Surah An-Nahl 16:61 — translation and meaning

النحل · Verse 61 / 128 · Page 273

ۖ ۖ وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

Word by Word

ۖ
ۖ
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
يُؤَاخِذُ
yuakhidhu
Allah were to seize
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah were to seize
النَّاسَ
al-nasa
the mankind
بِظُلْمِهِم
bizul'mihim
for their wrongdoing
مَّا
ma
not
تَرَكَ
taraka
He (would) have left
عَلَيْهَا
alayha
upon it
مِن
min
any
دَابَّةٍ
dabbatin
moving creature
وَلَكِن
walakin
but
يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ
yu-akhiruhum
He defers them
إِلَى
ila
for
أَجَلٍ
ajalin
a term
مُّسَمًّى
musamman
appointed
فَإِذَا
fa-idha
Then when
جَاءَ
jaa
comes
أَجَلُهُمْ
ajaluhum
their terms
لَا
la
not
يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
yastakhiruna
they (will) remain behind
سَاعَةً
sa'atan
an hour
وَلَا
wala
and not
يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
yastaqdimuna
they can advance (it)

Transliteration

Wa law yu'aakhizul laahun naasa bizulminhim maa taraka 'alaihaa min daaabbatinw wa laakiny yu'akhkhiruhum ilaaa ajalim musamman fa izaa jaaa'a ajaluhum laa yastaakhiroona saa'atanw wa laa yastaqdimoon

Translation

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon 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].

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

If Allah, may He be glorified, were to punish mankind for their injustices and for their rejection of Him, He would not leave on earth a single human being or animal that walks on its surface. But He, may He be glorified, postpones them until a time that is fixed in His knowledge. Then, when that time that is fixed in His knowledge comes, they will not delay it nor will they advance it for even a short while.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

100% Free App

Join 50,000+ Muslims

Download for free and never miss a prayer again