Al-Qur'an Surah Al-'Ankabut Verse 53

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They ask you to bring the punishment soon. Had there not been an appointed time, the punishment would have come to them. It will surely come to them suddenly while they will not be aware.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They challenge you ˹O Prophet˺ to hasten the punishment. Had it not been for a time already set, the punishment would have certainly come to them ˹at once˺. But it will definitely take them by surprise when they least expect it.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They ask you [O Prophet] to hasten the punishment. If it had not been for a time already set, the punishment would have come to them. But it will surely come to them by surprise when they least expect it.

A. J. Arberry

And they demand of thee to hasten the chastisement! But for a stated term the chastisement would have come upon them; but it shall come upon them suddenly, when they are not aware.

Abdul Haleem

They challenge you to hasten the punishment: they would already have received a punishment if God had not set a time for it, and indeed it will come to them suddenly and catch them unawares.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they ask thee to hasten on the torment. And had not there been a term appointed, the torment would surely have come unto them. And surely it shall come upon them of a sudden while they perceive not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They ask thee to hasten on the Punishment (for them); had it not been for a term (of respite) appointed, the Punishment would certainly have come to them; and it will certainly reach them,- of a sudden, while they perceive not!

Abul Ala Maududi

They ask you to hasten in bringing chastisement upon them. Had there not been an appointed term for it, the chastisement would have already visited them; in fact it will come down upon them all of a sudden (at its appointed time) while they will not be aware of it.

Ahmed Ali

They want you to hasten the punishment: But for a time already determined the punishment would have come upon them. It will come upon them all too suddenly, and they will be caught unawares.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And they urge you to hasten the punishment; and if a time had not been fixed, the punishment would have certainly come upon them; and it will indeed come upon them suddenly whilst they are unaware.

Ali Quli Qarai

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Yet were it not for a specified time, the punishment would have surely overtaken them. Surely, it will overtake them suddenly while they are unaware.

Ali Ünal

They challenge you to hasten the punishment (with which they are threatened by God). Had it not been for the term appointed by God, the punishment would have come upon them (already). And it will come upon them all of a sudden, when they are unaware.

Amatul Rahman Omar

They demand you to precipitate the (sign of their) punishment. Had not their term been stated (as a respite to mend their evil ways), the punishment would surely have come upon them. It shall come and will befall them unexpectedly and take them unawares.

English Literal

And they hasten/urge you with the torture, and where it not for a named/identified (specified) term/time, the torture would have come to them, and it will come to them (E) suddenly/unexpectedly, and (while) they do not feel/sense/know.

Faridul Haque

And they urge you to hasten the punishment; and if a time had not been fixed, the punishment would have certainly come upon them; and it will indeed come upon them suddenly whilst they are unaware.

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "Allah is sufficient witness between me and you. He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and those who believe in vanities (falsehoods, frivolities) and disbelieve in Allah, they it is who are the losers."

Hilali & Khan

And they ask you to hasten on the torment (for them), and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not!

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Is it not enough for them that We have revealed to thee the Book which is recited to them? Surely there is mercy in this and a reminder for a people who believe.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they ask you to hasten on the chastisement; and had not a term been appointed, the chastisement would certainly have come to them; and most certainly it will come to them all of a sudden while they will not perceive.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They bid thee hasten on the doom (of Allah). And if a term had not been appointed, the doom would assuredly have come unto them (ere now). And verily it will come upon them suddenly when they perceive not.

Muhammad Sarwar

They demand you to bring upon them torment immediately. Had not the time been fixed, the torment would certainly have approached them. It would have come to them suddenly and they would not have even realized how it came.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They demand that you hasten the punishment! But had it not been for the stated term, the punishment would come to them; it will come upon them suddenly when they are unaware.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not!

Wahiduddin Khan

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Had there not been an appointed time for it, the punishment would already have come to them. Indeed it will come down upon them suddenly and catch them unawares.

Talal Itani

And they urge you to hasten the punishment. Were it not for a specified time, the punishment would have come to them. But it will come upon them suddenly, while they are unaware.

Tafsir jalalayn

And they ask you to hasten the chastisement. Yet were it not for an appointed term, for this [chastisement], the chastisement would have come upon them, before long, but it shall assuredly come upon them suddenly while they are unaware, of the time of its coming.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

How the Idolators asked for the Torment to be hastened on

Allah says;

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلَا أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَجَاءهُمُ الْعَذَابُ

And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them.

Allah tells us of the ignorance of the idolators and how they asked for the punishment of Allah to be hastened so that it would befall them quickly.

This is like the Ayah,

وَإِذْ قَالُواْ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ أَوِ ايْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

And when they said;"O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment." (8;32)

And Allah says here;
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلَا أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَجَاءهُمُ الْعَذَابُ
(And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them).

Were it not for the fact that Allah has decreed that the punishment should be delayed until the Day of Resurrection, the torment would have come upon them quickly as they demanded.

Then Allah says;

وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ



يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ