Quran 16:61 — An-Nahl, verse 61
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
If God took people to task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on earth, but He reprieves them until an appointed time: when their time comes they cannot delay it for a moment nor can they bring it forward.
وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
walaw yuākhidhu l-lahu l-nāsa biẓul'mihim mā taraka ʿalayhā min dābbatin walākin yu-akhiruhum ilā ajalin musamman fa-idhā jāa ajaluhum lā yastakhirūna sāʿatan walā yastaqdimūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- If God should take men to task for their evildoing, He would not leave on the earth one creature that crawls; but He is deferring them to a term stated; and when their term is come they shall not put it back by a single hour nor put it forward.
- Muhammad Asad
- Now if God were to take men [immediately] to task for all the evil that they do [on earth], He would not leave a single living creature upon its face. However, He grants them respite until a term set [by Him]: but when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.
- Sahih International
- And if Allāh were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon it [i.e., the earth] any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 2 | يُؤَاخِذُyuākhidhu | Allah were to seize | أخذ |
| 3 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah were to seize | أله |
| 4 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | the mankind | نوس |
| 5 | بِظُلْمِهِمbiẓul'mihim | for their wrongdoing | ظلم |
| 6 | مَّاmā | not | — |
| 7 | تَرَكَtaraka | He (would) have left | ترك |
| 8 | عَلَيْهَاʿalayhā | upon it | — |
| 9 | مِنmin | any | — |
| 10 | دَآبَّةٍۢdābbatin | moving creature | دبب |
| 11 | وَلَـٰكِنwalākin | but | — |
| 12 | يُؤَخِّرُهُمْyu-akhiruhum | He defers them | أخر |
| 13 | إِلَىٰٓilā | for | — |
| 14 | أَجَلٍۢajalin | a term | أجل |
| 15 | مُّسَمًّۭى ۖmusamman | appointed | سمو |
| 16 | فَإِذَاfa-idhā | Then when | — |
| 17 | جَآءَjāa | comes | جيأ |
| 18 | أَجَلُهُمْajaluhum | their terms | أجل |
| 19 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 20 | يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَyastakhirūna | they (will) remain behind | أخر |
| 21 | سَاعَةًۭ ۖsāʿatan | an hour | سوع |
| 22 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 23 | يَسْتَقْدِمُونَyastaqdimūna | they can advance (it) | قدم |