And when He clarified the Oneness of Allah, Prophethood, and Divine Decree and Destiny, He followed it with the Hereafter so that the four main demands of the Qur'an would be complete. He clarified what this saying included regarding their dullness in ignorance and their confusion in associating a likeness by His saying: ﴿They ask you﴾ meaning: repeating that ﴿about the Hour﴾ meaning: about its time, a question of mockery ﴿When will its arrival be?﴾ meaning: at what time will its weight be established and its stability occur? The anchor can be a source, a time, and a place, from the anchoring of the ship - when it is secured by the branching iron. This was indeed a clarification of their ignorance, for they fell into misguidance in two ways: the question about something other than what is more important to them, and making it in the manner of mockery despite the evidence that stands against them. He will repeat this in this Surah. It would have been more appropriate for them to replace the question about it with avoiding it through righteous deeds.

And when the question about the Hour was general, then specific regarding the question about its time, the answer came generally about it with His saying: ﴿Say: The knowledge of it﴾ meaning: the knowledge of the time of its establishment and others ﴿is with my Lord﴾ meaning: the One who is gracious to me by establishing it so that He may bestow favor upon those who follow me and take vengeance upon those who abandon me. No one from His creation has knowledge of that, nor will He establish it except at the best and most beneficial times for me. Concealing it is more beneficial for the creation because it is greater in its significance and more awe-inspiring. Thus, it would lead to obedience and deter from disobedience and bring one closer to repentance. Then it was specified regarding the time by His saying, indicating that it has signs that precede it: ﴿No one can make it clear﴾ meaning: explain it to the utmost clarity ﴿for its time except Him﴾.

And when He had indicated the weight of the Hour by the anchoring, and when something is unknown from some aspects it becomes difficult, and when it becomes difficult it weighs heavily, He said: ﴿It will be heavy﴾ meaning: the Hour has sunk to where the knowledge of the servants does not reach it, thus it has preoccupied all of them with its great matter. For this reason, He expressed it with the preposition and said: ﴿In the heavens and the earth﴾ meaning: the relation of their inhabitants to its hidden aspects and the fear of it is equal; because its Owner is capable of what He wills, and He has the right to do what He wishes. Then He affirmed its concealment from all by saying: ﴿It will not come to you﴾ meaning: in any of the states ﴿except suddenly﴾ meaning: at a time of negligence.

And when they insisted in their questioning him ﷺ about it, and the attribute of lordship mentioned in the first sentence might have been taken as a question out of desire to know it from the one who is gracious to them, he cut off their hopes by saying, affirming the meaning: ﴿They ask you﴾ meaning: about the Hour, absolutely regarding its timing and what will occur of its matters and what will happen of its hardships. That is, they insist in their questioning you whenever you inform them that no one knows it except Allah. ﴿As if you are well-informed﴾ meaning: knowledgeable about its matter, thoroughly seeking and exaggerating in the questioning. ﴿Say﴾ meaning: to cut off their questioning, ﴿Indeed, its knowledge is with Allah﴾ meaning: the One who possesses all might, greatness, and majesty, so no knowledge of anything with Him can be attained except by His permission. And He has not permitted anyone among the creation to know it. ﴿But most people﴾ meaning: those who are dominated by the attribute of confusion, ﴿do not know﴾ meaning: they are not among the people of knowledge, so they mockingly question about it. If they were among its people, they would not have denied you. Thus, they engage in what does not concern them by questioning about it and other types of obstinacy, and they leave what would save them and suffice them by hastening to believe in this Qur'an, fearing the end of their lifetimes while they wander in the valleys of misguidance.