Quran Universe
7:34

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٞۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَ سَاعَةٗ وَلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ

Walikulli ommatin ajalun faitha jaa ajaluhum la yastakhiroona saAAatan wala yastaqdimoona

And for every nation is a [specified] term. So when their time has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].

Word by word
  1. وَلِكُلِّAnd for every
  2. أُمَّةٍnation
  3. أَجَلٞۖ(is a fixed) term
  4. فَإِذَاSo when
  5. جَآءَcomes
  6. أَجَلُهُمۡtheir term
  7. لَا(they can) not
  8. يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَseek to delay
  9. سَاعَةٗan hour
  10. وَلَاand not
  11. يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَseek to advance (it)
Al-A'raf · 7:34Makkah

Every people has a deadline. Not one hour early or late.

A set term no one can move

The term
every nationeach generation
has
a set termnot an hour laternot an hour sooner
Can I move it?
I will get more timelater is flexible
fixedno delay, no rushing

The tafsir says every generation and nation has its appointed term, which it was destined for. When it comes, they cannot delay it or bring it forward, not even by an hour.

The calendar on your phone is full of plans for next year. None of them knows your real deadline. Neither does any doctor in any hospital corridor. It will not move for unfinished business.

I can always put off the important things for a while.

My term is fixed, so what I mean to do for Allah should not wait.

Try this

Do the one thing you would regret leaving undone, or start it, today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And every Ummah has its appointed term; when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)(34)O Children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you, reciting to you My Ayat, then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve (35)But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance, they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever (36)

Allah said,

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ

(And every Ummah has), meaning, each generation and nation,

أَجَلٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ

(its appointed term; when their term comes) which they were destined for,

لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

(neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)).

Allah then warned the Children of Adam that He sent to them Messengers who conveyed to them His Ayat. Allah also conveyed good news, as well as warning,

فَمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأَصْلَحَ

(then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous) by abandoning the prohibitions and performing acts of obedience,

فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا عَنْهَا

(on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance,) meaning, their hearts denied the Ayat and they were too arrogant to abide by them,

أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

(they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.) without end to their dwelling in it.