Surah Al-Anbiya 21:37
سُورَةُ الأَنبِيَاءِ · Meccan · Verse 37 of 112
خُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِنْ عَجَلٍۢ ۚ سَأُو۟رِيكُمْ ءَايَٰتِى فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ
Translation
Man was created hasty: I will show you My signs soon, so do not ask Me to hasten them.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse opens with a profound statement that invites us to look deeply at a core aspect of human nature and Allah's wisdom.
The Immediate Context
The verse speaks to the context of disbelievers, specifically the Quraysh, who were mockingly impatient for the divine punishment they were warned about. Allah is directly speaking here, delivering a warning to them while also offering guidance to believers who might feel disheartened by the taunts and wish for swift justice. The tone is a blend of a gentle rebuke and a firm promise.
Our Innate Haste
The verse begins, "خُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِنْ عَجَلٍۢ" (Man was created from haste). This is a remarkable phrase. Rather than saying "man is hasty" or "man has haste," Allah uses the powerful expression "created *from* haste." As scholars like Ibn Ashur and al-Razi explain, this isn't literal, but a profound metaphor. It's like saying someone is "made of fire" to convey their fiery temperament, or "made of generosity" to show its deep roots in their character.
This wording reveals that haste, or impatience, is deeply ingrained in human nature, a fundamental part of our makeup. Ibn Ashur notes that this trait stems from our thoughts about what we love or hate: we quickly desire what is beloved and wish to swiftly remove what is disliked. Imam al-Zamakhshari highlights that this phrase initially "condemns man for excessive haste, and that he is imprinted with it," as if to say, "it's not strange for you to be hasty, for you are molded upon that, and it is your nature." While this innate trait might seem to make resisting haste impossible, al-Zamakhshari clarifies that Allah also grants us the capacity to overcome it, just as we are given desires but commanded to control them.
A Divine Promise and a Gentle Command
Following this deep insight into human nature, Allah declares, "سَأُو۟رِيكُمْ ءَايَٰتِى فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ" (I will show you My signs, so do not hasten Me). The Arabic letter 'س' (sa) at the beginning of "سأوريكم" denotes a near future, emphasizing that this promise will indeed be fulfilled soon.
What are these "signs" (آيَٰتِى)? Scholars like al-Razi and al-Jalalayn primarily interpret them as the promised punishments and calamities that would befall the disbelievers in this world and the Hereafter. For example, al-Jalalayn mentions the Battle of Badr, where many disbelieving leaders were slain. Ibn Ashur expands this to include Allah's signs of supporting the believers and establishing His religion.
The phrase "فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونِ" (so do not hasten Me) then serves as a direct command, flowing from the preceding promise and the insight into human haste. The 'ف' (fa – "so") links the prohibition directly to the assurance of divine signs. It's a call to abandon the natural human inclination towards impatience and to trust in Allah's perfect timing and wisdom. Ibn Ashur beautifully explains that this means entrusting the timing of events to Allah, for He knows what serves the greater good, even if it means delaying punishment for a time to allow more people to embrace Islam. The verse thus invites us to cultivate patience and faith, understanding that Allah's plan unfolds with wisdom, even if it doesn't align with our inherent human haste.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:37 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Anbiya 21:37 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.