قُل إِن أَدري أَقَريبٌ ما توعَدونَ أَم يَجعَلُ لَهُ رَبّي أَمَدًا

Say: ‘I do not know if what you are promised is near, or if my Lord has set a term for it.’

EXEGESIS

Adrī^{‎[1]For more explanation about this word, see nadrī under the Exegesis of verse 10.} is the imperfect tense of the verb darā, which lexically means to know and to be aware of something.^{‎[2]Hans Wehr, under darā; Fayyumi, under daraytu.} However, the derivatives of the term dary are lexically used to signify knowledge that is not derived by acquisition or by building up on clear premises, but rather through means which are not ordinary. The term dirāyah and its derivatives have consistently occurred in the Quran in relation to events that cannot be comprehended by building upon premises that are commonly known to everyone.^{‎[3]Tahqiq, under d-r-y.} Negated by the negative particle in, the verb adrī in the verse under discussion has been deployed to express lack of knowledge about the time of the divine punishment – something that cannot be known through ordinary ways.  

Qarībun: qarīb is a noun that means near or close.^{‎[4]Hans Wehr, under qaruba (qarīb).} It derives from the root qurb that signifies nearness and proximity as opposed to remoteness.^{‎[5]Lisan and Raghib, under q-r-b.} Al-qarīb (one who is close (to His creation)) is one of the beautiful divine names that has appeared in the Quran three times: 2:186, 11:61, and 34:50.^{‎[6]Qamus, under qarīb.} Qurbān is anything through which one seeks closeness to someone.^{‎[7]Bahrayn, under q-r-b.} The concept of nearness (qurb) has occurred in the Quran in relation to place (2:35), time (21:1), relationship (4:8), position and status (4:172), care and attention (7:56), and power (50:16).^{‎[8]Raghib, under q-r-b.} The term qarīb in this verse denotes closeness in time.

Tūʿadūna^{‎[9]For further information on this word, see yūʿadūna under the Exegesis of verse 24.} is a verb that lexically originates from the verb waʿada which means to make a promise.^{‎[10] Hans Wehr, under waʿada.} The verb has however been deployed in this verse in the passive voice of the second person thus signifying that which you are promised. The phrase mā tūʿadūna refers here to the divine chastisement promised to the unbelievers in verse 23.^{‎[11] Mizan, 20/52; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391. See also Tibyan, 10/158; Tantawi, 15/145; Sabzawari, 7/253; Shawkani, 5/372; Tabrisi, 10/563.}

Yajʿalu is the imperfect tense of the verb jaʿala, which means to place, to make, or to set.^{‎[12] Hans Wehr, under jaʿala.} The verb has occurred in the Quran in this sense in 13:3.^{‎[13] Qamus, under jaʿl.} However, the infinitive jaʿl and its derivatives have been deployed throughout the Quran in different connotations such as creation (21:30^{‎[14] Bahrayn, under j-ʿ-l.} and 6:1^{‎[15] Raghib, under j-ʿ-l.} ), to create something out of something else (16:72 and 16:81), and to transform something from one state to another (2:22 and 43:3).^{‎[16] Raghib, under j-ʿ-l.} Moreover, the term jaʿl also seems to have appeared in the Quran to signify appointment to a position, as in 2:124 and 38:26. In the verse under discussion, jaʿl implies to set or to fix.

Amadan: amad is a noun that implies the ending point and limit of a given period of time.^{‎[17] Tahqiq, under ʾ-m-d.} Nevertheless, amad has also appeared in the Quran to denote time, as in 57:16.^{‎[18] Qamus, under amad.} Rāghib distinguishes between the terms abad and amad in that abad signifies a time period that is unbounded whilst amad is deployed in the case of a time period, though limited, but whose limits are unknown. On the other hand, amad also differs in meaning from zamān (time) in that zamān includes both the starting and the ending point of a given time period, whereas amad implies a given period of time but in respect to its end.^{‎[19] Raghib, under ʾ-m-d.} It can thus be inferred that the word amad lexically also carries the notion of a point where something would end. It could be in view of this that Ibn Manẓūr has defined the term as implying the end point (ghāyah).^{‎[20] Lisan, under ʾ-m-d.} Nonetheless, amad is also used in Arabic to mean anger, considering that it reveals the end of a person’s patience.^{‎[21] Tahqiq, under ʾ-m-d.}

Owing to the deployment of the term amad in contrast with qarīb (near) in the verse under discussion, the term would connote here an extended period of time^{‎[22] Alusi, 15/106.} which has a specified limit^{‎[23] Tabrisi, 10/563. See also Tabari, 29/76.} known only to God. This interpretation is aided by 21:109 where the word qarīb has occurred in contrast with baʿīd – far.^{‎[24] Kashif, 7/442.}

EXPOSITION

The Holy Prophet is commanded by God here to inform the disbelievers that he has no knowledge of exactly when the promised punishment shall come to transpire; rather, this knowledge is exclusive to God.^{‎[25] Kashif, 7/442; Tantawi, 15/145; Qurtubi, 20/27; Tibyan, 10/158.} It could be near to the present time, and could happen at any moment, as it may come to happen sometime in the future.^{‎[26] Zamakhshari, 4/632; Ithna Ashari, 13/353.}

The imperative Say indicates that the verse directs the Prophet to respond to a question about the time of the punishment, raised by the infidels due to their rejection of the punishment the Quran had promised them.^{‎[27] Mizan, 20/53; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391.}

The primary intent of the verse is to stress upon the fact that the divine punishment shall surely befall those who doubt it, sooner or later.^{‎[28] Razi, 30/678; Tantawi, 15/145.} Even though the infidels may not have seen the punishment during their lifetime, they must have found the divine promise of punishment to be true after death. This is considering the fact that the divine retribution in the hereafter commences as man leaves the physical world and enters into the intermediate realm (barzakh).^{‎[29] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391.}

The phrase Say: ‘I do not know …’ demonstrates that the Prophet has no knowledge of the future, independent of God’s will and permission.^{‎[30] Qaraati, 10/258; Kawthar, 3/405 and 4/294.} The phrase also contains a moral message that it is not dishonourable to admit one’s lack of knowledge.^{‎[31] Qaraati, 10/258.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

A group of exegetes are of the view that this verse came as a response to a question that was actually posed by some infidels.^{‎[32] Kashif, 7/442; Alusi, 15/106; Shawkani, 5/372; Ithna Ashari, 13/352; Zamakhshari, 4/632.}

[1] For more explanation about this word, see nadrī under the Exegesis of verse 10.
[2] Hans Wehr, under darā; Fayyumi, under daraytu.
[3] Tahqiq, under d-r-y.
[4] Hans Wehr, under qaruba (qarīb).
[5] Lisan and Raghib, under q-r-b.
[6] Qamus, under qarīb.
[7] Bahrayn, under q-r-b.
[8] Raghib, under q-r-b.
[9] For further information on this word, see yūʿadūna under the Exegesis of verse 24.
[10] Hans Wehr, under waʿada.
[11] Mizan, 20/52; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391. See also Tibyan, 10/158; Tantawi, 15/145; Sabzawari, 7/253; Shawkani, 5/372; Tabrisi, 10/563.
[12] Hans Wehr, under jaʿala.
[13] Qamus, under jaʿl.
[14] Bahrayn, under j-ʿ-l.
[15] Raghib, under j-ʿ-l.
[16] Raghib, under j-ʿ-l.
[17] Tahqiq, under ʾ-m-d.
[18] Qamus, under amad.
[19] Raghib, under ʾ-m-d.
[20] Lisan, under ʾ-m-d.
[21] Tahqiq, under ʾ-m-d.
[22] Alusi, 15/106.
[23] Tabrisi, 10/563. See also Tabari, 29/76.
[24] Kashif, 7/442.
[25] Kashif, 7/442; Tantawi, 15/145; Qurtubi, 20/27; Tibyan, 10/158.
[26] Zamakhshari, 4/632; Ithna Ashari, 13/353.
[27] Mizan, 20/53; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391.
[28] Razi, 30/678; Tantawi, 15/145.
[29] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391.
[30] Qaraati, 10/258; Kawthar, 3/405 and 4/294.
[31] Qaraati, 10/258.
[32] Kashif, 7/442; Alusi, 15/106; Shawkani, 5/372; Ithna Ashari, 13/352; Zamakhshari, 4/632.