A Response to Three Questions of a Christian — Page 28
28 Fifth: S u rah al-A‘r a f, 7:188 — َكَنْوُلَٔـْسَي َكَّنَاَك ٌّيِفَح اَهْنَع They ask you respecting the Hour as if you were really engaged in figuring out such things. The answer given to this was: S u rah al-A‘r a f, 7:188 — اَهُمْلِع َدْنِع ِهّٰللا The knowledge of this is [only] with Allah. In any case, no defect arises in Prophethood by not giving an answer to this question because Jesus says, ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only’ (Matthew 24:36). And at another place he says, ‘But of that day and that hour knoweth no man , no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’ ( Mark 13:32). The critic and his ilk should ponder over the verdict of Jesus concerning this Hour. If not providing the time of such an Hour creates some fault in Prophethood and Messengership, then a fault will arise not only in the Prophethood and Messengership of Jesus, but also in the presumed ‘Divinity’ of Jesus as believed by the Christians.