Surah Az-Zukhruf — Verse 85

Key Words and Their Meanings:

• Tabāraka (وَتَبَارَكَ): Blessed and exalted is He; His goodness, mercy, and blessings are abundant and ever-increasing beyond measure.
• Mulku (مُلْكُ): Absolute sovereignty, dominion, and ownership.
• Al-Sā‘ah (السَّاعَةِ): The Hour — the appointed time when the Day of Resurrection will commence.
• Turja‘ūn (تُرْجَعُونَ): You will be returned — brought back to life and gathered before your Lord for judgment.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse proclaims the absolute perfection and boundless blessings of Allah, the One who alone possesses the full and exclusive sovereignty over the heavens, the earth, and everything that exists between them — every creature, every atom, every hidden and visible reality. His dominion is not partial or shared; it is complete and eternal. The verse then declares that with Him alone lies the knowledge of the Hour — the precise moment when this world will come to an end and the dead will be raised for the final reckoning. No angel, prophet, or any being knows this time; it is a secret reserved exclusively for Allah. Finally, the verse reminds every soul that to Him alone will you all return — your journey does not end at death, but continues to a meeting with your Creator, where every deed, great or small, will be weighed and recompensed with perfect justice.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, pause and contemplate the majesty of this statement. The One who owns the heavens and the earth — the One who holds the keys to the unseen and the knowledge of the Hour — is the very One to whom you will return. This is not a distant or abstract truth; it is the most personal and urgent reality of your existence. If you truly realize that your ultimate destination is His court, then how can you neglect His commands? How can you live as if this world is your permanent home? Let this verse awaken in your heart a living awareness of Allah’s greatness and His mercy. For the same Lord who owns all things is the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving — He has opened the door of repentance for you, and He awaits your return with open arms. Do not delay; turn to Him now, for the Hour is nearer than you think, and the return to Him is certain.