Surah An-Nahl (النحل) • The Bee

Quran 16:61

16:61

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ 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

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].

— Saheeh International

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.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

And if Allâh were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 14Page 273meccan

Word by Word

وَلَوْwalawAnd if
يُؤَاخِذُyuākhidhuAllah were to seize
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah were to seize
ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsathe mankind
بِظُلْمِهِمbiẓul'mihimfor their wrongdoing
مَّاmānot
تَرَكَtarakaHe (would) have left
عَلَيْهَاʿalayhāupon it
مِنminany
دَآبَّةٍۢdābbatinmoving creature
وَلَـٰكِنwalākinbut
يُؤَخِّرُهُمْyu-akhiruhumHe defers them
إِلَىٰٓilāfor
أَجَلٍۢajalina term
مُّسَمًّۭىۖmusammanappointed
فَإِذَاfa-idhāThen when
جَآءَjāacomes
أَجَلُهُمْajaluhumtheir terms
لَاlānot
يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَyastakhirūnathey (will) remain behind
سَاعَةًۭۖsāʿatanan hour
وَلَاwalāand not
يَسْتَقْدِمُونَyastaqdimūnathey can advance (it)