۞ وَلَوْ يُعَجِّلُ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ ٱلشَّرَّ ٱسْتِعْجَالَهُم بِٱلْخَيْرِ لَقُضِىَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلُهُمْ ۖ فَنَذَرُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا فِى طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ 11
Translations
And if Allāh was to hasten for the people the evil [they invoke] as He hastens for them the good, their term would have been ended for them. But We leave the ones who do not expect the meeting with Us, in their transgression, wandering blindly.
Transliteration
Wa law yu'ajjilu-Allahu li-n-nasi ash-sharra istiʿjālahum bi-l-khayri la-qudiya ilayhim ajaluhum, fa-nadharu-Allādhīna lā yarjūna liqāʾanā fī ṭughyānihim yaʿmahūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah explains that if Allah hastened evil for mankind in the same manner they hasten to request good, He would have ended their appointed lifespans. Instead, Allah leaves those who reject the meeting with Him to continue in their transgression and blindness. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this demonstrates Allah's mercy in delaying punishment and His wisdom in managing human affairs according to the unseen knowledge of what serves the ultimate good.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Yunus, which addresses the Meccan polytheists' rejection of the Prophet Muhammad's message. The broader context (verses 1-20) deals with themes of divine signs, human heedlessness, and the consequences of rejecting faith. This specific verse responds to the mindset of those who demand immediate gratification and punishment while remaining heedless of spiritual reality.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever is given wealth by Allah but does not pay its Zakat, his wealth will be made into a bald-headed poisonous snake' (Sahih Bukhari 1405). This relates thematically to the ayah's discussion of how Allah manages granting and withholding according to wisdom. Also relevant is the hadith about patient endurance in trials (Sahih Muslim 2999).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah's apparent delays in responding to our requests or punishing wrongdoing are manifestations of His mercy and perfect wisdom, not indifference. Believers should cultivate trust in Allah's timing and recognize that those who persist in rejecting faith despite clear signs remain in spiritual blindness.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ ٱلنَّاسَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Indeed, Allāh does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves.
وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱئْتُونِى بِكُلِّ سَـٰحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ
And Pharaoh said, "Bring to me every learned magician."
فَهَلْ يَنتَظِرُونَ إِلَّا مِثْلَ أَيَّامِ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُنتَظِرِينَ
So do they wait except for like [what occurred in] the days of those who passed on before them? Say, "Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
And [commanded], 'Direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth, and never be of those who associate others with Allāh;