—that is, He does not uncover it or make it manifest. Mujahid said: None but He will bring it at its appointed time. “It weighs heavily upon the heavens and the earth”: that is, knowledge of it is weighty, and its matter is hidden from the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth; and everything hidden is weighty. Al-Hasan said: He means that when it comes, it will weigh heavily and be tremendous upon the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. “It will not come upon you except suddenly”: unexpectedly, while you are heedless.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na'imi narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Abu al-Yaman narrated to us; Shu'ayb narrated to us; Abu al-Zinad narrated to us from Abd al-Rahman al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The Hour will surely come while two men have spread out a garment between them, and they will neither complete their transaction nor fold it up. The Hour will surely come while a man has returned with the milk of his she-camel, and he will not taste it. The Hour will surely come while a man is plastering his water basin, and he will not draw water from it. The Hour will surely come when he has raised a morsel to his mouth, but will not eat it.” (1)

“They ask you as though you were well informed about it”: that is, as though you knew it. This comes from the expression, “I pursued the question thoroughly,” meaning, “I went to great lengths in it.” Its meaning is: it is as though you had pursued inquiry about it so thoroughly that you came to know it. “Say, ‘Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know’”—that its knowledge is with Allah; hence they asked Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, about it.