Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 61

Mufti Taqi Usmani

If Allah were to seize the people for their transgression, He would have spared no creature on earth, but He lets them go on up to an appointed time. So, when their time will come, they will not be able to delay it for a moment, nor to bring it soon.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor could they advance it.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If Allah were to take people to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living being on earth, but He gives them respite for an appointed time. When their time comes, they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it forward.

A. J. Arberry

If God should take men to task for their evildoing, He would not leave on the earth one creature that crawls; but He is deferring them to a term stated; and when their term is come they shall not put it back by a single hour nor put it forward.

Abdul Haleem

If God took people to task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on earth, but He reprieves them until an appointed time: when their time comes they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it forward.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And if Allah were to lay hold of mankind for their wrong- doing, not a living creature He would leave on it, but he deferreth them to a term appointed, then, when their term cometh, they cannot put it off by an hour not anticipate it.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the (earth), a single living creature; but He gives them respite for a stated Term; When their Term expires, they would not be able to delay (the punishment) for a single hour, just as they would not be able to anticipate it (for a single hour).

Abul Ala Maududi

Were Allah to take people to task for their wrong-doing, He would not have spared even a single living creature on the face of the earth. But He grants them respite until an appointed term. And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it.

Ahmed Ali

If God were to punish men for their inequity He would not leave a single moving thing on earth. Yet He gives them latitude for a time ordained. When that time is come, there will not be a moment's delay nor a moment's haste.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Were Allah to seize people on account of their injustices, He would not have left anyone walking on the earth, but He gives them respite up to an appointed promise; then when their promise comes they cannot go back one moment nor come forward.

Ali Quli Qarai

Were Allah to take mankind to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave any living being upon it. But He respites them until a specified time; so when their time comes they shall not defer it by a single hour nor shall they advance it.

Ali Ünal

If God were to take people immediately to task for their wrongdoings, He would not leave on it (the earth) any living creature (as the wrongdoings of humankind would make the earth uninhabitable). But He grants them respite to a term appointed (by Him). When their term has come, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they bring it forward.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And if Allâh were to seize the people (immediately) for their (committing) injustice (and their ascribing partners with Him), He would not leave any (unjust and polytheistic) living and crawling creature on the face of the earth, but He gives them respite till an appointed term. So when their time (of punishment) comes, they cannot delay (it) by a single moment (and escape it), nor can they go ahead (of it to save themselves from it).

English Literal

And if God punishes the people because of their injustice/oppression, He would not (have) left on it from a walker/creeper/crawler , and but He delays them to a named/identified term/time, so if their term/time came, they do not delay/lag behind an hour, and they do not advance/precede (an hour).

Faridul Haque

Were Allah to seize people on account of their injustices, He would not have left anyone walking on the earth, but He gives them respite up to an appointed promise; then when their promise comes they cannot go back one moment nor come forward.

Hamid S. Aziz

If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing He would not leave upon the earth a single living creature; but He reprieves them until an appointed time; and when their time comes they cannot put it off an hour, nor can they advance it.

Hilali & Khan

And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

For those who believe not in the Hereafter are evil attributes and Allah’s are the sublime attributes. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And if Allah had destroyed men for their iniquity, He would not leave on the earth a single creature, but He respites them till an appointed time; so when their doom will come they shall not be able to delay (it) an hour nor can they bring (it) on (before its time).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

If Allah were to take mankind to task for their wrong-doing, he would not leave hereon a living creature, but He reprieveth them to an appointed term, and when their term cometh they cannot put (it) off an hour nor (yet) advance (it).

Muhammad Sarwar

Was God to seize people immediately for their injustice, no living creature would be left on earth. He gives them respite for an appointed time. When their term is over, they will not be able to change the inevitable.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If Allah punished people for their sins, He would not leave one creature that crawls on the earth. He reprieves them to an appointed term; when their term is come, they shall neither delay it by a single hour nor can they hasten it.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And if Allah were to punish (all) mankind for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving creature, but He defers them to an appointed term; and when their term comes, they can neither delay nor advance it an hour (or a moment).

Wahiduddin Khan

If God were to take people to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave even one living creature on earth, but He gives them respite till an appointed time: when their time comes they cannot delay it for an hour, nor can they bring it forward.

Talal Itani

If God were to hold mankind for their injustices, He would not leave upon it a single creature, but He postpones them until an appointed time. Then, when their time arrives, they will not delay it by one hour, nor will they advance it.

Tafsir jalalayn

And if God were to take mankind to task for their wrongdoing, [wrongdoing] through acts of disobedience, He would not leave upon it, that is, [upon] the earth, any living being, any single [living] thing moving upon it; but He gives them respite until an appointed term; and when their term comes they will not defer, from it, by a single hour nor advance, it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah does not immediately punish for Disobedience

Allah tells;

وَلَوْ يُوَاخِذُ اللّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِن يُوَخِّرُهُمْ إلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ



And if Allah were to punish (all) mankind for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving creature, but He defers them to an appointed term; and when their term comes, they can neither delay nor advance it an hour (or a moment).

Allah tells us about His patience with His creatures, even though they do wrong. If He were to punish them for what they have done, there would be no living creature left on the face of the earth, i.e., He would have destroyed every animal on earth after destroying the sons of Adam. But the Lord - magnificent is His glory - is forbearing and He covers people's faults. He waits until the appointed time, i.e., He does not rush to punish them. If He did, then there would be no one left.

Ibn Jarir reported that Abu Salamah said;

"Abu Hurayrah heard a man saying, `The wrongdoer harms no one but himself.'

He turned to him and said,

`That is not true, by Allah! Even the buzzard dies in its nest because of the sins of the wrongdoer."'
They attribute to Allah what They Themselves dislike

Allah tells