Yunus 10:51

"Then is it that when it has [actually] occurred you will believe in it? Now? And you were [once] for it impatient."

The Deniers of the Day of Resurrection wish to hasten its Coming and their Response

Allah told us about the idolators who reject faith through their demand that the punishment be hastened, inquiring about the time of punishment. The response to such question is not inherently beneficial, yet they inquired anyway. Allah said:

يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ

(Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it, while those who believe are fearful of it, and know that it is the very truth.) 42:18 They know that it is the truth for it is definitely going to happen. It is going to take place even if they have no idea when it will occur. This is why Allah instructed His Messenger to answer them saying:

قُل لاَّ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى ضَرًّا وَلاَ نَفْعًا

(Say: "I have no power over any harm or profit to myself.") 10:49, 7:188 I will not say except what He has taught me. I also have no authority over anything that Allah has not shown to me. I am Allah's servant and His Messenger to you. I was told that the Hour is going to come, but He has not told me when it will occur. But,

لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ

(For every Ummah, there is a term appointed;) meaning that for every generation or community there is a set term appointed for them. When the end of that term approaches,

فَلاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

(neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment). ) This is similar to what Allah said in another Ayah:

وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَآ

(And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes.) 63:11 Allah instructed His Messenger to tell the people that His punishment would come suddenly. He said:

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُهُ بَيَاتًا أَوْ نَهَارًا مَّاذَا يَسْتَعْجِلُ مِنْهُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ - أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ ءَامَنْتُمْ بِهِ ءَآلْنَ وَقَدْ كُنتُم بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

(Say: "Tell me, if His torment should come to you by night or by day, which portion thereof would the criminals hasten on Is it then that when it has actually befallen, you will believe in it What! Now (you believe) And you used (aforetime) to hasten it on!") When the punishment befalls them, they will say:

رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا

("Our Lord! We have now seen and heard.") (32:12) Allah also said:

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَـفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ - فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَـنُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَـفِرُونَ

(So when they saw Our punishment, they said: "We believe in Allah alone and reject (all) that we used to associate with Him as (His) partners. Then their faith could not avail them when they saw Our punishment. (Like) this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants. And there the disbelievers lost utterly (when Our torment covered them).")40:84-85

ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ

(Then it will be said to them who wronged themselves: "Taste you the everlasting torment!") This will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection, blaming and rebuking them. As Allah said in another Ayah:

يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا - هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ - أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ - اصْلَوْهَا فَاصْبِرُواْ أَوْ لاَ تَصْبِرُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire that you used to belie. Is this magic or do you not see 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

Лютая кара может постигнуть нечестивцев ночью, когда они спят, или днем, когда они беспечно развлекаются. Что тогда будут торопить грешники? Неужели они уверуют только тогда, когда наказание уже падет на них и когда вера не принесет им никакой пользы? Когда это произойдет, грешники воскликнут, что они уже уверовали, однако они будут заслуживать только суровое порицание. И тогда им скажут: «Неужели теперь, когда вы оказались в трудном положении, вы уверовали? А ведь раньше вы просили ускорить наступление этого наказания? Получайте то, что вы совершили. Получайте то, что вы торопили». Аллах всегда порицает Своих рабов, если они просят ускорить наступление наказания. И если они пытаются уверовать после начала наказания, то такая вера уже не приносит им никакой пользы. Именно это произошло с Фараоном, когда он начал тонуть в море. Всевышний сказал: «Мы переправили сынов Исраила (Израиля) через море, а Фараон и его войско последовали за ними, бесчинствуя и поступая враждебно. Когда же Фараон стал тонуть, он сказал: “Я уверовал в то, что нет Бога, кроме Того, в Кого уверовали сыны Исраила (Израиля). Я стал одним из мусульман”. Аллах сказал: “Только сейчас! А ведь раньше ты ослушался и был одним из распространяющих нечестие”» (10:90–91); «Но не помогла им вера, когда они увидели Наше наказание. Таким всегда было установление Аллаха для Его рабов. Вот тогда неверующие оказались в убытке» (40:85).

It was said in verse أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ آمَنتُم بِهِ ۚ آلْآنَ. It means: ` Would you believe when Divine punishment actually descends down upon you - whether at the time of death, or even before it? But, at that time, the response to your believing will be: آلْآنَ ('al'an: now?) meaning: Is it now that you have come to believe while the time of believing has already passed? This is similar to what the Pharaoh said while drowning: آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَ‌ائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿90﴾ ("I believe that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Isra'il believe - 10:90). In answer, it was said: آلْآنَ ('al'an: now?) and this believing by him was not accepted. In Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, ` Allah Ta` ala keeps accepting the repentance of His servant until he is seized by the agony of death.' It means that believing and repenting at the time of the agony of death is not credible in the sight of Allah. Similarly, in the mortal world, Taubah (repentance) could be accepted if done before the actual falling of the Divine punishment. Once the punishment strikes, Taubah is not accepted. The event related to the people of Sayyidna Yunus going to appear towards the end of the Surah in which their Taubah was accepted falls under this very rule. They had seen the punishment coming from a distance. Moved earnestly, weeping and wailing, they made their Taubah in all sincerity. Therefore, the punishment was withdrawn. Had it struck them, their Taubah would have remained unaccepted.

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

The Deniers of the Day of Resurrection wish to hasten its Coming and their Response