Transliteration:( Hal yanzuroona illaaa an taatiyahumul malaaa'ikatu aw yaatiya amru Rabbik; kazaalika fa'alal lazeena min qablihim; wa maa zalamahumul laahu wa laakin kaanoo anfusahum yazlimoon )
"What are they waiting for [69] except that the angels should come to them, or the command of your Lord should come? Thus did those before them [70]. And Allah did not wrong them, but they wronged their own souls [71]."
This verse addresses those who rejected the Prophet ﷺ, even after seeing his noble character and hearing the divine message. It asks: What exactly are they waiting for? Are they waiting for death to suddenly come upon them, or for the punishment of Allah to descend upon them as it did in the Battles of Badr and Hunayn?
The underlying message is that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the final source of divine guidance. Those who fail to accept guidance from him will find no other path to salvation. Their delay in belief only invites greater regret and loss.
The verse draws a parallel with past disbelieving nations such as Aad and Thamood, who also remained firm upon their infidelity and arrogance. When Allah’s punishment descended, they suddenly acknowledged the truth of their Prophets' messages, but by then, it was too late.
Belief at the time of punishment is not accepted, because it is born of fear, not conviction. This serves as a warning that delayed repentance and last-minute belief hold no value once divine punishment begins.
Allah clarifies that He did not wrong these people—rather, they wronged themselves. In Arabic, "zulm" (oppression) means to misuse something without right. Human beings belong to Allah, and to live against His will is a form of oppressing one’s own soul.
Both the sinful believer and the disbeliever are oppressors to varying degrees, but the infidel is the greatest wrongdoer. Allah affirms this in:
"Undoubtedly, associating partners with Allah is a tremendous wrong" (S31:V13).
Thus, this verse highlights the consequences of ignoring divine warnings, the failure to benefit from the final Prophet ﷺ, and the self-inflicted ruin that comes from turning away from Allah's guidance.
33. Are they but waiting for the angels to come to them, or there comes the command of your Lord Thus did those before them. And Allah did not wrong them, but they were wronging themselves. 34. Then, they were afflicted by their evil deeds, and they were surrounded by that which they used to mock.
Threatening the idolators for their persistence in falsehood and their conceited delusions about this world, Allah says: Are these people waiting only for the angels to come and take their souls Qatadah said:
(Or there comes the command of your Lord) means the Day of Resurrection and the terror that they will go through.”
(Thus did those before them.) means, thus did their predecessors and those who were like them among the idolators persist in their Shirk, until they tasted the wrath of Allah and experienced the punishment and torment that they suffered.
(And Allah did not wrong them.) because by sending His Messengers and revealing His Books He gave them enough warning and clearly demonstrated His proofs to them.
(but they were wronging themselves.) meaning, by opposing the Messengers and denying what they brought. For this reason Allah’s punishment tormented them.
(they were surrounded) meaning, they were overwhelmed by the painful torment.
(by that which they used to mock.) meaning, they used to make fun of the Messengers when they warned them Allah’s punishment, and for this it will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection:
(This is the Fire which you used to belie.) (52:14).
(16:33) (O Muhammad), are they waiting for anything else than that the angels should appear before them, or that your Lord’s judgement should come?[29] Many before them acted with similar temerity. And then what happened with them was not Allah’s wrong-doing; they rather wronged themselves.
29. This is to admonish the unbelievers to this effect: Why are they still hesitating to accept the message which is very simple and clear? We have tried every method to present each aspect of the truth clearly with arguments and brought witnesses thereof from the whole system of the universe, and have left no room for any man of understanding to stick to shirk. Now what are they waiting for is nothing more than this that the angel of death should come before them and then they will accept the message at the last moment of their lives. Or, do they wait for the scourge of God to overtake them and make them accept the Message?
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