The Quran

Preface

هَل يَنظُرونَ إِلّا تَأويلَهُ ۚ يَومَ يَأتي تَأويلُهُ يَقولُ الَّذينَ نَسوهُ مِن قَبلُ قَد جاءَت رُسُلُ رَبِّنا بِالحَقِّ فَهَل لَنا مِن شُفَعاءَ فَيَشفَعوا لَنا أَو نُرَدُّ فَنَعمَلَ غَيرَ الَّذي كُنّا نَعمَلُ ۚ قَد خَسِروا أَنفُسَهُم وَضَلَّ عَنهُم ما كانوا يَفتَرونَ

Yusuf Ali

Do they just wait for the final fulfilment¹ of the event? On the day the event is finally fulfilled, those who disregarded it before will say: “The messengers of our Lord did indeed bring true (tidings). Have we no intercessors now to intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back? then should we behave differently from our behaviour in the past.” In fact they will have lost their souls, and the things they invented will leave them in the lurch.

If those without faith want to wait and see what happens in the Hereafter, they will indeed learn the truth, but it will be too late for them to profit by it then. All the false ideals and false gods which they put their trust upon will leave them in the lurch. If they thought that the goodness or greatness of others would help them, they will be undeceived on the day when their personal responsibility will be enforced. There will be no salvation except on their own record. How they will then wish that they had another chance! But their chance will be gone (Cf. 10:39 and 32:14).