Quran Universe
14:42

وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ لِيَوۡمٖ تَشۡخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ

Wala tahsabanna Allaha ghafilan AAamma yaAAmalu alththalimoona innama yuakhkhiruhum liyawmin tashkhasu feehi alabsaru

And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  2. تَحۡسَبَنَّthink
  3. ٱللَّهَ(that) Allah
  4. غَٰفِلًا(is) unaware
  5. عَمَّاof what
  6. يَعۡمَلُdo
  7. ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَۚthe wrongdoers
  8. إِنَّمَاOnly
  9. يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡHe gives them respite
  10. لِيَوۡمٖto a Day
  11. تَشۡخَصُwill stare
  12. فِيهِin it
  13. ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُthe eyes
Ibrahim · 14:42Makkah

Allah is never unaware of what wrongdoers do.

Delay is not forgetting

What it looks like
the wrongdoerseems untouched
but
Allahkeeps full record
delays to
a Dayeyes stare in terror
Reading the delay
He does not notice
He is waitingto a set Day

Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ: do not think Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. Ibn Kathir says the delay is not neglect; Allah keeps full account of it, until a Day when eyes stare in horror.

The landlord who cheated you is doing fine. The colleague who lied about you got promoted. It eats at you. Nothing was missed. And the same verse is a mirror: what wrong of mine is quietly on record?

If wrongdoers get away with it, Allah must not care.

Allah sees every wrong; delay is not forgetting, for them or for me.

Try this

Let go of one grudge today by handing it to Allah, and fix one wrong of your own.

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

Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrongdoers do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror (42)(They will be) hastening forward with necks outstretched, their heads raised up (towards the sky), their gaze returning not towards them and their hearts empty (43)

Allah gives Respite to the Disbelievers and is never unaware of what They do

Allah says, 'O Muhammad, do not think that Allah is unaware of what the unjust disbelievers do. Do not think because Allah gave them respite and delayed their punishment that He is unaware or ignoring punishing them for what they do. Rather, Allah keeps full account of this for them and keeps it on record against them,

إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ

(but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.) from the horror of the Day of Resurrection.' Allah next mentions how they will all be raised up from their graves and hurriedly gathered for the Day of Gathering,

مُهْطِعِينَ

(hastening forward), in a hurry. Allah said in other Ayat,

مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ

(Hastening towards the caller.)[54:8]

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُ

(On that Day mankind will follow strictly Allah's caller, no crookedness will they show him.)[20:108] until,

وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ

(And (all) faces shall be humbled before the Ever Living, the Sustainer.)[20:111] Allah said: another Ayah,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا

(The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly.)[70:43] Allah said next,

مُقْنِعِي رُءُوسِهِمْ

(with necks outstretched) meaning, raising their heads up, according to Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and several others. Allah said next,

لَا يَرْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ طَرْفُهُمْ

(their gaze returning not towards them) meaning, their eyes are staring in confusion, trying not to blink because of the horror and tremendous insights they are experiencing, and fear of what is going to strike them, we seek refuge with Allah from this end. This is why Allah said,

وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ

(and their hearts empty.) meaning, their hearts are empty due to extreme fear and fright. Qatadah and several others said that the places of their hearts are empty then, because the hearts will ascend to the throats due to extreme fear. Allah said next to His Messenger ,