Surah Ibrahim Tafseer

There will be no Respite after the Coming of the Torment

Allah said next to His Messenger,

وَأَنذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ

And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrongdoers will say:

Allah mentions what those who committed injustice against themselves will say when they witness the torment,

رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ

Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your call and follow the Messengers!

Allah said in other Ayat,

حَتَّى إِذَا جَأءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ

Until, when death comes to one of them, he says:"My Lord! Send me back." (23:99)

and,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاأَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَلُكُمْ

O you who believe! Let not your properties divert you. (63:9-10)

Allah described the condition of the wrongdoers on the Day of Gathering, when He said,

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواْ رُءُوسِهِمْ

And if you only could see when the criminals shall hang their heads. (32:12)

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا

If you could but see when they will be held over the Fire! They will say:"Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of Our Lord. .."! (6:27)

and,

وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا

Therein they will cry. (35:27)

Allah refuted their statement here,

أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُواْ أَقْسَمْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ

Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave.)

Allah says, `Had you not vowed before, that your previous state will not change, that there will be no Resurrection or Reckoning! Therefore, taste this torment because of what you vowed before.'

Mujahid commented that,

مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ

(that you would not leave),

refers to leaving this worldly life to the Hereafter.

Allah also said,

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ

And they swear by Allah with their strongest oaths, that Allah will not raise up him who dies. (16:38)

Allah said next,

وَسَكَنتُمْ فِي مَسَـاكِنِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ كَيْفَ فَعَلْنَا بِهِمْ وَضَرَبْنَا لَكُمُ الَامْثَالَ