Allah sternly threatens the disbelievers, those who defy His Messengers, deny His Ayat and hinder from His path,

﴿ظ‡ظژظ„ظ’ ظٹظژظ†ط¸ظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظژ ط£ظژظ† طھظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژط©ظڈ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظ‰ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظƒظژ﴾

(Do they then wait for anything other than that the angels should come to them, or that your Lord (Allah) should come...) on the Day of Resurrection,

﴿ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظ‰ظژ ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¶ظڈ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظژ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظ‰ ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¶ظڈ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§﴾

(or that some of the signs of your Lord should come! The day that some of the signs of your Lord do come no good will it do to a person to believe then.) Before the commencement of the Day of Resurrection, there will come signs and portents of the Last Hour that will be witnessed by the people living at that time. In a section explaining this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

آ«ظ„ظژط§ طھظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژط§ط¹ظژط©ظڈ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ طھظژط·ظ’ظ„ظڈط¹ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط±ظگط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط±ظژط¢ظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط³ظڈ ط¢ظ…ظژظ†ظژ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظژط§ ظپظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط­ظگظٹظ†آ»

(The Last Hour will not commence until the sun rises from the west. When the people witness that, they will all believe. This is when.

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظڈظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظڈ﴾

(no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before.)) Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

آ«ط«ظژظ„ظژط§ط«ظŒ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط®ظژط±ظژط¬ظ’ظ†ظژ ظ„ظژط§ ظٹظژظ†ظ’ظپظژط¹ظڈ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظڈظ†ظ’ ط¢ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظƒظژط³ظژط¨ظژطھظ’ ظپظگظٹ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظگظ‡ظژط§ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظ‹ط§طŒ ط·ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¹ظڈ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط±ظگط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظژط¬ظ‘ظژط§ظ„ظڈ ظˆظژط¯ظژط§ط¨ظ‘ظژط©ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط£ظژط±ظ’ط¶آ»

(Three, if they appear, then a soul will not benefit from its faith, if it had not believed before or earned good in its faith: when the sun rises from the west, Ad-Dajjal and the Beast of the earth.) Ahmad also recorded this Hadith, and in his narration, the Prophet mentioned the Smoke. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amr bin Jarir said, "Three Muslim men sat with Marwan in Al-Madinah and they heard him talking about the signs (of the Last Hour). He said that the first sign will be the appearance of Ad-Dajjal. So these men went to `Abdullah bin `Amr and told him what they heard from Marwan about the signs. Ibn `Amr said, Marwan said nothing. I remember that I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

آ«ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژظˆظ‘ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¢ظٹط§طھظگ ط®ظڈط±ظڈظˆط¬ظ‹ط§ ط·ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¹ظڈ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ظ…ظژط؛ظ’ط±ظگط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژط®ظڈط±ظڈظˆط¬ظڈ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظژط§ط¨ظ‘ظژط©ظگ ط¶ظڈط­ظ‹ظ‰ ظپظژط£ظژظٹظ‘ظژطھظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظژ طµظژط§ط­ظگط¨ظژطھظگظ‡ظژط§ ظپظژط§ظ„ظ’ط£ظڈط®ظ’ط±ظژظ‰ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط£ظژط«ظژط±ظگظ‡ظژط§آ»

(The first of the signs to appear are the sun rising from the west and the Beast that appears in the early morning. Whichever comes before the other, then the second sign will appear soon after it.'') Then `Abdullah said - and he used to read the Scriptures - "And I think the first of them is the sun rising from the west. That is because when it sets it comes under the Throne, prostrates and seeks permission to return. So it is permitted to return until Allah wants it to rise from the west. So it does as it normally would, it comes beneath the Throne, it prostrates and seeks permission to return. But it will get no response. Then it will seek permission to return ﴿again﴾, but it will get no response, until what Allah wills of the night to pass goes by, and it realizes that if it is permitted to return it would not ﴿be able to﴾ reach the east. It says; `My Lord! The east is so far, what good would I be to the people' Until the horizons appear as a ﴿lightless﴾ ring, it seeks permission to return and is told; `Rise from your place,' so it rises upon the people from where it set.'' Then he recited,

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظڈظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظڈ﴾

(no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before,) This was also recorded by Muslim in his Sahih, and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah in their Sunans. Allah's statement,

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈ ظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظڈظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظڈ﴾

(no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before,) means, when the disbeliever believes then, it will not be accepted from him. As for those who were believers before, if they earned righteous deeds, they will have earned a great deal of good. If they had not done good nor repented before then, it will not be accepted from them, according to the Hadiths that we mentioned. This is also the meaning of Allah's statement,

﴿ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظƒظژط³ظژط¨ظژطھظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگظ‡ظژط§ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظ‹ط§﴾

(...nor earned good through his faith. ) meaning, one's good deeds will not be accepted from him unless he performed good deeds before. Allah said next,

﴿ظ‚ظڈظ„ظگ ط§ظ†طھظژط¸ظگط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ…ظڈظ†طھظژط¸ظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(Say: "Wait you! We (too) are waiting.") This is a stern threat to the disbelievers and a sure promise for those who delay embracing the faith and repenting until a time when faith or repentance shall not avail. This will occur when the sun rises from the west because the Last Hour will then be imminent and its major signs will have begun to appear. Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿ظپظژظ‡ظژظ„ظ’ ظٹظژظ†ط¸ظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژط§ط¹ظژط©ظژ ط£ظژظ† طھظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظژط؛ظ’طھظژط©ظ‹ ظپظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژ ط£ظژط´ظ’ط±ظژط§ط·ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ظپظژط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‰ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ﴾

(Do they then await (anything) other than the Hour, that it should come upon them suddenly But some of its portents have already come; and when it is upon them, how can they benefit then by their reminder) ﴿47:18﴾, and,

﴿ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط±ظژط£ظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظژظ†ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط­ظ’ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژظƒظژظ€ظپظژط±ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظگظٹظ†ظژ ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظƒظڈ ظٹظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط±ظژط£ظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظژظ†ظژط§﴾

(So when they saw Our punishment, they said: "We believe in Allah alone and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him as partners." Then their faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment.) ﴿40:84-85﴾

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط´ظگظٹظژط¹ظ‹ط§ ظ„ظ‘ظژط³ظ’طھظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط´ظژظ‰ظ’ط،ظچ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ظٹظڈظ†ظژط¨ظ‘ظگط¦ظڈظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژظپظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(159. Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least. Their affair is only with Allah, Who then will tell them what they used to do.)