Transliteration:( Wa yasta'jiloonaka bil'azaab; wa law laaa ajalum musammal lajaaa'ahumul a'zaab; wa la ya'tiannahum baghta tanw wa hum laa yash'uroon )
"And they are asking you to hasten the torment. And if there had not been an appointed term, then most certainly the torment would have come upon them. And it shall come upon them suddenly when they are unaware."
This verse was revealed in response to mockers like Nazar bin Harith, who sarcastically challenged the Prophet ﷺ by saying they had not accepted faith, yet no stones or punishment had fallen upon them from the heavens. Their demand was for the torment to come quickly as proof against the Prophet’s message.
The "appointed term" refers either to the Day of Judgment, their eventual death, or future events such as battles and divine retribution where disbelievers would be defeated and disgraced. This delay is a mercy granted by Allah because the Prophet ﷺ is a mercy to all creation. The punishment, therefore, is not immediate but set by Allah’s wisdom and timing.
Great Sufi scholars explain that the death of a negligent person is sudden regardless of illness or time because they are unprepared for the Hereafter. In contrast, a wise believer’s death is not truly sudden, even if it happens unexpectedly in sleep, because they are always ready for it. Similarly, divine punishment comes unexpectedly upon the disbelievers when they are heedless and unaware.
53. And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not! 54. They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers. 55. On the Day when the torment shall cover them from above them and from beneath their feet, and it will be said: “Taste what you used to do.”
Allah tells us of the ignorance of the idolators and how they asked for the punishment of Allah to be hastened so that it would befall them quickly. This is like the Ayah,
(And when they said: “O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.”) (8:32). And Allah says here:
(And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them.) Were it not for the fact that Allah has decreed that the punishment should be delayed until the Day of Resurrection, the torment would have come upon them quickly as they demanded. Then Allah says:
(And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not! They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers.) means, `they ask you to hasten on the punishment, but it will undoubtedly befall them.’
(On the Day when the torment (Hellfire) shall cover them from above them and from beneath their feet,) This is like the Ayah,
(Theirs will be a bed of Hell, and over them coverings (of Hell-fire)) (7:41).
(They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and coverings (of Fire) beneath them) (39:16).
(If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs) (21:39). The Fire will cover them from all sides, which is more effective as a physical punishment.
(and it will be said: “Taste what you used to do.”) This is a threat and a rebuke, which is a form of psychological punishment, as in the Ayah,
(The Day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire (it will be said to them): “Taste you the touch of Hell!” Verily, We have created all things with a measurement.) (54:48-49)
(The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to deny. Is this magic or do you not see Enter you therein (taste you therein its heat) and whether you are patient of it or impatient of it, it is all the same. You are only being requited for what you used to do.) (52:13-16)
(29:53) They ask you to hasten in bringing chastisement[93] upon them. Had there not been an appointed term for it, the chastisement would have already visited them; in fact it will come down upon them all of a sudden (at its appointed time) while they will not be aware of it.
93. That is, “They are challenging you again and again that If you are a true messenger and they are really denying the truth, then you should not delay the torment with which you threaten them.”
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