وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِمُ ٱلْمَثُلَـٰتُ ۗ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ ظُلْمِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ 6
Translations
They impatiently urge you to bring about evil before good, while there has already occurred before them similar punishments [to what they demand]. And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of forgiveness for the people despite their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is severe in penalty.
Transliteration
Wa yasta'jiloonaka bis-sayyiati qabla al-hasanati wa qad khalat min qablihimu al-mathalatu wa inna rabbaka ladhu maghfiratun lin-nasi 'ala dhulmihim wa inna rabbaka lashadidu al-'iqabi
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers hastily call upon the Prophet to bring down punishment (the evil/calamity) before blessings, yet similar nations before them have already experienced such divine punishment as a lesson. Despite human injustice, Allah's mercy is vast, yet His punishment is equally severe for those who persist in transgression. Ibn Kathir explains this ayah reflects the arrogant Quraysh's mockery, demanding immediate punishment while rejecting the message of guidance, unaware that preceding nations ignored similar warnings and met destruction.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a Medinan surah addressing the believers' patience during opposition. The context relates to the mockery and challenges the Prophet faced from the Meccan disbelievers who demanded immediate divine punishment, testing the Prophet's resolve and reassuring the believers of Allah's justice and established patterns in dealing with nations.
Related Hadiths
The concept of divine patterns (sunan Allah) is emphasized in Hadith Qudsi and various Quranic passages. Related thematically is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet described how nations before tested divine patience until punishment came when they rejected guidance, illustrating the consequences of persistent denial.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that mocking divine messages or hastening punishment reflects spiritual blindness; history shows established patterns where nations rejecting guidance ultimately face consequences. The balance between Allah's mercy toward the repentant and His severe punishment for persistent wrongdoing should inspire both hope and reverential fear (khawf wa raja').
Related Ayahs
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِىٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense."
قَالَ فَٱذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُۥ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِكَ ٱلَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ نَسْفًا
[Moses] said, "Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.' And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it [i.e., its ashes] into the sea with a blast.
هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ
Has there reached you the story of the soldiers -
وَأَصْبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا۟ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا ۖ وَيْكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allāh extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allāh had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"