فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ذَنُوبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَـٰبِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ 59
Translations
And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their companions [i.e., predecessors], so let them not impatiently urge Me.
Transliteration
Fa-inna lilladhina dhalamoo dhunooban mithla dhunoobi ashabihim fala yasta'jiloon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns that those who commit injustice and transgression will face a punishment similar to that which befell their predecessors who engaged in similar wrongdoing. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah's pattern (sunnah) of dealing with wrongdoers is consistent across generations, and therefore the wrongdoers should not hasten the punishment, as it will certainly come. The phrase 'fala yasta'jiloon' (so let them not hasten) is understood as either a command not to rush toward destruction through continued transgression, or an assurance that they cannot hasten Allah's judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Adh-Dhariyat, which emphasizes Allah's sovereignty and the certainty of the Day of Judgment. It follows the theme of previous ayahs recounting the fates of destroyed nations (Aad, Thamud, and Pharaoh's people), establishing the pattern that wrongdoers inevitably face consequences. The context underscores that the Meccan disbelievers should not think themselves exempt from divine punishment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The similitude of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which is fertile soil that absorbs water and brings forth vegetation and herbage in abundance' (Sahih Bukhari 97). This relates thematically to how Allah's law and pattern operate consistently for all people.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that wrongdoing carries inevitable consequences and that no wrongdoer should delude themselves into thinking they can escape divine justice or hasten it away through arrogance. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that ethical accountability is universal and timeless—the same principles that destroyed previous civilizations apply to all generations, encouraging us toward righteousness and justice.
Related Ayahs
وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do.
هَـٰذِهِ ٱلنَّارُ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
"This is the Fire which you used to deny.
وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحْصَىٰهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.
يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُكُمْ لِيَوْمِ ٱلْجَمْعِ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ ٱلتَّغَابُنِ ۗ وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَيَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِۦ وَيُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
The Day He will assemble you for the Day of Assembly - that is the Day of Deprivation. And whoever believes in Allāh and does righteousness - He will remove from him his misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.