Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 34
Quran 7:34 · The Heights · Makki · Para 8 · Page 154
وَلِكُلِّ اُمَّةٍ اَجَلٌ ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُهُمْ لَا یَسْتَاْخِرُوْنَ سَاعَةً وَّلَا یَسْتَقْدِمُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Walikulli ommatin ajalun fa-itha jaaajaluhum la yasta/khiroona saAAatan walayastaqdimoon
Saheeh International
And for every nation is a [specified] term. So when their time has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
Every generation and people are given a fixed time. If their decreed time arrives, they cannot delay it, even by a small amount, and they cannot advance it.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 7:34–7:36
And every Ummah has its appointed term; when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)(34)O Children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you, reciting to you My Ayat, then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve (35)But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance, they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever (36)
Allah said,
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
(And every Ummah has), meaning, each generation and nation,
أَجَلٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ
(its appointed term; when their term comes) which they were destined for,
لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
(neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)).
Allah then warned the Children of Adam that He sent to them Messengers who conveyed to them His Ayat. Allah also conveyed good news, as well as warning,
فَمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأَصْلَحَ
(then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous) by abandoning the prohibitions and performing acts of obedience,
فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا عَنْهَا
(on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance,) meaning, their hearts denied the Ayat and they were too arrogant to abide by them,
أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
(they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.) without end to their dwelling in it.