An-Naml 27:72
The Ant · Juz 20 · Page 383
قُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعۡضُ ٱلَّذِي تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ٧٢
Say, "Perhaps it is close behind you [i.e., very near] - some of that for which you are impatient.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 27:71–75
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَدِقِينَ
(And they say: "When (will) this promise (be fulfilled), if you are truthful") Allah said, responding to them:
قُلْ
(Say) `O Muhammad,'
عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعْضُ الَّذِى تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
(Perhaps that which you wish to hasten on, may be close behind you.) Ibn `Abbas said, "That which you wish to hasten on has come close to you, or some of it has come close." This was also the view of Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata Al-Khurasani, Qatadah and As-Suddi. This is also what is meant in the Ayat:
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ قُلْ عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا
(And they say: "When will that be" Say: "Perhaps it is near!") (17:51)
يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَفِرِينَ
(They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers) (29:54).
عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم
(may be close behind you.) means, it is being hastened for you. This was reported from Mujahid. Then Allah says:
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ
(Verily, your Lord is full of grace for mankind,) meaning, He abundantly bestows His blessings on them even though they wrong themselves, yet despite that they do not give thanks for those blessings, except for a few of them.
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ
(And verily, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they reveal.) means, He knows what is hidden in their hearts just as He knows what is easily visible.
سَوَآءٌ مِّنْكُمْ مَّنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ
(It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly) (13:10),
يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى
(He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden) (20: 7),
أَلا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ
(Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal) (11:5). Then Allah tells us that He is the Knower of the unseen in the heavens and on earth, and that He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, i.e., that which is unseen by His servants and that which they can see. And Allah says:
وَمَا مِنْ غَآئِبَةٍ
(and there is nothing hidden) Ibn `Abbas said, "This means, there is nothing
فِى السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَبٍ مُّبِينٍ
(in the heaven and the earth but it is in a Clear Book.) This is like the Ayah,
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّ ذلِكَ فِى كِتَبٍ إِنَّ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
(Know you not that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth Verily, it is (all) in the Book. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) (22:70)
Page 383
27:64
أَمَّن يَبۡدَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ وَمَن يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَٰنَكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٦٤
Is He [not best] who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allāh? Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."
27:65
قُل لَّا يَعۡلَمُ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۚ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٦٥
Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allāh, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."
27:66
بَلِ ٱدَّٰرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهَاۖ بَلۡ هُم مِّنۡهَا عَمُونَ ٦٦
Rather, their knowledge is arrested concerning the Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are, concerning it, blind.
27:67
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَٰبٗا وَءَابَآؤُنَآ أَئِنَّا لَمُخۡرَجُونَ ٦٧
And those who disbelieve say, "When we have become dust as well as our forefathers, will we indeed be brought out [of the graves]?
27:68
لَقَدۡ وُعِدۡنَا هَٰذَا نَحۡنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبۡلُ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٦٨
We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before. This is not but legends of the former peoples."
27:69
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٦٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Proceed [i.e., travel] through the land and observe how was the end of the criminals."
27:70
وَلَا تَحۡزَنۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا تَكُن فِي ضَيۡقٖ مِّمَّا يَمۡكُرُونَ ٧٠
And grieve not over them or be in distress from what they conspire.
27:71
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٧١
And they say, "When is [the fulfillment of] this promise, if you should be truthful?"
27:72
قُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعۡضُ ٱلَّذِي تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ٧٢
Say, "Perhaps it is close behind you [i.e., very near] - some of that for which you are impatient.
27:73
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٣
And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of them are not grateful."
27:74
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمۡ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَ ٧٤
And indeed, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they declare.
27:75
وَمَا مِنۡ غَآئِبَةٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٍ ٧٥
And there is nothing concealed1 within the heaven and the earth except that it is in a clear Register.2
27:76
إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلَّذِي هُمۡ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٧٦
Indeed, this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy