The Prophets — Verse 38

21:38 · al-Anbiya`

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وَیَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝٣٨
wayaqūlūna matā hādhā l-waʿdu in kuntum ṣādiqīn
The Prophets / al-Anbiya` (21:38)
Connections 6 single-source 2 commentators

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Abdel Haleem

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They say, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if what you say is true?’
wayaqūlūna matā hādhā l-waʿdu in kuntum ṣādiqīn

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Tafsir Commentary

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
The Idolators seek to hasten on the Punishment Allah also tells us how the idolators seek to hasten punishment upon themselves, out of denial, rejection, disbelief, stubbornness and a belief that it will never happen. He says: وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَـذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ (And they say: "When will this promise (come to pass), if you are truthful".) And Allah says: لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ حِينَ لاَ يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلاَ عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ (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,) meaning, if only they knew for certain that it will inevitably come to pass, they would not seek to hasten it. If only they knew how the torment will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet. لَهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ النَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ (They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and coverings (of Fire) beneath them) 39:16 لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ (Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hellfire)) 7:41. And in this Ayah Allah says: حِينَ لاَ يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلاَ عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ (when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs,) And Allah says: سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَى وُجُوهَهُمْ النَّارُ (Their garments will be of tar, and fire will cover their faces) 14:50. The torment will surround them on all sides, وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ (and they will not be helped.) means, and they will have no helper. This is like the Ayah: وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ (And they have no guardian against Allah) 13:34. بَلْ تَأْتِيهِم بَغْتَةً (Nay, it will come upon them all of a sudden) means, the Fire will come upon them suddenly, i.e., it will take them by surprise. فَتَبْهَتُهُمْ (and will perplex them,) means, it will scare them, and they will succumb to it in confusion, not knowing what they are doing. فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ رَدَّهَا (and they will have no power to avert it) means, they will have no means of doing so. وَلاَ هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ (nor will they get respite. ) means, it will not be delayed for them even for an instant.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
And they say ‘When will this promise of resurrection be fulfilled if you are truthful?’ about it.
Tafsir Muyassar
ويقول الكفار - مستعجلين العذاب مستهزئين -: متى حصول ما تَعِدُنا به يا محمد، إن كنت أنت ومَن اتبعك من الصادقين؟
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
يخبر تعالى عن المشركين أنهم يستعجلون أيضا بوقوع العذاب بهم تكذيبا وجحودا وكفرا وعنادا واستبعادا فقال " ويقولون متى هذا الوعد إن كنتم صادقين ".
Tafsir Al Wasit
ثم أكد - سبحانه - ما يدل على تعجلهم لما فيه هلاكهم فقال : ( وَيَقُولُونَ متى هذا الوعد إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) .أى : أن هؤلاء المشركين بلغ من طغيانهم وجهلهم أنهم كانوا يتعجلون العذاب الذى توعدهم الله - تعالى - به إذا ما استمروا على كفرهم . ويقولون للرسول - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ولأصحابه - على سبيل التهكم والاستهزاء - متى يقع هذا العذاب الذى توعدتمونا به . إننا مترقبون له ، فإن كنتم صادقين فى وعيدكم ، فأسرعوا فى إنزاله . وأسرعوا فى دعوة ربكم - سبحانه - أن يأتى بالساعة .وجواب الشرط لقوله ( إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) محذوف ، لدلالة ما قبله عليه .أى : إن كنتم صادقين فى وعيدكم بأن هناك عذابا ينتظرنا ، فأتوا به بسرعة .
Tafsir al-Tabari
وقوله ( وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: ويقول هؤلاء المستعجلون ربهم بالآيات والعذاب لمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: متى هذا الوعد: يقول: متى يجيئنا هذا الذي تعدنا من العذاب إن كنتم صادقين فيما تعدوننا به من ذلك. وقيل ( إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) كأنهم قالوا ذلك لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وللمؤمنين به، و متى في موضع نصب، لأن معناه: أي وقت هذا الوعد وأيّ يوم هو فهو نصب على الظرف لأنه وقت.
Tafseer Al-Baghawi
" ويقولون متى هذا الوعد إن كنتم صادقين "،
Tafseer Tanwir al-Miqbas
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (38) نشأ عن ذكر استبطاء المسلمين وعد الله بنصرهم على الكافرين ذِكر نظيره في جانب المشركين أنهم تساءلوا عن وقت هذا الوعد تهكماً ، فنشأ به القولان واختلف الحالان فيكون قوله تعالى : { ويقولون متى هذا الوعد } عطفاً على جملة { سأريكم آياتي } [ الأنبياء : 37 ]. وهذا معبّر عن مقالة أخرى من مقالاتهم التي يتلقون بها دعوة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم استهزاء وعناداً .وذكر مقالتهم هذه هنا مناسب لاستبطاء المسلمين النصرْ . وبهذا الاعتبار تكون متصلة بجملة { وإذا رآك الذين كفروا إن يتخذونك إلا هزؤاً } [ الأنبياء : 36 ] فيجوز أن تكون معطوفة عليها .وخاطبوا بضمير الجماعة النبيءَ صلى الله عليه وسلم والمسلمين ، ولأجل هذه المقالة كان المسلمون يستعجلون وعيد المشركين .واستفهامُهم استعملوه في التهكم مجازاً مرسلاً بقرينة إن كنتم صادقين لأن المشركين كانوا موقنين بعدم حصول الوعد .والمراد بالوعد ما تَوعدهم به القرآن من نصرِ رسوله واستئصال معانديه . وإلى هذه الآية ونظيرها ينظرُ قولُ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم بدر حين وقف على القليب الذي دفنت فيه جثث المشركين وناداهم بأسمائهم { قد وجدنا ما وعدنا ربنا حقاً فهل وجدتم ما وعد ربكم حقاً } [ الأعراف : 44 ] أي ما وعدنا ربنا من النصر وما وعدكم من الهلاك وعذاب النار .
Tafseer Al Qurtubi
ويقولون متى هذا الوعد أي الموعود ، كما يقال : الله رجاؤنا أي مرجونا . وقيل : معنى الوعد هنا الوعيد ، أي الذي يعدنا من العذاب . وقيل : القيامة . إن كنتم صادقين يا معشر المؤمنين .
Tazkirul Quran
The people of Arabia, although believers in the life hereafter, denied that concept of the Hereafter, as described by the Prophet Muhammad. They were proud to be followers of a religion which guaranteed their success. When the Prophet contradicted this firm belief of theirs, they became incensed. Making a show of fearlessness, they said, ‘Show us the retribution of God with which you are threatening us.’ God says that their haste was entirely due to the fact that they were still in the process of being tested, and as such, were distanced from God’s retribution. But when this period of respite ended and they were overwhelmed by God’s punishment, it would dawn on them that they had committed a huge blunder in not taking the Prophet’s words seriously.
Ma'arif-ul-Quran
Haste is undesirable خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ (Man is made of haste. - 21:37). عَجَل ('ajal) means haste or hurry. The word is used in situations when one desires things to happen before their time, and this trait is bad by its very nature. In another place also the word is used to denote human weakness. For instance وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا i.e. Man is prone to haste - 17:11, meaning that he is very impatient. When Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) went to the mount Tur in a hurry leaving his people behind, he was censured by Allah Ta` ala. Prophets (علیہم السلام) and the devout people who try to excel each other in the performance of righteous deeds have been commended and their zeal to do good deeds does not constitute haste and hurry because they do not try to do these deeds before their time. In fact they do the deeds on time, but try to excel each other in quantity and quality. Here خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ (Man is made of haste - 21:37) means that haste and hurry is one of the many weaknesses which are inherent in human nature. When a man is identified by some intrinsic trait of his character, me Arabs used to say that he is 'made of that trait. For instance a short tempered man would be called a 'man made of anger'. سَأُرِ‌يكُمْ آيَاتِي فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ (I shall show you my signs -.21:37) Here the word آیات (signs) refers to those miracles and events which bear evidence to the honesty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the truth of his message. (Qurtubi) These miracles also occurred during the battle of Badr (غزوہ بدر) when the Muslims who were considered weak and worthy of contempt gained a great victory over their enemies.
Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas
(And they say) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca: (When will this promise) that you have promised us, O Muhammad, ((be fulfilled), if ye are truthful?)
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