Al-Anbiya 21:97
SAHIHوَٱقْتَرَبَ ٱلْوَعْدُ ٱلْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِىَ شَٰخِصَةٌ أَبْصَٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ مِّنْ هَٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
And [when] the true promise has approached; then suddenly the eyes of those who disbelieved will be staring [in horror, while they say], "O woe to us; we had been unmindful of this; rather, we were wrongdoers."
Waqtarabal wa'dul haqqu fa-izaa hiya shaakhisatun absaarul lazeena kafaroo yaawailanaa qad kunna fee ghaflatim min haaza bal kunnaa zaalimeen
Tafsir (Commentary)
<h2>Those who have been destroyed, will never return to this World.</h2><p>وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ</p><p>(And a ban is laid on every town) Ibn `Abbas said, "it is enforced", i.e., it has been decreed that the people of each township that has been destroyed will never return to this world before the Day of Resurrection, as is reported clearly through other narrations from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir, Qatadah and others.</p><h2>Ya'juj and Ma'juj</h2><p>حَتَّى إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ</p><p>(Until, when Ya`juj and Ma`juj are let loose,) We have already mentioned that they are from the progeny of Adam, upon him be peace; they are also descents of Nuh through his son Yafith (Japheth), who was the father of the Turks, Turk referring to the group of them who were left behind the barrier which was built by Dhul-Qarnayn. Allah says:</p><p>هَـذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُ دَكَّآءَ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقّاًوَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِى بَعْضٍ</p><p>(This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the promise of my Lord is ever true. And on that Day, We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another...)18:98-99. And …
Other Translations
And the True Promise draweth nigh; then behold them, staring wide (in terror), the eyes of those who disbelieve! (They say): Alas for us! We (lived) in forgetfulness of this. Ah, but we were wrong-doers!
Then will the true promise draw nigh (of fulfilment): then behold! the eyes of the Unbelievers will fixedly stare in horror: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!"
And the true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (of fulfillment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their graves), you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly stare in horror. (They will say): "Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay, but we were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)."
The promise of truth has drawn near. The eyes of those who disbelieved will stare in horror: “Woe to us. We were oblivious to this. In fact, we were wrongdoers.”