Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AN NAML [71]

71. And they say: ”When this promise, if you are truthful'' 72. Say: ”Perhaps that which you wish to hasten on, may be close behind you.'' 73. Verily, your Lord is full of grace for mankind, yet most of them do not give thanks. 74. And verily, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they reveal. 75. And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth but it is in a Clear Book.) Allah tells us about how the idolators asked about the Day of Resurrection, but thought it unlikely that it would ever come to pass.

(And they say: ”When (will) this promise (be fulfilled), if you are truthful'') Allah said, responding to them:

(Say) `O Muhammad,'

(Perhaps that which you wish to hasten on, may be close behind you.) Ibn `Abbas said, ”That which you wish to hasten on has come close to you, or some of it has come close.'' This was also the view of Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata Al-Khurasani, Qatadah and As-Suddi. This is also what is meant in the Ayat:

(And they say: ”When will that be'' Say: ”Perhaps it is near!'') (17:51)

(They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers) (29:54).

(may be close behind you.) means, it is being hastened for you. This was reported from Mujahid. Then Allah says:

(Verily, your Lord is full of grace for mankind,) meaning, He abundantly bestows His blessings on them even though they wrong themselves, yet despite that they do not give thanks for those blessings, except for a few of them.

(And verily, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they reveal.) means, He knows what is hidden in their hearts just as He knows what is easily visible.

(It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly) (13:10),

(He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden) (20: 7),

(Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal) (11:5). Then Allah tells us that He is the Knower of the unseen in the heavens and on earth, and that He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, i.e., that which is unseen by His servants and that which they can see. And Allah says:

(and there is nothing hidden) Ibn `Abbas said, ”This means, there is nothing

(in the heaven and the earth but it is in a Clear Book.) This is like the Ayah,

(Know you not that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth Verily, it is (all) in the Book. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) (22:70)