Ashrat al-Saah - al-Wabil - Yusuf al-Wabil - (57)

Section Five: Knowledge of the Hour

Knowledge of the Hour is part of the unseen, known only to Allah Most High, as indicated by the Quranic verses and Prophetic hadiths. Allah has reserved knowledge of the Hour exclusively for Himself, disclosing it neither to an angel brought near to Him nor to a prophet sent as a messenger (1). Thus, no one but Allah Most High knows when the Hour will occur.

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—frequently spoke of the Hour and its terrors. People would ask him when the Hour would occur, and he would tell them that this was part of the unseen, known only to Allah. Quranic verses were revealed clarifying that Allah Most High had reserved knowledge of the Hour exclusively for Himself.

Among them is the statement of Allah Most High:

“They ask you about the Hour: ‘When will it arrive?’ Say, ‘Knowledge of it rests only with my Lord. None but He will reveal it at its appointed time. It weighs heavily upon the heavens and the earth and will come upon you only suddenly.’ They ask you as though you were well informed about it. Say, ‘Knowledge of it rests only with Allah, but most

(1) In *al-Ishāʿa*, al-Barzanjī maintained that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew when the Hour would occur but was forbidden to disclose it. This was a grave error on his part. See: *al-Ishāʿa li-Ashrāt al-Sāʿa*, p. 3.

المبحث الخامس: علم السّاعة علم السّاعة غيبٌ لا يعلَمُه إِلَّا الله تعالى؛ كما دلَّت على ذلك الآيات القرآنية والأحاديث النبويَّة؛ فإنَّ علم السّاعة ممّا استأثر الله به، فلم يُطْلع عليه مَلكًا مقرَّبًا ولا نبيًّا مرسلًا (١)، فلا يعلم أحدٌ متى تقوم السّاعة؛ إِلَّا الله تعالى. وكان النّبيّ ﷺ يكثِر من ذكر السّاعة وأهوالها، فكان النَّاس يسألونه عن وقت قيام السّاعة، فكان يخبرهم أن ذلك غيبٌ لا يعلمه إِلَّا الله، وكانت الآيات القرآنية تتنزَّل مبيَّنةً أن علم السّاعة ممّا اختصّ الله تعالى به نفسه. ومن ذلك قوله تعالى: ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ

(١) ذهب البرزنجي في الإِشاعة إلى أن النّبيّ ﷺ علم وقت السّاعة، ونهى عن الإِخبار بها، وهذا غلطٌ فاحشٌ منه. انظر: "الإِشاعة لأشراط السّاعة" (ص ٣).