Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 30

In the Qur’an, people are repeatedly made to feel that the Hour of Resurrection is not far off from them at all — rather, it stands close by and could come at any moment. In one place it is said, “The command of Allah has come, so do not seek to hasten it” (An-Nahl 16:1). In another, “The reckoning of mankind has drawn near, while they turn away in heedlessness” (Al-Anbiya 21:1). Elsewhere it is warned, “The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split” (Al-Qamar 54:1). And again, “The imminent event has drawn near; none besides Allah can remove it” (An-Najm 53:57). The purpose of all these statements is to warn people not to feel secure by supposing the Hour to be far off, and to prepare themselves without wasting a single moment, if they intend to prepare at all.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 31

The original word used is “hamim,” referring to a friend of such closeness that, seeing him being beaten, he would be roused and rush to save him.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 32

This statement is made hypothetically, in refutation of the disbelievers’ belief in intercession. In reality, the wrongdoers will have no intercessor there at all, since if permission for intercession can be granted to anyone, it can only be granted to Allah’s righteous servants — and Allah’s righteous servants can never be friends of disbelievers, polytheists, and the wicked and sinful, such that they would even think of interceding to save them. But since it has generally been the belief of disbelievers, polytheists, and misguided people — both then and now — that the saints whose skirts they cling to will never let them go to Hell, but will stand firm and insist on securing their forgiveness, it is stated here that there will be no intercessor there whose word would be accepted, and whose intercession Allah would be bound to accept.

Surah Al-Mu’min, Footnote No. 33

That is, unlike your deities, He is not some blind, deaf god who has no idea what the deeds of the person whose case He is judging actually were.