16:1

أَتَىٰٓ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَسۡتَعۡجِلُوهُۚ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ

Ata amru Allahi fala tastaAAjiloohu subhanahu wataAAala AAamma yushrikoona

The command of Allah is coming, so be not impatient for it. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.

Word by word
  1. أَتَىٰٓWill come
  2. أَمۡرُ(the) command of Allah
  3. ٱللَّهِ(the) command of Allah
  4. فَلَاso (do) not
  5. تَسۡتَعۡجِلُوهُۚ(be) impatient for it
  6. سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥGlorified is He
  7. وَتَعَٰلَىٰand Exalted (is) He
  8. عَمَّاabove what
  9. يُشۡرِكُونَthey associate
An-Nahl · 16:1Makkah

It is already on its way. Stop daring it to come.

The Hour told in the past tense


The challenge in Makkah
the deniers"bring it, then"
mock
the warningas if it were a bluff
answered by
It has comesaid as already done
Delay is not denial
nothing happened yetso it never will
a set timethe delay is a respite

Late in the Makkan years, the deniers kept daring the Prophet ﷺ to bring the punishment he warned of. They treated the delay as proof he was wrong. The verse speaks of the Hour in the past tense, as something already done, and tells them not to rush it.

The doctor said to cut back months ago. Nothing has happened, so the warning starts to feel like a joke. You scroll past reminders of death the same way. The quiet time is not a sign it is not coming. It is the time you were given to get ready.

If it has not happened by now, it probably never will.

The delay is a gift of time, not a sign the promise is empty.

Try this

Pick one thing you keep postponing until later in life. Do the first small step of it today.

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

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

أَتَىٰ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(1. The Event ordained by Allah has indeed come, so do not seek to hasten it. Glorified and Exalted be He above all that they associate as partners with Him.)

Warning about the approach of the Hour

Allah is informing about the approach of the Hour in the past tense [in Arabic] in order to confirm that it will undoubtedly come to pass. This is like the following Ayat, in which the verbs appear in the past tense in Arabic:

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ

(Mankind's reckoning has drawn near them, while they turn away in heedlessness.)[21:1]

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

(The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft.)[54:1]

فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

(so do not seek to hasten it.) means, what was far is now near, so do not try to rush it. As Allah said,

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَاءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ - يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ

(And they ask you to hasten the torment (for them), and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they are unaware! They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily! Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers)(29:53-54).

Ibn Abi Hatim reported from 'Uqbah bin 'Amir that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

تَطْلُعُ عَلَيْكُمْ عِنْدَ السَّاعَةِ سَحَابَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ مِثْلَ التُّرْسِ، فَمَا تَزَالُ تَرْتَفِعُ فِي السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادٍ فِيهَا: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! فَيُقْبِلُ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ: هَلْ سَمِعْتُمْ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: نَعَمْ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَشُكُّ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي الثَّانِيَةَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! فَيَقُولُ النَّاسُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: هَلْ سَمِعْتُمْ، فَيَقُولُونَ: نَعَمْ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي الثَّالِثَةَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! أَتَى أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

(When the Hour approaches, a black cloud resembling a shield will emerge upon from the west. It will continue rising in the sky, then a voice will call out, 'O mankind!' The people will say to one another, 'Did you hear that?' Some will say, 'yes', but others will doubt it. Then a second call will come, 'O mankind!' The people will say to one another, 'Did you hear that?' And they will say, 'Yes.' Then a third call will come, 'O mankind!' The Event ordained by Allah has indeed come, so do not seek to hasten it.')

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

فَوَ الَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، إِنَّ الرَّجُلَيْنِ لَيَنْشُرَانِ الثَّوبَ فَمَا يَطْوِيَانِهِ أَبَدًا، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَمُدَّنَّ حَوْضَهُ فَمَا يَسْقِي فِيهِ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَحْلُبُ نَاقَتَهُ فَمَا يَشْرِبُهُ أَبَدًا - قَالَ - وَيَشْتَغِلُ النَّاسُ

(By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, two men will spread out a cloth, but will never refold it; a man will prepare his trough, but will never water his animals from it; and a man will milk his camel, but will never drink the milk." Then he said, "The people will be distracted.")

Then Allah tells us that He is free from their allegations of partners to their worship of idols, and making equals for Him. Glorified and exalted be He far above that. These are the people who deny the Hour, so He says:

سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Glorified and Exalted be He above all that they associate as partners with Him.)