. Then will you not reason?"
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِهَا جَآءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَآءَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ ۙ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from every place and they expect to be engulfed, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful."
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
So when there came to them the truth from Us, they said, "Indeed, this is obvious magic."
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing.