Transliteration:( Fahal yanzuroona illas Saa'ata an ta'tiyahum baghtatan faqad jaaa'a ashraatuhaa; fa annaa lahum izaa jaaa'at hum zikraahum )
"What are they then waiting [48] that the Hour should come upon them suddenly? The signs thereof have already come [49]. But of what avail will the admonition be to them when it actually comes upon them [50]?"
This part addresses the hypocrites and disbelievers who ignored the clear guidance of the Prophet ﷺ. It asks rhetorically: What else are they waiting for? Another Prophet? That’s impossible, since no Prophet will come after Muhammad ﷺ.
If they are waiting for Judgement Day itself to arrive before believing, they should know that faith at that time will be of no benefit. The opportunity for repentance and acceptance of truth ends once the Hour begins.
The advent of the Final Messenger ﷺ is the greatest sign of Qiyamah, as prophesied in earlier scriptures. His miracles—such as the splitting of the moon—serve as undeniable evidence that the Final Hour is drawing near.
Thus, no excuse remains for disbelief. All signs needed to awaken hearts have already appeared.
When the Day of Judgment arrives, its truth will become clear to all—including the disbelievers. But at that point, realization is too late. The time for action, repentance, and change will have ended. Understanding without action will be of no benefit.
The tafsir of Surah Muhammad verse 18 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muhammad ayat 16 which provides the complete commentary from verse 16 through 19.
(47:18) Are they waiting, then, for anything else than the Last Hour to suddenly come upon them?[29] Already some of its tokens have come.[30] But when it does actually come upon them, where will any time be left for them to take heed?
29. That is, as far as the explanation and clarification of the truth is concerned; it has been explained well by argument and reasoning, the miraculous discourses of the Quran, the pure character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the revolution in the lives of his companions. Now, are these people awaiting that Resurrection itself should take place and then only they will believe?
30. The portents of Resurrection imply those signs which indicate that its approach is near. One such important sign is the advent of God’s last Prophet after whom no other prophet will come till Resurrection. Traditions have been related in Bukhari, Muslim. Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad on the authority of Anas, Sahl bin Saad As-Saidi and Buraidah, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) raised his index finger and the middle finger and said: My advent and Resurrection are like these two fingers. That is, Just as there is no other finger between these two fingers, so no other prophet will be raised between me and Resurrection; after me only Resurrection now will occur.
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