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hal yanẓurūna ʾillā ʾan taʾtiyahumu l-malāʾikatu ʾaw yaʾtiya ʾamru rabbika ka-dhālika faʿala lladhīna min qablihim wa-mā ẓalamahumu llāhu wa-lākin kānū ʾanfusahum yaẓlimūna
Do they not consider that the angels may come to them, or your Lord’s edict may come? Those who were before them had acted likewise; Allah did not wrong them, but they used to wrong themselves.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 33
33. “Do they expect aught but the angels (of death) come to them, or the decree of your Lord comes (to pass)? Thus did those before them. And Allah was not unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.”
Were the warnings provided by the prophets not to awaken the people, the lashes of chastisement would surely do that job. However, to what effect will it be? The descending of punishment after the delivering of an ultimatum, and sending prophets with Books, not only is not unjust but also is identical with the realization of justice in particular following the assigning of the prophets on their mission. Once again, analyzing the attitudes and procedures of the pagans and oppressors, the Qur’an takes up the issue with a threatening vocabulary, and implies: What kind of expectations do they have?
Do they expect to receive any other things except that the death angels call upon them, while the ‘gates’ leading to repentance close up to their faces, their records be rolled up, and there remain no bridges for their return? The verse says:
“Do they expect aught but the angels (of death) come to them…”
Or else, do they keep waiting for Allah’s command to be issued as to their chastisement and then they seek repentance? Nonetheless, their repentance is untimely belated at that time and hence ineffective. The verse continues saying:
“…or the decree of your Lord comes (to pass)?…”
Then, the Qur’an implies that those who undertake such acts are not confined to this group only. Contrarily, those who preceded them acted in just the same way. It says:
“…Thus did those before them…”
It is not Allah Who did them injustice; however, it is they who did that to themselves, for they reap what they have sowed. The verse says:
“…And Allah was not unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.”