Quran Universe
36:48

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

Wayaqooloona mata hatha alwaAAdu in kuntum sadiqeena

And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"

Word by word
  1. وَيَقُولُونَAnd they say
  2. مَتَىٰWhen (is)
  3. هَٰذَاthis
  4. ٱلۡوَعۡدُpromise
  5. إِنif
  6. كُنتُمۡyou are
  7. صَٰدِقِينَtruthful
Ya-Sin · 36:48Makkah

So when is this promise, if you are telling the truth?

Mocking the Day by demanding a date

Their question
when is it?mocking, not asking
from
those who doubtseek to hasten it
The right question
when will it come?
am I ready?

Ibn Kathir says the disbelievers thought the Day of Resurrection would never come, so they demanded a date to mock it. He links it to the verse that those who do not believe seek to hasten it.

Someone at the table says: people have been saying the end is near for centuries. Everyone laughs. The date is not your business. Your readiness is.

If no one can tell me when, maybe it is not coming.

Not knowing the time is a reason to be ready always, not to doubt.

Try this

Ask yourself honestly tonight: if it came tomorrow, what would I wish I had done today?

Related42:18
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they say: "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful? (48)They await only but a single 'Şayḥah' which will seize them while they are disputing (49)Then they will not be able to make bequest, nor they will return to their family (50)

The Disbelievers thought that the Day of Resurrection would never come to pass

Allah tells us how the disbelievers thought that the Day of Resurrection would never come to pass, as they said:

مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا الْوَعْدُ

("When will this promise be fulfilled...")

يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا ۖ 

(Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it)(42:18). Allah says:

مَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً تَأْخُذُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَخِصِّمُونَ

(They await only but a single 'Şayḥah' which will seize them while they are disputing!) meaning, they are only waiting for a single shout which – and Allah knows best – will be the trumpet blast of terror when the Trumpet will be blown while the people are in their marketplaces and places of work, arguing and disputing as they usually do. While in this state, Allah will command Israfil to blow into the Trumpet, so he will sound a long note and there will be no one left on the face of the earth except he will tilt his head to listen to the sound coming from heaven. Then the people who are alive will be driven to the gathering place by a fire which will surround them on all sides. Allah says:

فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَوْصِيَةً

(Then they will not be able to make bequest,) meaning, with regard to their possessions, because the matter is more serious than that,

وَلَا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمْ يَرْجِعُونَ 

(nor they will return to their family.) Numerous Hadiths and reports have been narrated about this, which we have mentioned elsewhere. After this there will be the Trumpet blast which will cause everyone who is alive to die, besides the One Who is Ever Living, Eternal. Then after that the trumpet blast of the resurrection will be sounded.