Hastening

At a glance

In the Quranic worldview, time in this worldly life is fleeting and precious. Believers are not meant to wander casually through opportunities for virtue; rather, the Quran summons them to engage in purposeful hastening toward all that pleases Allah. Hastening represents the inner vitality of faith, driving a servant to take immediate initiative in righteous deeds, seek forgiveness without delay, and outstrip worldly distractions.

While haste can be destructive when directed toward sin or when taking action prematurely, the Quran praises a swift, purposeful surge toward divine pleasure. It highlights how the prophets and foremost believers raced to obey divine commands, spurred on by hope, reverent fear, and deep humility. Cultivating this spirit transforms worship from a sluggish obligation into an eager pursuit of everlasting reward.

Key verses

1. Al-Anbiya 21:90: The paper explains that Zakariyya and his household were granted their prayers because their habit was to race eagerly into all good deeds while calling upon Allah in hope and reverence.
2. Ali 'Imran 3:133: The paper notes that this ayah directly commands believers to hasten toward their Lord's forgiveness and a paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, encompassing all acts of obedience and repentance.
3. Al-Mu'minun 23:61: The paper highlights this verse as high praise for true believers, who perform righteous deeds while trembling in fear of falling short, thereby outstripping all others to divine reward.
4. Al-Hadid 57:21: The paper shows that the command to outrace one another to forgiveness and paradise requires believers to exert their utmost effort in good deeds before opportunities vanish.
5. Al-Waqi'ah 56:10: The paper explains that those who are foremost in racing to obedience in this world will be the foremost brought near to Allah's mercy and everlasting honor in the Hereafter.

Words to know

المسارعة `al-musara'ah`

Initiating acts of obedience promptly, striving to outstrip others in them, and performing them without sluggishness or delay.

Appears 23 times in the Quran.

Most common forms: سَرِيع (10), يُسارِعُ (9), أَسْرَع (2), سِراع (2)

Root: س ر ع

المسابقة `al-musabaqah`

Rivalry and racing between two or more parties to outstrip one another and attain a higher rank or prize.

المبادرة `al-mubadarah`

Rushing into an action purely through self-driven inner initiative to accomplish a noble goal.

المنافسة `al-munafasah`

Vigorous striving and noble contest between individuals to attain precious and elevated stations.

العجلة `al-'ajalah`

Seeking or undertaking something prematurely before its proper and fitting time.

Praiseworthy hastening

From the paper: «أولًا: المسارعة الممدوحة»

Praised hastening is the eager initiative to perform every act pleasing to Allah to attain His reward, inner peace, and divine nearness. Believers approach this in distinct ways: worshipers race with their feet through physical acts of obedience, the spiritually discerning race with high spiritual resolves, and the repentant race with regret, drinking the sorrow of past neglect.

The Quran portrays diverse avenues of praised hastening:

• Hastening into general righteous deeds: Allah directs believers to race toward good deeds Al-Baqarah 2:148. The Prophet exemplified this urgency, once rushing immediately after prayer to distribute leftover charity so it would not detain his heart. Previous prophets did the same: Ibrahim and Ismail surrendered swiftly to divine commands As-Saffat 37:102, Musa hastened toward Mount Sinai to seek Allah's pleasure Ta-Ha 20:83-84, and Zakariyya's household raced into all good deeds while calling upon Allah in hope and awe Al-Anbiya 21:89-90.
• Hastening to forgiveness and repentance: Allah calls believers to race toward a vast paradise Ali 'Imran 3:133 and to turn to Him promptly whenever they err Ali 'Imran 3:135. Scholars interpret this call as entering Islam, fulfilling obligatory duties, praying on time, sincerity, or repenting immediately from forbidden gains.
• Swift obedience to divine commands: Believers respond eagerly to calls for sacrifice, whether spending generously in prosperity and hardship Ali 'Imran 3:134, giving beyond basic needs Al-Baqarah 2:219, or offering life and wealth in Allah's cause At-Tawbah 9:111.
• Hastening to varied acts of worship: Simple everyday acts like removing harm from a pathway, speaking a kind word, or walking to congregational prayer serve as readily accessible avenues to race toward Allah's mercy An-Nisa 4:114.

Blameworthy hastening

From the paper: «ثانيًا: المسارعة المذمومة»

Blameworthy hastening is the reckless plunging into misdeeds and multiplying sins without fear of Allah's wrath. The Quran warns against three major manifestations:

• Hastening into disbelief: Allah comforted the Prophet not to grieve over those who rushed headlong into rejection of faith or sided with its enemies Ali 'Imran 3:176, Al-Ma'idah 5:41. Their rapid descent into rebellion cannot harm Allah in the least Ali 'Imran 3:177. Allah lets them persist in delusion only to increase their burden Ali 'Imran 3:178, and He is swift in holding deniers to account Ali 'Imran 3:19.
• Hastening into sin and aggression: The Quran denounces groups among the People of the Book who raced one another into dishonesty, illicit consumption, and overstepping bounds Al-Ma'idah 5:62-63. Though hastening usually applies to good deeds, it is used here because they pursued evil with the eagerness of people imagining they were doing good. The text places severe blame on religious scholars who observed this rush into sin yet remained silent, failing to command good and forbid evil Al-Ma'idah 5:79, which corrupted their community.
• Hastening into hypocrisy: Hypocrites whose hearts harbor doubt and weakness rush into alliances with enemies of the faith Al-Ma'idah 5:51, Al-Ma'idah 5:52. Driven by fear of shifting worldly fortunes, they seek protection from adversaries, failing to trust that Allah will grant ultimate victory and clarity to the believers, leaving the schemers in deep regret.

Status and attributes of those who hasten to good deeds

From the paper: «مقام المسارعين في الخيرات وصفاتهم»

Those who race to good deeds occupy an elevated station. Their records are preserved in the heights of 'Illiyyun and witnessed by angels brought near Al-Mutaffifin 83:18-21. As the foremost in obedience, they are the foremost brought near in gardens of bliss Al-Waqi'ah 56:10-12, settled in an eternal home where neither bodily weariness nor mental fatigue touches them Fatir 35:35.

The Quran details their distinctive inner and outer qualities:

• Righteousness and devotion: They stand firm in night prayers, recite Allah's words, believe firmly in the Last Day, and urge good while checking evil Ali 'Imran 3:113-114.
• Reverence and fear: Their rush to virtue is balanced with awe, trembling before Allah's majesty Al-Anbiya 21:90, Al-Mu'minun 23:57-59.
• Fear that deeds might not be accepted: Despite praying, fasting, and giving charity, their hearts remain anxious Al-Mu'minun 23:60-61. They feel small beside Allah's boundless blessings and dread meeting Him having fallen short.
• Generosity and forgiveness: They spend under both ease and hardship, swallow their anger, and overlook offenses Ali 'Imran 3:134, Ash-Shura 42:37.
• Prompt repentance: When they stumble, they remember Allah immediately and turn back without persisting in sin Ali 'Imran 3:135.
• Seizing divine treasures: They fill their moments with remembrance, praise, and glorification Fatir 35:34.
• Prioritizing obligations and recommended acts: They avoid the forbidden and questionable, ranking among the foremost who inherit the Book Fatir 35:32.
• High resolve and vigilance: Worldly business never distracts them from prayer An-Nur 24:37, Al-Mutaffifin 83:26. They constantly guard their hearts and feel Allah's watchful gaze in private and public, earning the promise of two gardens Al-Mu'minun 23:60, Ar-Rahman 55:46-47.

Reward of those who hasten to good deeds

From the paper: «ثواب المسارعين في الخيرات»

Because earthly life consists of counted breaths and fleeting hours, those who hasten to good deeds receive immense rewards in both worlds Al-Mu'minun 23:10, Ali 'Imran 3:115. Allah never discounts their efforts, and He is swift in calculating their recompense Ali 'Imran 3:199, Ibrahim 14:51.

In this life, their reward includes:

• Inner peace, guidance, and happiness through divine nearness Al-Hadid 57:21, Ali 'Imran 3:133, Al-Mu'minun 23:61.
• Comprehensive forgiveness that erases offenses and purifies the heart Ali 'Imran 3:136, Az-Zumar 39:53.
• Divine support, victory over trials, and varied earthly blessings such as provision, dignity, and righteous offspring As-Saff 61:13, At-Tawbah 9:88.
• Answered prayers, steadfastness upon the straight path, and protection from misguidance Ali 'Imran 3:8, Ali 'Imran 3:107, An-Nisa 4:175.

In the Hereafter, their reward surpasses imagination:

• Eternal gardens beneath which rivers flow, paired with dwelling places of purity and peace At-Tawbah 9:72, Al-Baqarah 2:25, Al-An'am 6:141, Ali 'Imran 3:136.
• Entry into a paradise whose breadth equals the heavens and the earth, granted through divine grace Al-Hadid 57:21, At-Tawbah 9:89.
• Joy in the ultimate luxury, wearing silk and gold bracelets, resting upon adorned couches, and drinking from pure sealed springs mixed with Tasnim Fatir 35:33, Al-Kahf 18:31, Al-Mutaffifin 83:22-28.
• Attaining the rank of the foremost brought near, whose radiance illuminates those below them, inheriting the highest expanse of Firdaws forever As-Saffat 37:61, Al-Waqi'ah 56:7-11, Al-Mu'minun 23:10-11.

Takeaways

1. Seize the moment before conditions shift

   Opportunities to do good are brief and easily lost to changing health, finances, or unforeseen distractions. Take immediate initiative whenever a virtuous deed presents itself, rather than postponing it to an uncertain future.

2. Turn back to Allah the instant you slip

   Repentance should never be delayed. True believers hasten to seek Allah's forgiveness immediately after an error, pairing their regret with renewed obedience to clear away sins before they take root.

3. Balance hard work with humble concern

   Racing to complete acts of worship should never produce self-satisfaction. Strive with your utmost energy in charity, prayer, and kindness, while keeping a humble heart that hopes for divine grace and fears falling short.

4. Never underestimate small acts of good

   Hastening to Allah is not limited to monumental feats. Simple everyday actions like removing an obstacle from a walkway, offering a warm and kind word, or comforting someone in need can secure vast divine forgiveness.

Reflect

• What is one act of obedience or charity you have been postponing that you can complete today?
• When you commit a mistake, do you rush toward repentance immediately, or do you find yourself waiting?
• In what ways can you cultivate a sense of awe and humility alongside your regular prayers and good deeds?
• Are there worldly distractions in your daily routine that currently hold you back from competing for the Hereafter?

Go deeper

Linguistic meaning

Derived from the root letters sin-ra-ayn, which denotes the exact opposite of slowness or sluggishness. It indicates promptness, lightness of movement, and stepping forward ahead of others.

Technical meaning

Taking prompt initiative in acts of obedience, racing toward them, and executing them expeditiously without sluggishness, hesitation, or procrastination.

How it differs from related terms

المسابقة Outracing

Outracing occurs when a person strives against an external peer to reach a visible goal first. Hastening is a higher inner stage where an individual exerts maximum speed and energy out of a personal sense of duty and fear of running out of time, regardless of whether a competitor is present.

المبادرة Initiative

Initiative must spring exclusively from an internal, self-driven motivation after sound moral discernment. Hastening represents an energetic push toward an action that may arise from personal drive or external competition.

المنافسة Noble competition

Noble competition can be both visible and hidden, centering on an intense inner drive to match or surpass virtuous people to reach lofty stations. Hastening is predominantly outward and visible in swiftly executing the deed itself.

العجلة Premature haste

Premature haste is blameworthy because it means rushing to undertake something before its proper or fitting time, and its opposite is commendable deliberation. Hastening is praised because it means moving forward swiftly in matters where one ought to advance without delay, and its opposite is blameworthy sluggishness.

Every verse in the paper

All 82 verses the research paper discusses, grouped under its own headings.

Hastening in Quranic usage «المسارعة في الاستعمال القرآني»

21:90, 3:133, 6:62, 2:202

Types of hastening «أنواع المسارعة»

Praiseworthy hastening «أولًا: المسارعة الممدوحة»

2:148, 37:102, 20:83-84, 21:89-90, 23:61, 57:21, 3:133, 3:135, 3:31, 3:134, 2:219, 9:111, 4:114

Blameworthy hastening «ثانيًا: المسارعة المذمومة»

3:176, 5:41, 3:178, 3:177, 3:19, 5:62-63, 3:114, 23:56, 5:64, 5:79, 5:51, 5:52

Status and attributes of those who hasten to good deeds «مقام المسارعين في الخيرات وصفاتهم»

Status of those who hasten to good deeds «أولًا: مقام المسارعين في الخيرات»

83:18-21, 56:10-12, 35:35

Attributes of those who hasten to good deeds «ثانيًا: صفات المسارعين في الخيرات»

3:113-114, 3:18, 2:40, 25:64, 21:90, 23:57-59, 23:60-61, 3:134, 42:37, 3:135, 35:34, 35:32, 24:37, 83:26, 55:46-47

Reward of those who hasten to good deeds «ثواب المسارعين في الخيرات»

23:10, 3:115, 2:158, 3:199, 14:51

Worldly reward for those who hasten to good deeds «أولًا: ثواب المسارعين في الخيرات في الدنيا»

57:21, 3:133, 23:61, 56:10, 3:136, 39:53, 61:13, 9:88, 3:8, 3:107, 4:175

Hereafter reward for those who hasten to good deeds «ثانيًا: ثواب المسارعين في الخيرات في الآخرة»

9:72, 2:25, 6:141, 3:136, 57:21, 9:89, 35:33, 18:31, 83:22-28, 37:61, 56:7-11, 23:10-11

About this source

Volume

16

Research paper

«المسارعة» (Hastening)

Read the full paper (Arabic)

Encyclopedia of Thematic Tafsir of the Noble Quran, published by the Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

This study guide summarizes the Arabic research paper. For full scholarly detail, refer to the original. This preview has not been reviewed yet.

Related topics

• Paradise الجنة
• Goodness الخير
• Worship العبادة
• Vying in Good المسابقة