سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 33
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿33﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Do they (the disbelievers and polytheists) await but that the angels should come to them [to take away their souls (at death)], or there should come the command (i.e. the torment or the Day of Resurrection) of your Lord? Thus did those before them. And Allâh wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هَلْ
hal
Do
يَنظُرُونَ
yanẓurūna
they wait
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَن
an
that
تَأْتِيَهُمُ
tatiyahumu
(should) come to them
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ
l-malāikatu
the Angels
أَوْ
aw
or
يَأْتِىَ
yatiya
(should) come
أَمْرُ
amru
(the) Command
رَبِّكَ ۚ
rabbika
(of) your Lord
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
فَعَلَ
faʿala
did
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ
qablihim
(were) before them
وَمَا
wamā
And not
ظَلَمَهُمُ
ẓalamahumu
wronged them
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
they were
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
themselves
يَظْلِمُونَ
yaẓlimūna
wronging
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah33) ➊ {هَلْ يَنْظُرُوْنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ تَاْتِيَهُمُ …:} here is an interrogative for denial, and {’’ يَنْظُرُوْنَ ‘‘} means {’’يَنْتَظِرُوْنَ‘‘}. In this, again the state of the disbelievers is described: after every kind of clear proof has come to them, what other purpose do they have for not believing except that they are waiting for the angels to come to seize their souls, or for your Lord’s command, that is, punishment, or the Hour to come, so that then they will believe and correct their condition? Whereas at that time, repentance or believing will not benefit them at all. This is to describe their stubbornness, not that they are actually waiting. In {’’ تَاْتِيَهُمُ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُ اَوْ يَاْتِيَ اَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ‘‘}, {’’اَوْ ‘‘} is مانعۃ الخلو, meaning it is not possible that neither of the two things will come; however, it is possible that one of them comes, or even that both come together.
➋ {كَذٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ:} means that the previous people also adopted the way of disbelief and denied the prophets. (Shawkani)
➌ { وَ مَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللّٰهُ …:} means they themselves committed such evil deeds for which the punishment was Hell, and this is a foolish injustice, because if they had wronged someone else for their own benefit, perhaps they would have gained something, even if only temporarily, but to wrong themselves is the height of foolishness.
➋ {كَذٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ:} means that the previous people also adopted the way of disbelief and denied the prophets. (Shawkani)
➌ { وَ مَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللّٰهُ …:} means they themselves committed such evil deeds for which the punishment was Hell, and this is a foolish injustice, because if they had wronged someone else for their own benefit, perhaps they would have gained something, even if only temporarily, but to wrong themselves is the height of foolishness.
