The Prophets (Al-Anbiya’)
Verses 37-41 GROUP_796 21.37-41
37
خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ سَأُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِي فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ
Man is a creature of haste. Soon I will show you My signs, but do not ask Me to hasten them.
38
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
They ask, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say be true?’
39
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
If only those who deny the truth knew the time when they would not be able to ward off the fire neither from their faces nor from their backs. They will not be helped!
40
بَلْ تَأْتِيهِم بَغْتَةً فَتَبْهَتُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ رَدَّهَا وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ
Indeed, it will come upon them suddenly and confound them; and they will not be able to ward it off, nor shall they be reprieved.
41
وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِؤُون
Other messengers have been mocked before you, but those who scoffed were overwhelmed by the very thing they had mocked.
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Commentary
(a) The people of Arabia, although believers in the life hereafter, denied that concept of the Hereafter, as described by the Prophet Muhammad. They were proud to be followers of a religion which guaranteed their success. When the Prophet contradicted this firm belief of theirs, they became incensed. Making a show of fearlessness, they said, ‘Show us the retribution of God with which you are threatening us.’ God says that their haste was entirely due to the fact that they were still in the process of being tested, and as such, were distanced from God’s retribution. But when this period of respite ended and they were overwhelmed by God’s punishment, it would dawn on them that they had committed a huge blunder in not taking the Prophet’s words seriously.