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An-Nahl (The Bee)

Verse 61of 128

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةًۭ ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴿٦١

Translation (Sahih International)

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon the earth any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].

Word-by-word meaning

وَلَوْwalawAnd if
يُؤَاخِذُyuākhidhuAllah were to seize
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah were to seize
ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsathe mankind
بِظُلْمِهِمbiẓul'mihimfor their wrongdoing
مَّاnot
تَرَكَtarakaHe (would) have left
عَلَيْهَاʿalayhāupon it
مِنminany
دَآبَّةٍۢdābbatinmoving creature
وَلَـٰكِنwalākinbut
يُؤَخِّرُهُمْyu-akhiruhumHe defers them
إِلَىٰٓilāfor
أَجَلٍۢajalina term
مُّسَمًّۭى ۖmusammanappointed
فَإِذَاfa-idhāThen when
جَآءَjāacomes
أَجَلُهُمْajaluhumtheir terms
لَاnot
يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَyastakhirūnathey (will) remain behind
سَاعَةًۭ ۖsāʿatanan hour
وَلَاwalāand not
يَسْتَقْدِمُونَyastaqdimūnathey can advance (it)

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Allah does not immediately punish for DisobedienceAllah tells us about His patience with His creatures, even though they do wrong. If He were to punish them for what they have done, there would be no living creature left on the face of the earth, i.e., He would have destroyed every animal on earth after destroying the sons of Adam. But the Lord - magnificent is His glory - is forbearing and He covers people's faults. He waits until the appointed time, i.e., He does not rush to punish them.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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