Surah An-Nahl 16:1
سُورَةُ النَّحۡلِ · Meccan · Verse 1 of 128
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَتَىٰٓ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Translation
God’s Judgement is coming, so do not ask to bring it on sooner. Glory be to Him! He is far above anything they join with Him!
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
At the very start of Surah An-Nahl, Allah opens with a profound statement that carries both a dire warning and a majestic declaration: بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَتَىٰٓ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (The command of Allah has come, so do not hasten it. Glorified and Exalted is He above what they associate with Him.) This powerful beginning immediately addresses those who mocked the Prophet's warnings, treating the prophecies of divine punishment and the Hour as distant or untrue.
The Certainty of "Has Come"
The most striking aspect of this verse's wording is the use of the past tense, أَتَىٰ (atā, meaning "has come" or "came"), to describe something that is yet to happen, the Hour and the promised punishment. Scholars like al-Jadwal and al-Razi explain that this is a rhetorical device, a form of eloquence in the Quran, to emphasize the absolute certainty and inevitability of Allah's command. When something is destined to occur, Allah speaks of it as if it has already taken place, removing any doubt about its eventual manifestation. This choice of word makes the future event feel as immediate and real as the present.
The phrase أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ (amru Allāh, the command of Allah) itself is intentionally broad. Ibn Ashur notes that its vagueness enhances its gravity and awe, connecting it to the One for whom nothing is too great. It encompasses not just the final Hour but also various forms of divine decree and punishment.
Why Not to Hasten
Following this declaration, the command فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ (falā tasta’jilūh, so do not hasten it) acts as a direct rebuke to those who were sarcastically demanding the promised torment. As al-Zamakhshari points out, their hastening was an act of mockery and denial, which itself stems from associating partners with Allah. Ibn Ashur adds that the prohibition also implies there is no benefit in hastening it, as it will not occur before its appointed time. The pronoun "هُ" (hu) in "تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ" could refer either to Allah Himself (do not hasten Allah concerning His command) or to the command of Allah, with an implied preposition (do not hasten *for* His command to come). Both interpretations emphasize that Allah's timing is perfect and cannot be altered by human impatience or sarcasm.
Above All Partnership
The verse concludes with a powerful affirmation: سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (Glorified and Exalted is He above what they associate with Him). This transition is not merely a separate statement but intrinsically linked to the preceding warning. al-Zamakhshari clarifies that their mockery and denial of Allah's promise are forms of shirk, associating partners with Him by denying His absolute power and truth. The subtle shift in pronouns here, as highlighted by Ibn Ashur, from addressing the disbelievers directly ("you" in "do not hasten it") to referring to them in the third person ("what *they* associate"), is an act of rhetorical art. It signals a move away from directly addressing them, effectively lowering them from the honor of direct divine address when speaking of their vile act of shirk. This emphasizes Allah's absolute transcendence and purity from any form of partnership or imperfection that their actions imply.
This ayah, therefore, uses precise and powerful wording to convey the certainty of Allah's decree, the futility of human impatience, and the absolute transcendence of the Divine from the impurity of shirk.
Sources: al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah An-Nahl 16:1 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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