21:37

خُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مِنۡ عَجَلٖۚ سَأُوْرِيكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِي فَلَا تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ

Khuliqa alinsanu min AAajalin saoreekum ayatee fala tastaAAjiloona

Man was created of haste. I will show you My signs, so do not impatiently urge Me.

Word by word
  1. خُلِقَIs created
  2. ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُthe man
  3. مِنۡof
  4. عَجَلٖۚhaste
  5. سَأُوْرِيكُمۡI will show you
  6. ءَايَٰتِيMy Signs
  7. فَلَاso (do) not
  8. تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِask Me to hasten
Al-Anbya · 21:37Makkah

Man is made of haste. Do not rush Allah.

His timing is deliberate, even when you want speed


Two speeds
humanmade of haste
wants
nowjustice today
Allahdelays, then acts
What delay means
nothing happensHe doesn't see
it is timedHe will show His signs

When believers saw the Prophet ﷺ mocked, they wanted swift vengeance. The tafsir says haste is mentioned for this reason. Allah delays, then when He seizes, He will never let go. So He says: I will show you My signs; do not ask Me to hurry.

Someone wronged you and seems to be doing fine. You want them exposed this week. You refresh their page. Haste is in our nature. Allah's timing is not slow; it is exact.

If justice does not come soon, it is not coming.

I am made of haste. Allah is not. His delay is not neglect.

Try this

Hand one grievance to Allah in dua today and stop checking on it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 21:36)

And when those who disbelieved see you, they take you not except for mockery (saying): "Is this the one who talks about your gods?" While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious (36)Man is created of haste. I will show you My Ayat. So ask Me not to hasten (them)(37)

How the Idolators mocked the Prophet (ﷺ)

Allah tells His Prophet ﷺ:

وَإِذَا رَآكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(And when those who disbelieved see you,) meaning, the disbelievers of the Quraysh, such as Abu Jahl and his like.

إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا

(they take you not except for mockery) means, they make fun of you and insult you, saying,

أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ

("Is this the one who talks about your gods?") meaning, is this the one who insults your gods and ridicules your intelligence? Allah says:

وَهُم بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ

(While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious.) meaning, they disbelieve in Allah and yet they mock the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. As Allah says:

وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولًا - إِنْ كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ آلِهَتِنَا لَوْلَا أَنْ صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

(And when they see you, they treat you only in mockery (saying): "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger? He would have nearly misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were patient and constant in their worship!" And they will know, when they see the torment, who it is that is most astray from the path!)(25:41-42)

خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

(Man is created of haste.) This is like the Ayah:

وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا

(and man is ever hasty)(17:11), in all matters. The reason why the haste of man is mentioned here is that when mention is made of those who mock the Messenger ﷺ, (the believers) will want to avenge them swiftly, and that so should happen sooner. Allah says,

خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

(Man is created of haste.) because He delays (the punishment) until a time when, once He seizes him, He will never let him go. He delays it, then He hastens it; He waits, then He does not delay any longer. So He says:

سَأُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِي

(I will show you My Ayat) meaning, My vengeance, ruling and power over those who disobey Me.

فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ

(So ask Me not to hasten (them).)