أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ 204
Translations
So for Our punishment are they impatient?
Transliteration
Afa-bi-'adhābinā yasta'jilūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question to the disbelievers of Makkah, expressing astonishment at their arrogance in hastening or mocking the punishment of Allah. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the ayah rebukes those who mockingly challenge Allah's promise of punishment, demonstrating their foolishness and arrogance. The question serves as a warning that their hastening toward destruction through their disbelief and rejection of the Message only accelerates their inevitable reckoning.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which addresses the mockery and rejection faced by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Makkah. The surah presents stories of previous prophets who similarly faced disbelief and ridicule from their peoples. This particular ayah reflects the Meccan context where the polytheists would mock the Prophet and challenge him regarding the threatened punishment, treating it as if it were a joke or test of credibility.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to Surah Al-'Ankabut 29:53-54 where Allah addresses those who hasten the punishment: 'They urge you to hasten the punishment. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.' This is further supported by various ahadith in Sahih Bukhari regarding the certainty of Allah's promise and punishment for those who reject His signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that mocking Divine punishment reflects spiritual blindness and heedlessness, and that Allah's promise is absolute and inescapable. For modern readers, it serves as a cautionary reminder to take Divine warnings seriously and not to be among those who arrogantly dismiss accountability before Allah.