Quran Universe
7:185

أَوَلَمۡ يَنظُرُواْ فِي مَلَكُوتِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَيۡءٖ وَأَنۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ قَدِ ٱقۡتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمۡۖ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثِۭ بَعۡدَهُۥ يُؤۡمِنُونَ

Awalam yanthuroo fee malakooti alssamawati waalardi wama khalaqa Allahu min shayin waan AAasa an yakoona qadi iqtaraba ajaluhum fabiayyi hadeethin baAAdahu yuminoona

Do they not look into the realm of the heavens and the earth and everything that Allah has created and [think] that perhaps their appointed time has come near? So in what statement hereafter will they believe?

Word by word
  1. أَوَلَمۡDo not
  2. يَنظُرُواْthey look
  3. فِيin
  4. مَلَكُوتِ(the) dominion
  5. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  6. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِand the earth
  7. وَمَاand what
  8. خَلَقَhas (been) created
  9. ٱللَّهُ(by) Allah
  10. مِنof
  11. شَيۡءٖ(every) thing
  12. وَأَنۡand that
  13. عَسَىٰٓperhaps
  14. أَن[that]
  15. يَكُونَhas
  16. قَدِverily
  17. ٱقۡتَرَبَcome near
  18. أَجَلُهُمۡۖtheir term
  19. فَبِأَيِّSo in what
  20. حَدِيثِۭstatement
  21. بَعۡدَهُۥafter this
  22. يُؤۡمِنُونَwill they believe
Al-A'raf · 7:185Makkah

Look at the heavens, and remember your time may be near.

Two things to look at: creation and your own deadline

What to look at
the heavens and earthand all Allah created
your termit may be close
so
what message then?if not this one
When to respond
laterI have time
nowthe end may be near

Allah asks why people do not look at the kingdom of the heavens and earth and learn that their Maker has no equal. Ibn Kathir says they should also be warned that their lives may be near their end. Then: in what message after this will they believe?

You look up from your phone at a clear night sky, and for a second you feel very small. Then you remember the colleague who died at forty-two last spring. Both thoughts point the same way.

I will get serious about faith when I am older.

Creation shows me Allah, and my unknown deadline tells me not to wait.

Try this

Tonight, step outside and look at the sky for one minute. Then make one decision you have been putting off.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allah has created; and that it may be that the end of their lives is near. In what message after this will they then believe (185)

Allah asks, those who denied faith, did they not contemplate about Our Ayat in the kingdom of the heavens and earth and what was created in them? Do they not contemplate about all this and learn lessons from it, so that they are certain that He Who has all this, has no equal or rival? All this was made by He Who Alone deserves the worship and sincere religion, so that they might have faith in Him and believe in His Messenger, all the while turning to Allah's obedience, rejecting any rivals to Him, and rejecting idols. They should be warned that their lifes may have reached their end, and they, thus, face their demise while disbelievers, ending up in Allah's torment and severe punishment. Allah said,

فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(In what message after this will they then believe?)

Allah says, what more warnings, and discouragements should compel them to believe, if the warnings and threats that Muhammad ﷺ brought them from Allah in His Book do not compel them to do so? Allah said next,