Wayaqooloona mata hatha alwaAAdu in kuntum sadiqeen (surah Mulk: 25)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(67:25) They say: 'If you are truthful, tell us when will this promise (of the Hereafter) be fulfilled?' *35

Wa yaqooloona mataa haazal wa`du in kuntum saadiqeen

*35) They did not ask this question in order to know the time and date of Resurrection so that if they were told the Year, the month, the day and time of its occurrence, they would accept it. But, in fact, they thought that Resurrection was impossible, and its occurrence remote from reason, and they asked this question in order to have an excuse for denying it. They meant to say, "When will this strange story of Resurrection and gathering together, that you are telling us, materialize? What for has it been put off? Why don't you make it appear forthwith so that we are assured of it?" In this connection, one should understand that one can be certain of Resurrection only by rational arguments, and these have been elaborated at many places in the Qur'an. As for the date of its occurrence only an ignorant person could raise such a question about it, for even if it is told, it does not make any difference. The unbeliever would say: "Well, when it dces occur on the date you tell, I shall then believe in it; how can I believe today that it will actually occur on that very day?" (For further explanation, see E.N. G3 of Surah Luqman, E.N. 116 of Al-Ahzab? E.N.'s 5, 48 of Saba' E.N. 45 of Ya Sin).