قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖ لَوْلَا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ 46
Translations
He said, "O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allāh that you may receive mercy?"
Transliteration
Qāla yā qawmi lima tastʿajilūna bi-s-sayyiʾati qabla l-ḥasanati law lā tastagh firūna l-lāha laʿallakum turḥamūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the words of Prophet Salih to his people, rebuking them for hastening towards evil and punishment before good and mercy. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as Salih's exhortation that the people should not rush to invite divine punishment through their transgressions, but rather seek forgiveness from Allah, which is the path to receiving His mercy and grace. The ayah emphasizes that seeking forgiveness (istighfar) is the remedy for avoiding calamity and securing divine compassion.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Salih and the people of Thamud in Surah An-Naml (Meccan). It reflects Salih's desperate plea to his people before they rejected him and demanded the miraculous she-camel, leading to their eventual destruction. The verse provides insight into how prophets called their nations to repentance and moral responsibility before divine punishment was enacted.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'The closest the servant is to his Lord is in the middle of the night, so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then be so. For every wrong action has repentance, and the best repentance is in the night.' (At-Tirmidhi) - thematically related to the concept of seeking forgiveness and mercy.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should not hasten towards sin and transgression, but rather turn to Allah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, as this is the way to secure His mercy and protection from punishment. This ayah teaches us that sincere repentance (tawbah) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) are the most effective shields against the consequences of our wrongdoings.