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ʾatā ʾamru llāhi fa-lā tastaʿjilūhu subḥānahū wa-taʿālā ʿammā yushrikūna
Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it. Immaculate is He and exalted above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him].
— Ali Quli Qarai
16An-NaḥlالنحلVerse 1 of 128
The Bee16. An-Naḥlالنحل
Al Naḥl
The Bee
MeccanVerse 1 of 128
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 1
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. “Allah’s commandment has come, hence do not seek to hasten it. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He above every thing with which they associate Him.”
A considerable part of the commencing verses of this Surah have been revealed in Mecca, during which time the Prophet (S) was intensively entangled with the pagans and idol-worshippers who used various pretexts every day for the liberating and life-saving call of Islam. Among such pretexts one might name the Divine chastisement, which, whenever the Prophet (S) warned them against, some obstinate folks would declare.
“Why would such a chastisement which you claim, if truly said, do not come to be inflicted on us?”
They might sometimes add that if supposedly there was such a case impending, they should take recourse to their idols to serve as mediators with Allah (s.w.t.) to be rescued from punishment. The first verse of this Surah drew an obliterating line over such imaginary claims by implying that they should stop making haste in that connection for Allah’s commandment had definitely been issued already. It says:
“Allah’s commandment has come, hence do not seek to hasten it…”
If you think that the idols will be involved as mediators with Him, you are seriously mistaken, as Allah is far more intact and superior to being attached with associates. The verse continues saying:
“…Glory be to Him and Exalted is He above every thing with which they associate Him.”
Explanation
Notwithstanding the case in question in this verse is the pagans’ impatience in their receiving of the Divine punishment, but the beginning sentence of the verse is not confined to the Divine punishment. Rather, it includes all the Divine commandments such as that relating to waging of the Holy war, the commandment concerning the reappearance of the contemporary Imam (a.j.), the Return of the Immaculate Imams (as), and the commandment for the stepping up and staging of the resurrection day about which one must not make haste.