تَسْتَعْجِلُ

11:64; 12:109.

12:41, 68.

Commentary:

The verse calls upon the Holy Prophet to say to disbelievers what may be expressed as follows: "You are perversely sticking to your errors while I have clear evidence with me. You say, 'If we are in error, why does not God visit us with punishment?’ You must remember that it does not lie in my power to bring down punishment. It is God alone Who sends down punishment on whomsoever and at whatever time He wills and He is the Best of judges. He will justly decide the matter between you and me."

6:9; 10:12.

Commentary:

This verse gives one of the reasons why it has not been placed in the power of Prophets to bring down punishment. The reason lies in the fact that God alone knows who are just and who are unjust. Therefore, if the work of punishment be entrusted to human beings, who do not know the inner secrets of the heart, they may punish many who are not really unjust. ‘Umar, for instance, was in the beginning bitterly opposed to the Holy Prophet. But God knew that he would one day become a zealous champion of Islam, so much so that he would finally become the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet. Now, if the work of punishment had been entrusted to the Holy Prophet, he might have selected ‘Umar for punishment during the period of his bitter opposition to the new Faith, to the great loss to Islam. So only a Being Who knows the hidden secrets of man’s heart can award punishment, for He alone knows who is really deserving of punishment and who not. There are many men who are outwardly very meek, but in their hearts they are not better than ravenous wolves. Similarly, there are many who are outwardly very harsh and stubborn, but they are good at heart. If it had been left to the Prophets to punish their enemies, they might have punished them much sooner than God punishes them.

10:92.

Commentary:

This verse contains an effective reply to those who demand the sign of punishment. They are told that the real object for which signs are shown is that they should benefit by them. But what sense is there in demanding the sign of punishment when, with the actual coming of destructive punishment the door of repentance is finally closed and readiness to believe becomes a useless thing?

The words, you used to demand its speedy coming, signify that those who desire to hasten punishment set a seal on their own disbelief and desire to die in that state. How then can they, consistently with their attitude, turn to belief when the punishment of death stares them in the face?

5:53.

Commentary:

The word 'decree' may refer either (1) to the punishment with which disbelievers were threatened in the previous chapter in the words, the hour is sure to come (15:86), or (2) to the promise contained in the words, lower thy wing of mercy for the believers (15:89). The words, the decree of Allah is coming, mean to say (1) that the time of punishment for disbelievers or (2) the time of the ushering in of the new order, has arrived.

The words, so seek ye not to hasten it, refer to both the aforesaid claims: (1) Disbelievers are told not to be in a hurry to demand punishment, for the time of punishment had already drawn near. (2) Believers are told not to be impatient for the new order which is already at their very doors.

At the end of the previous Surah, the Holy Prophet and the believers were asked to shun disbelievers and give up further reasoning with them (15:86), and confine themselves to the glorification of God (15:99). Now by the words, Holy is He, it is announced that the time has come when the Sanctity and Holiness of God will be established. The Prophet possesses no material resources and has no means while disbelievers possess all sorts of means and resources. So the fact that the Prophet, notwithstanding his weakness and resourcelessness, will have power and dominion over his enemies will constitute clear evidence of the Holiness of God.

The words, The decree of Allah is coming, fulfil the prophecy of punishment implied in the words, the hour is sure to come (15:86), while the words, Holy is He, fulfil the prophecy embodied in the words, glorify thy Lord praising Him(15:99). This beautiful order and continuity of themes disposes of the ignorant criticism that there is no order or arrangement in the Quran.

The words, Exalted above all that which they associate with Him, signify that the associate-gods of disbelievers can never frustrate God’s plans or interfere with His decrees and decisions.

This loud proclamation of the Unity of God and His freedom from associates or partners constitutes a very cogent proof of the Divinesource of the Quran. False claimants always seek to form a powerful party of their supporters, and if they fail to do so, attribute the failure of their mission to this fact. But the True and All-Powerful God proclaims His Oneness as well as His independence of all partisans, associates or supporters.

Important Words:

The clause خلق الانسان من عجل means that haste forms a part of man’s being and is so prominent a trait of his character and he is so hasty by nature that he can be said to have been created, as it were, out of haste i.e. he has been given a hasty disposition. The words "but ask me not to hasten," support this meaning. At another place in the Quran, we have خلقکم من ضعف (30:55) which also means that man by nature is very weak. Similarly, the verse خلقتنی من نار و خلقته من طین means, that Satan by nature is a fire-eater and man is by nature submissive (7:13). When the Arabs have to express a prominent natural characteristic of a person they say خلق منه i.e. he has been created of it. An Arab would say خلقت من لعب i.e. thou hast been created of sport i.e. "you love and indulge very much in sport" (Lisan).

Commentary:

The verse means to say that disbelievers treat the Holy Prophet with contempt because of the delay that has occurred in the Divine punishment overtaking them. They are warned that this delay should not mislead them into believing that they will go scot-free and that they should not reject the Message of Islam in haste and that the time was fast approaching when the prophecies made by the Prophet about the triumph and victory of Islam will be fulfilled and the punishment of God will descend on them swift and hard.

27:47.

Commentary:

Such has always been the way of disbelievers that instead of benefiting by the respite that is granted to them, they become all the more arrogant, and misconstruing the delay as an argument against their Prophet, demand the speedy coming of the threatened Divine punishment.

22:48; 26:205; 29:55.

Commentary:

To the challenge of disbelievers referred to in the preceding verse as to when the promise about the departure of their glory and greatness will be fulfilled, they are told that a part of it will be fulfilled very soon. At another place in the Quran it is stated that the promise of punishment to the disbelievers will be fulfilled within a year after the Holy Prophet’s flight from Mecca when "the glory of Kedar (Quraish) shall depart" (34:31).

22:48; 26:205; 27:72-73; 29:54-55.