كَلّا سَيَعلَمونَ
ثُمَّ كَلّا سَيَعلَمونَ
No indeed! They will soon know! 5Again, no indeed! They will soon know!
EXEGESIS
Letter sīn at the beginning of a verb (like sayaʿlamūn here) indicates an event in the near future: They will soon know. Another suggested meaning for it is to emphasise and ascertain what is being said, in which case the meaning would be: surely they will know. According to some exegetes, this is the intended meaning in verses 6:120, 9:94, and 9:105. This meaning can also hold here.
EXPOSITION
Each of these two verses involves a negation (No indeed) and a warning (They will soon know). These two points apparently pertain to the audience’s doubt and question concerning the great tiding in verse 2. Another possibility is that they pertain to their difference and disagreement (verse 3). If so, then given the warning in these two verses, it would be more likely that verse 3 (The one about which they differ) talks about their disagreement with the Prophet, not their difference of opinion within themselves.
The word kallā (nay, no indeed) in these two verses could indicate the following 1. It suggests that the people should not differ or debate concerning this subject. In other words, it condemns and criticises their disagreement over this matter. Based on They will soon know, it can be inferred that they should not differ and debate over something that they do not know about. Based on the following verses, it can be inferred that they should not differ or doubt about the hereafter because there are many signs for its truth and inevitability. 2. It negates the beliefs and views of the people concerning this great tiding, that is: no indeed, it is none of what they say, and the fact of the matter will soon become known to them. Overall, the term serves to emphasise the significance of this event and to attract the attention of the audience. A similar usage is seen in the following verses: No indeed! Soon you will know! Again, no indeed! Soon you will know! No indeed! Were you to know with certain knowledge, you would surely see hell (102:3-6).
There are a few possibilities for the repetition seen in the two verses under discussion: 1. It is a means of emphasising the significance of this news. 2. The two verses concern two different stages or punishments: A. They will soon know as they are resurrected and taken account of, and they will soon know as they face God’s punishment. B. They will soon know as they die, and they will soon know as they are thrown in hell. C. They will soon know when they face their worldly punishment (such as their severe defeat in the Battle of Badr), and they will soon know when they face their otherworldly punishment after resurrection. D. They will soon know when they are given their physical punishment, and again when they face their spiritual punishment. 3. One verse pertains to the believers and one pertains to the disbelievers: the believers will soon know the consequence of their faith, and the disbelievers will soon know the consequence of their denial. This, however, contravenes the apparent tone of threat and warning in these verses. 4. The two verses reject two wrong beliefs: one is about their impression of how God shall treat them, and one is about their illusion that they shall never be resurrected. 5. Perhaps the chapter is not only intended to warn, awaken, and threaten the inquirers, but also to teach them. Based on this, They will soon know could be a way of provoking the audience to listen and learn. In other words, they will soon know about the proofs of the afterlife and what shall happen on the Day of Resurrection in the following verses. Then for a second time it says: They will soon know, referring to when people will be resurrected and the fact of the matter will be unveiled to them. This might be confirmed by verses 102:3-7. 6. Verse 4 disapproves of and threatens them for their questioning and doubts mentioned in verse 1; while verse 5 disapproves of and threatens them for their differences about the hereafter and their denial and mockery of it.
Apparently verses 2 and 3 are about what they were questioning, and verses 4 and 5 are about their very act of questioning – which was out of doubt and disbelief. Overall, the tone of these two verses is that of threat, as seen in many other verses with the same expression of ‘soon they will know’ (13:42, 19:75, 26:227, 54:26, 72:24).
[1] Tasnīm, 7/335 and 27/52.
[2] Bursawi, 10/293, with some elaboration.
[3] Razi, 31/8, narrated from al-Qāḍī.
[4] Tibyan, 10/239.
[5] Razi, 31/8.
[6] Alusi, 15/204.
[7] Razi, 31/8; Tabrisi, 10/639, narrated from al-Ḍaḥḥāk.
[8] Razi, 31/8.
[9] Alusi, 15/204, however he has not accepted this interpretation.
[10] Mizan, 20/160.