أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
21:45.
Commentary:
This verse strongly refutes those critics of the Holy Prophet who allege that he showed no sign.
Do they not see, says the verse, that God is gradually reducing and curtailing the land from its sides? Is not that a sign of the triumph of Islam? It is making inroads into every home and into all sections and stations of society—the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the slave and the master. Is not this a sign sufficient to convince all fair-minded critics? The word الارض (land) may also refer to "the land of Arabia," in which case the verse would mean that Islam is fast spreading throughout the length and breadth of Arabia. As the expression اتی الله according to Arabic usage also means the visitation of God with punishment (see 2:211 & 16:27), the words, We are visiting the land, reducing it, may mean that the punishment of God is already slowly but surely coming down on all sections of the people.
The words, swift at reckoning, do not mean that, God is hasty in punishing disbelievers but that, when He decides to call the offenders to account, He does it quickly and nothing can prevent Him from doing so.
21:45.
Atraf meaning good and generous, (and also) low and mean persons, the verse means: 'Do they not see that God is gradually reducing and curtailing the land from its sides?' i.e. Islam is spreading through the length and breadth of Arabia and making inroads into every home and all sections and stations of society—the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the slave and the master.