Signs of the Hour and Resurrection

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّيۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقۡتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ ثَقُلَتۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَا تَأۡتِيكُمۡ إِلَّا بَغۡتَةٗۗ يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنۡهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ﴿١٨٧﴾

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know."

Context Makkan, from al-A'raf. A reply to people who kept asking the Prophet ﷺ for a date.

The answer is not a date but a refusal: only Allah knows, and it will come suddenly. 31:34 and 33:63 say the same.

وَإِنَّهُۥ لَعِلۡمٞ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمۡتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَٱتَّبِعُونِۚ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٞ مُّسۡتَقِيمٞ ﴿٦١﴾

And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.

Context From az-Zukhruf, in a passage about 'Isa (Jesus) (43:57-65).

'Isa is tied to knowledge of the Hour; the verse does not say how.

Many scholars, following reports from Ibn 'Abbas, read it as 'Isa's return before the end, described in hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim. Others read it as his fatherless birth, or as the Quran itself.

إِذَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ كُوِّرَتۡ ﴿١﴾ وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتۡ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا ٱلۡجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتۡ ﴿٣﴾ وَإِذَا ٱلۡعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتۡ ﴿٤﴾ وَإِذَا ٱلۡوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتۡ ﴿٥﴾ وَإِذَا ٱلۡبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتۡ ﴿٦﴾

When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness] And when the stars fall, dispersing, And when the mountains are removed And when full-term she-camels are neglected And when the wild beasts are gathered And when the seas are filled with flame

Context One of the early Makkan surahs. Each line opens with "when"; the answer comes in 81:14.

Everything that seems permanent comes undone: the sun wrapped in darkness, stars falling, mountains moved, seas set aflame.

وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخۡرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمۡ قِيَامٞ يَنظُرُونَ ﴿٦٨﴾

And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.

Context Makkan, from az-Zumar, which then follows people to their final groups (39:69-75).

The Horn is blown twice. The first ends all life, except whom Allah wills; the second raises everyone at once, standing and watching.