The Holy Quran, And Not the 'Second Coming', Is the Knowledge of the Hour - PART I

Published in August 23, 2020

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are similar. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the similar part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, “We believe in it; all is from our Lord.” But none recollects except those with understanding. “Our Lord, do not cause our hearts to swerve after You have guided us, and bestow on us mercy from Your presence; You are the Giver.”" (3:7-8).

2- The haters of the Holy Quran include the Sunnite authors of the Middle-Ages; they knew that they could not change the Quranic text itself; instead, they warped, twisted, and distorted the meaning of Quranic verses and they fabricated/invented devilish hadiths/narratives/discourses which contradict the Holy Quran while claiming that such hadiths/lies/falsehoods replace and supplant the Quranic verses.

3- The inveterate liars who followed their whims; i.e., the Sunnite authors, warped, twisted, and distorted the meaning of Quranic verses to accommodate their devilish hadiths/lies about the myth known as the 'second coming' of Jesus Christ. In contrast, those firmly rooted in Quranic knowledge believe in the entirety of the Holy Quran, and when they ponder its verses, they trace and follow them in their local context (i.e., within the verses preceding and following them in the same Quranic Chapter) and also in the general context of the entire Quranic text (i.e., within all verses covering the same topic/theme or notion/term).

4- Among the distortions of the meaning of the Quranic verses is the claim of such Sunnite authors that the expression (the knowledge of the Hour) in the Quranic Chapter 43 refers to the so-called 'second coming' of Jesus Christ which is considered by them to constitute a portent of the advent of the Hour. We refute such a claim by such polytheists by discussing briefly the local context of the Quranic Chapter 43 and then the general context (i.e., in the entirety of the Quranic text) about the topic of the knowledge of the Hour. 

Firstly: the local context of the Quranic Chapter 43:

 This is the entirety of the text of the Quranic Chapter 43:

  In the Name of Allah, the Dominant, the Merciful

 (Ha, Meem. By the Book that makes things clear. We made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand. And it is with Us, in the Source Book, sublime and wise. Shall We hold back the Reminder from you, since you are a transgressing people? How many a prophet did We send to the ancients? No prophet came to them, but they ridiculed him. We destroyed people more powerful than they, and so the example of the ancients has passed away. And if you asked them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” They would say, “The Mighty, the Knower created them.” He who made the earth a habitat for you, and traced pathways for you on it, that you may be guided. He who sends down water from the sky in due proportion; and so We revive thereby a dead land. Thus you will be brought out. He Who created all the pairs; and provided you with ships, and animals on which you ride. That you may mount their backs, and remember the favor of your Lord as you sit firmly upon them, and say, “Glory be to Him Who placed these at our service; surely we could not have done it by ourselves. And surely, to our Lord we will return.” Yet they turn one of His servants into a part of Him. Man is clearly a disbeliever. Or has He chosen for Himself daughters from what He creates, and favored you with sons? Yet when one of them is given news of what he attributes to the Dominant Lord, his face darkens, and he suppresses grief. “Someone brought up to be beautiful, and unable to help in a fight?” And they appoint the angels, who are servants to the Dominant Lord, as females. Have they witnessed their creation? Their claim will be recorded, and they will be questioned. And they say, “Had the Dominant Lord willed, we would not have worshiped them.” But they have no knowledge of that; they are merely guessing. Or have We given them a book prior to this one, to which they adhere? But they say, “We found our forefathers following a course of an Umma, and we are guided by following their footsteps.” Likewise, We sent no warner before you to any town, but the affluent ones among them said, “We found our forefathers following a course of an Umma, and we are following their footsteps.” He would say, “Even if I bring you better guidance than what you found your parents following?” They would say, “We reject what you are sent with.” So We wreaked vengeance upon them. Behold, then, what was the fate of those who deny. When Abraham said to his father and his people, “I am innocent of what you worship. Except for He who created me, for He will guide me.” And he made it an enduring word after him, so that they may return. I gave these and their forefathers some enjoyment, until the Truth and a manifest messenger came to them. But when the Truth came to them, they said, “This is sorcery, and we refuse to believe in it.” They also said, “If only this Quran was sent down to a man of importance from the two cities.” Is it they who allocate the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have allocated their livelihood in this life, and We elevated some of them in rank above others, that some of them would take others in service. But your Lord’s mercy is better than what they hoard. Were it not that humanity would become a single community, We would have provided those who disbelieve in the Dominant Lord with roofs of silver to their houses, and stairways by which they ascend. And doors to their houses, and furnishings on which they recline. And decorations. Yet all that is nothing but the stuff of this life. Yet the Hereafter, with your Lord, is for the righteous ones. Whoever shuns the remembrance of the Dominant Lord, We assign for him a devil, to be his companion. They hinder them from the Path, though they think they are guided. Until, when He comes to Us, he will say, “If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts.” What an evil companion! It will not benefit you on that Day, since you committed injustice. You are partners in the torment. Can you make the deaf hear, or guide the blind, and him who is in evident misguidance? Even if We take you away, We will wreak vengeance upon them. Or show you what We have promised them; for We have absolute power over them. So adhere to what is revealed to you. You are upon a Straight Path. It is a message for you, and for your people; and you will be questioned. Ask those of Our messengers We sent before you: “Did We appoint gods besides the Dominant Lord to be worshiped?” We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his dignitaries. He said, “I am the messenger of the Lord of the worlds.” But when he showed them Our signs, they started laughing at them. Each sign We showed them was more marvelous than its counterpart. And We afflicted them with the plagues, so that they may repent. They said, “O sorcerer, pray to your Lord for us, according to His pledge to you, and then we will be guided.” But when We lifted the torment from them, they immediately broke their promise. Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying, “O my people, do I not own the Kingdom of Egypt, and these rivers flow beneath me? Do you not see? Am I not better than this miserable wretch, who can barely express himself? Why are bracelets of gold not dropped on him, or they angels came with him in procession?” Thus he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were sinful people. And when they provoked Our wrath, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them all. Thus We made them a precedent and an example for the others. And when the son of Mary was cited as an example, your people opposed. They said, “Are our gods better, or he?” They cited him only for argument. In fact, they are a quarrelsome people. He was just a servant whom We blessed, and We made him an example for the Israelites. Had We willed, We would have made of you angels to be successors on earth. This is the knowledge of the Hour, so have no doubt about it, and follow Me. This is a Straight Path. And let not Satan misguide you. He is an open enemy to you. When Jesus came with the clarifications, he said, “I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify for you some of what you differ about. So fear God, and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him - this is a Straight Path.” But the factions differed among themselves. So woe to the unjust ones from the torment of a painful Day. Are they only waiting for the Hour to come upon them suddenly, while they are unaware? On that Day, friends will be enemies of one another, except for the pious ones. O My servants, you have nothing to fear on that Day, nor will you grieve. Those who believed in Our Verses and were submitters. Enter the Garden, you and your spouses, joyfully. They will be served around with trays of gold, and cups. Therein is whatever the souls desire and delights the eyes. Therein you will stay forever. Such is the Garden you are made to inherit because of what you used to do. Therein you will have abundant fruit, from which you eat. As for the criminals, they will be in the torment of Hell forever. It will never be eased for them. In it, they will be devastated. We did them no injustice, but it was they who were the unjust ones. And they will cry, “O Malik, let your Lord finish us off.” He will say, “You are staying.” We have given you the Truth, but most of you hate the Truth. Have they contrived some scheme? We too are contriving. Or do they think that We cannot hear their secrets and their conspiracies? Yes indeed, Our messengers are by them, writing down. Say, “If the Dominant Lord had a son, I would be the first to worship.” Glorified be the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe. So leave them to blunder and play, until they encounter their Day which they are promised. It is He who is God in heaven, and God on earth. He is the Wise, the Knower. And blessed is He Who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He alone hasthe knowledge of the Hour, and to Him you will be returned. Those they invoke besides Him are incapable of intercession; only those who testify to the Truth and have knowledge. And if you asked them, “Who created them?”, they would say, “God.” Why then are they deceived? As for his statement: “My Lord, these are a people who do not believe.” Pardon them, and say, “Peace.” They will come to know.).

 As always, the Lord God says nothing but the Absolute Truth.

 Our pondering on the Quranic Chapter 43:

1- The Quranic Chapter 43 revolves around the Holy Quran and about the fact that there is no God but Allah; i.e., monotheism.

1/1: The Quranic Chapter 43 begins with praising the Holy Quran itself: "Ha, Meem. By the Book that makes things clear. We made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand. And it is with Us, in the Source Book, sublime and wise." (43:1-4).

1/2: The polytheists rejected and disbelieved in the Holy Quran because of their adherence to the polytheistic traditions inherited from their forefathers: "Or have We given them a book prior to this one, to which they adhere? But they say, “We found our forefathers following a course of an Umma, and we are guided by following their footsteps.” Likewise, We sent no warner before you to any town, but the affluent ones among them said, “We found our forefathers following a course of an Umma, and we are following their footsteps.” He would say, “Even if I bring you better guidance than what you found your parents following?” They would say, “We reject what you are sent with.” So We wreaked vengeance upon them. Behold, then, what was the fate of those who deny." (43:21-25).

1/3: This is about their rejection of, and disbelief in, the Holy Quran: "But when the Truth came to them, they said, “This is sorcery, and we refuse to believe in it.” They also said, “If only this Quran was sent down to a man of importance from the two cities.” Is it they who allocate the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have allocated their livelihood in this life, and We elevated some of them in rank above others, that some of them would take others in service. But your Lord’s mercy is better than what they hoard." (43:30-32).

1/4: We find here the assertion that those who reject and abandon the Quran are misguided further by companions/devils who urge them to reject the Straight Path (i.e., the Quranic guidance or Islam/monotheism): "Whoever shuns the remembrance of the Dominant Lord, We assign for him a devil, to be his companion. They hinder them from the Path, though they think they are guided. Until, when He comes to Us, he will say, “If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts.” What an evil companion! It will not benefit you on that Day, since you committed injustice. You are partners in the torment." (43:36-39).

1/5: This is about the impossibility of guiding those who disbelieve in the Holy Quran: "Can you make the deaf hear, or guide the blind, and him who is in evident misguidance? Even if We take you away, We will wreak vengeance upon them. Or show you what We have promised them; for We have absolute power over them." (43:40-42).

1/6: We find here that Muhammad has been commanded to adhere to the Quran which is the Straight Path; the Quran contains the mention of Muhammad and his people; they will be questioned on the Judgment Day: "So adhere to what is revealed to you. You are upon a Straight Path. It is a message for you, and for your people; and you will be questioned." (43:43-44).

1/7: The Holy Quran itself is the knowledge of the Hour; Satan and devils repel most human beings from the Holy Quran: "This is the knowledge of the Hour, so have no doubt about it, and follow Me. This is a Straight Path. And let not Satan misguide you. He is an open enemy to you." (43:61-62).

1/8: This is about the knowledge of the Hour and the Paradise dwellers who, during their lifetime on earth, believed in the Divine, Celestial Book (i.e., the Holy Quran): "Are they only waiting for the Hour to come upon them suddenly, while they are unaware? On that Day, friends will be enemies of one another, except for the pious ones. O My servants, you have nothing to fear on that Day, nor will you grieve. Those who believed in Our Verses and were submitters. Enter the Garden, you and your spouses, joyfully. They will be served around with trays of gold, and cups. Therein is whatever the souls desire and delights the eyes. Therein you will stay forever. Such is the Garden you are made to inherit because of what you used to do. Therein you will have abundant fruit, from which you eat. As for the criminals, they will be in the torment of Hell forever. It will never be eased for them. In it, they will be devastated. We did them no injustice, but it was they who were the unjust ones. And they will cry, “O Malik, let your Lord finish us off.” He will say, “You are staying.” We have given you the Truth, but most of you hate the Truth." (43:66-78).

1/9: This is about the polytheists' idle talk against the Quranic verses ridiculed by them: "So leave them to blunder and play, until they encounter their Day which they are promised." (43:83).

1/10: This is about the knowledge of the Hour known to Quran-believing people only: "Those they invoke besides Him are incapable of intercession; only those who testify to the Truth and have knowledge." (43:86).

1/11: This is the last verses of the Quranic Chapter 43: "As for his statement: “My Lord, these are a people who do not believe.” Pardon them, and say, “Peace.” They will come to know." (43:88-89).

2- Besides the verses in the Quranic Chapter 43 about the Quran itself, there are other verses which serve this main topic; e.g., about the creation of many things on earth, about how some polytheists worship angels, and about Moses, Moses' Pharaoh, Abraham and his people, and Jesus and his people. These verses place emphasis on the belief in the Hour, in the Divine Book (i.e., the Quran itself), and in the testimony of monotheism (i.e., there is no God but Allah).

3- Within the local context of the Quranic Chapter 43, the phrase (the knowledge of the Hour) is attributed to the Lord God; hence, this knowledge of the Hour is found exclusively in the Holy Quran, which is the Lord God's Word, and never in devilish hadiths/narratives which undermine, ridicule, and cast doubt on Allah, the Holy Quran, and Muhammad. The Lord God says the following in the Quranic Chapter 43.

3/1: "This is the knowledge of the Hour, so have no doubt about it, and follow Me. This is a Straight Path. And let not Satan misguide you. He is an open enemy to you." (43:61-62); typically, Satan and devils repel polytheists away from the Holy Quran; this applies to Sunnite authors who distorted the meanings of some Quranic verses in the Quranic Chapter 43 to accommodate their falsehood/hadith about the so-called 'second coming' of Jesus Christ; they assumed that the knowledge of the Hour means that the so-called 'second coming' is the portent of the advent of the Hour. Of course, the context 43:61-62 does not mention anything at all about the so-called 'second coming'. Typically, those who disbelieve in the Hour cast doubt on it and deny it by several means including fabricating lies about the Hour and the signs of the advent of the Hour and also about the Last-Day events; chief among Sunnite myths about the Last Day are (1) Muhammad allegedly promising ten men among his contemporaries to enter into Paradise, and (2) the so-called intercession to allow Hell dwellers to get out of it to enter into Paradise and to allow some other souls to enter into Paradise without being judged by God.  

3/2: "And blessed is He Who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He alone has the knowledge of the Hour, and to Him you will be returned." (43:85); the Lord God is the Only One Who has full knowledge of the Hour since He is the Creator, Controller, and Master of the heavens and the earth; hence, the only knowledge of the Hour made available to human beings is found clearly, and exclusively, in the Quranic text.