Quran Universe
37:178

وَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ

Watawalla AAanhum hatta heenin

And leave them for a time.

Word by word
  1. وَتَوَلَّSo turn away
  2. عَنۡهُمۡfrom them
  3. حَتَّىٰfor
  4. حِينٖa time
As-Saffat · 37:178Makkah

Again: turn away from them for a while.

The command repeated, after the warning

The pattern
turn awayverse 174
the evil morningverse 177
turn away againverse 178
Why repeat it
once is enough
patience needs renewingtold twice for a reason

Ibn Kathir notes this is a reiteration of the command stated above. Between the two came the picture of the warned waking to a bad morning. The Prophet ﷺ is told again to be patient. The appointed time is still Allah's.

You decided yesterday to stop arguing with your brother. Today he says the same thing again, and the old anger rises. You need to choose patience again. Patience is rarely a one-time decision.

I already decided to be patient. If I lose it, I failed.

Patience is chosen again and again. Allah repeated the command, so I can repeat my choice.

Try this

When you lose patience today, just choose it again on the spot, without beating yourself up.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 37:171)

And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers (171)That they verily would be made triumphant (172)And that Our hosts! they verily would be the victors (173)So, turn away from them for a while (174)And watch them and they shall see (175)Do they seek to hasten on Our torment (176)Then, when it descends in their courtyard, evil will be the morning for those who had warned (177)So, turn away from them for a while (178)And watch and they shall see (179)

The Promise of Victory and the Command to turn away from Idolators

Allah says,

وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ 

(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers,) meaning, it has already been stated in the first decree that the Messengers and their followers will ultimately prevail in this world and the Hereafter. This is like the Ayah:

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious." Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty.)(58:21), and

إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.)(40:51).

وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنْصُورُونَ

(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant,) meaning, 'in this world and in the Hereafter, as We have already stated that they would prevail over their people who disbelieved in them and went against them, and how Allah destroyed the disbelievers and saved His believing servants.'

وَإِنَّ جُنْدَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ

(And that Our hosts they verily would be the victors.) means, that they would ultimately prevail.

فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ 

(So turn away from them for a while,) means, 'bear their annoyance with patience and wait until an appointed time, when We shall cause you to prevail and will grant you victory.'

وَأَبْصِرْهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ

(And watch them and they shall see!) means, 'watch them and see what will happen to them by way of punishment for their opposition towards you and their disbelief in you.' Allah said, as a threat and a warning,

فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ

(and they shall see!). Then Allah says:

أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

(Do they seek to hasten on Our torment?) meaning, 'they seek to hasten on the punishment because they disbelieve in you, and Allah is angry with them because of that and will make them suffer the consequences, and because of their disbelief and stubbornness, He will hasten on the punishment.'

فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ 

(Then, when it descends in their courtyard, evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!) means, when the punishment comes down to the place where they are, terrible will be the day of their punishment and destruction. As-Suddi said:

فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ

(Then, when it descends in their courtyard,) means, in their homes;

 فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ

(evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!) means, how terrible that morning will be for them. It was reported in the Two Sahihs that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "On the morning of Khaybar, when the people came out with their tools (to go about their daily work) and saw the (Muslim) army, they went back and said, 'Muhammad by Allah! Muhammad and the army!' The Prophet ﷺ said:

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، خَرِبَتْ خَيْبَرُ، إِنَّا إِذَا نَزَلْنَا بِسَاحَةِ قَوْمٍ فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ

(Allahu Akbar! Khaybar has been destroyed. Then, when it descends in the courtyard of any people, evil will be the morning for those who had been warned!)"

وَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ - وَأَبْصِرْ فَسَوْفَ يُبْصِرُونَ

(So turn away from them for a while, and watch and they shall see!) This is a reiteration of the command stated above. And Allah knows best.