The Holy Quran 7:34 — Surah Al-A'raf

Arabic text

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

Translation

There is a fixed (promised) term (period) for every nation (after which they will be no more). When (the end of) their term arrives, they will neither be able to delay it a moment nor advance it.

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

A doubt and its answer: “Outwardly a doubt arises: when the promised time has arrived, a delay was rationally possible, so negating it was necessary; but advancing [the term] is not rationally possible at all, so what is the point of negating it? Because of this doubt some commentators have taken لَا يَسْتَقْدِمُوْنَ (“nor can they advance it”)

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