(158) “Are they waiting for anything but that the angels should come to them, or that your Lord should come, or that some of your Lord’s signs should come? On the Day some of your Lord’s signs come, no soul will benefit from believing if it had not believed before or had not earned some good through its faith. Say, ‘Wait, then; we too are waiting.’”

Allah Most High says: Are these people who persist in wrongdoing and obstinacy waiting for anything but the precursors of punishment and the Hereafter—namely, that “the angels should come to them” to take their souls? Once they reach that state, neither faith nor righteous deeds will benefit them. “Or that your Lord should come” to pass judgment among His servants and recompense those who did good and those who did evil. “Or that some of your Lord’s signs should come,” signaling that the Hour is near.

“On the Day some of your Lord’s signs come”—those extraordinary signs by which it will be known that the Hour has drawn near and the Resurrection is close—“no soul will benefit from believing if it had not believed before or had not earned some good through its faith.” That is, when some of Allah’s signs appear, an unbeliever will not benefit from faith if he then comes to believe, nor will a negligent believer benefit from increasing his good deeds thereafter. Rather, what will benefit him is the faith he already possessed and whatever hoped-for good he had before some of the signs came.

The wisdom in this is evident. Faith is beneficial only when it is faith in the unseen and is freely chosen by the servant. Once the signs appear, however, the matter becomes a witnessed reality and faith is no longer of benefit, for it then resembles faith compelled by necessity—like the faith of someone drowning, someone caught in a fire, and others like them, who abandon what they were doing once they see death. Allah Most High says:

“When they saw Our punishment, they said, ‘We believe in Allah alone, and we reject what we used to associate with Him.’ But their faith could not benefit them once they saw Our punishment. Such has always been Allah’s way with His servants.” ⦗282⦘

Numerous authentic hadiths from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—establish that what is meant by some of Allah’s signs is the sun rising from the west. When people see it, they will believe, but their faith will not benefit them, and the gate of repentance will then be closed.

Since this was an awaited threat against those who denied the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—while they themselves were waiting for the calamities of time and disastrous events to befall the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his followers, He said: “Say, ‘Wait, then; we too are waiting.’” You will soon know which of us has greater right to security.

This verse provides evidence for the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah in affirming that Allah Most High performs actions by His will, such as rising over the Throne, descending, and coming, without likening Him to created beings or their attributes.

The Quran and Sunnah contain many such instances. The verse also shows that one of the signs of the Hour is the sun rising from the west, and that Allah Most High is Wise: His established practice and way is that faith benefits only when it is freely chosen, not compelled, as explained above.

It also shows that a person acquires good through faith. Acts of obedience, righteousness, and piety are beneficial and flourish only when the servant possesses faith; if the heart is devoid of faith, none of these things will benefit him.