The Atheists try to hasten the punishment against which the Prophet Muhammad warns them. Sarcastically, they say, ‘When will this promise of resurrection and chastisement be fulfilled, if you are truthful O Muhammad?
The Quran says that 1) Man is a creature of haste; he is so hasty in his affairs and 2) Verily, messengers before you O Muhammad were derided but those who mocked them were encircled by the chastisement, which they used to deride; likewise, it shall befall those who have derided you.
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The Arabs at the time of the Prophet Muhammad were one of two:
The unbelievers deny the existence of One God and they used to worship many idols as gods
The Atheists who deny the existence of any god
Both groups deny the Resuscitation, the Day of Judgment and the Afterlife
They deny the very existence of Allah, the Most Merciful, who has created the universe and set the rules that operate in it and sustain its existence.
Herein, a likely dispute is expected.
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad speaks out against their deities, showing such inanimate idols to be useless.
On the other hand, The Atheists and unbelievers rudely deny Allah and they hurl abuse and mockery at Allah’s Messenger, saying that it is unacceptable that he should criticize their idol worship. They find nothing wrong with the arrogance that leads them to
Deny Allah’s existence,
Deny Allah’s Messenger and
Reject Allah’s revelation, the Quran.
The sarcasm of their attitude exposes to the full the far- reaching corruption that affects their nature and impairs their judgment.
Whenever they see you O Muhammad, they take you in derision and pick you out for mockery
What is more stupid of them?
They try to hasten the punishment against which the Prophet warns them.
They say, ‘When will this promise of resurrection and chastisement be fulfilled, if you are truthful O Muhammad?
Man is a creature of haste; he is so hasty in his affairs
Haste is present in man’s very nature and constitution.
He always stretches his eyes to what lies ahead, beyond the present moment, aiming to grasp it with his own hand. He wants to achieve, the moment it flashes in his mind, all that seems desirable. He wants to see all that is promised to him, even though it may be to his damage. Such is man’s nature, unless he establishes a firm relationship with Allah, which gives him strength and reassurance. He will then trust to Allah’s wisdom, leaving His will to run its course without hastening events. For faith combines trust with patience and reassurance.
Those unbelievers hastened Allah’s punishment, wondering when the promise of punishment in the hereafter, as well as in this life, would be fulfilled.
The Quran paints here for them a scene of the suffering in the hereafter, while also warning them against a similar punishment to that which befell earlier communities, which rejected the faith
If the unbelievers only knew what shall happen to them:
They would change their attitude completely.
They would stop their mockery and hastening of what is bound to come.
Let them, then, see what is bound to come.
There, the fire surrounds them on all sides.
Nay, but it, the Resurrection, shall come upon them suddenly, dumbfounding them, confusing them, and they shall not be able to ward it off, nor shall they be granted any respite, [nor shall they] be given any [extra] time to make a repentance or offer an excuse.
We envisage their agitated movements, described implicitly in the verse, to protect their faces and their backs against the fire, but their attempt is useless. It is as if the fire engulfs them on all sides. They can neither keep it away from themselves, nor retreat to seek protection. Nor is even a short respite from it possible.
That the punishment comes suddenly is only the response for their hastening it.
Sarcastically, they used to say time after time:
“When is this promise to be fulfilled, if what you say be true?”
The answer is that it comes suddenly, perplexing their minds and paralyzing their will. Thus, they are unable to think or act. This applies to the punishment in the hereafter.
Moreover, verily messengers before you were derided but those who mocked them were encircled by the chastisement, which they used to deride; likewise, it shall befall those who have derided you.
As for this world’s punishment, it certainly befell communities before them, which ridiculed Allah’s messengers. Just as those communities were unable to ward off a punishment that wiped them out altogether, so these unbelievers are unable to avert their defeat and captivity. They are thus warned not to deride Allah’s Messenger, to avoid the punishment that befalls those who ridicule prophets. Such fate and punishment is bound to come, because it is part of Allah’s law, which will inevitably, take effect, just as the destruction of earlier communities, guilty of the same offence, proves.
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The verses 21:36-41in different translations:
QARIB:
36-When the unbelievers see you, they take you only for mockery, saying: ‘is this he who talks about your gods? ‘While they are unbelievers in the remembrance of the merciful.
37-The human was created of haste. Indeed, I will show you my signs; so do not ask me to hasten them.
38-They say: ‘if you are truthful, when will this promise come? ‘
39-If the unbelievers only knew when they will be unable to shield either their faces or their backs from the fire; when they will not be helped!
40-It will overtake them suddenly, dumbfounding them. they shall be unable to ward it off, and they shall not be respited.
41-Before you, other messengers were mocked, but the mockers were encompassed by the very thing they mocked.
SHAKIR:
36-And when those who disbelieve see you, they do not take you but for one to be scoffed at: is this he who speaks of your gods? and they are deniers at the mention of the beneficent Allah
37-Man is created of haste; now will i show to you my signs, therefore do not ask me to hasten (them) on
38-And they say: when will this threat come to pass if you are truthful?
39-Had those who disbelieve but known (of the time) when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor shall they be helped
40-Nay, it shall come on them all of a sudden and cause them to become confounded, so they shall not have the power to avert it, nor shall they be respited
41-And certainly messengers before you were scoffed at, then there befell those of them who scoffed that at which they had scoffed
PICKTHAL:
36-And when those who disbelieve behold thee, they but choose thee out for mockery, (saying): is this he who maketh mention of your gods? and they would deny all mention of the beneficent.
37-Man is made of haste. I shall show you my portents, but ask me not to hasten.
38-And they say: when will this promise (be fulfilled), if ye are truthful?
39-If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to drive off the fire from their faces and from their backs, and they will not be helped!
40-Nay, but it will come upon them unawares so that it will stupefy them, and they will be unable to repel it, neither will they be reprieved.
41-Messengers before thee, indeed, were mocked, but that whereat they mocked surrounded those who scoffed at them.
YUSUFALI:
36-When the unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. “is this,” (they say), “the one who talks of your gods?” and they blaspheme at the mention of (Allah) most gracious!
37-Man is a creature of haste: soon (enough) will i show you my signs; then ye will not ask me to hasten them!
38-They say: “when will this promise come to pass, if ye are telling the truth?”
39-If only the unbelievers knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces, nor yet from their backs, and (when) no help can reach them!
40-Nay, it may come to them all of a sudden and confound them: no power will they have then to avert it, nor will they (then) get respite.
41-Mocked were (many) messenger before thee; but their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
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