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Surah Al-A’raf, Verse 34

سورة الأعراف، الآية ٣٤

7:34 Juz 8 Hizb 16 Page 154 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 7:34

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ ۝٣٤

Transliteration

walikulli ummatin ajalun fa-idhā jāa ajaluhum lā yastakhirūna sāʿatan walā yastaqdimūna

Translation

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].

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 34 of Surah Al-A’raf (7:34), a Meccan surah, is in juz 8, on page 154 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.

Listen to verse 34 of Surah Al-A’raf

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Tafsir of verse 34

Al-Mukhtasar

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 of the whole Surah Al-A’raf

Other translations of verse 34

Each nation has its appointed time. When their appointed time comes, they cannot delay it for a moment or bring it forward.

And every nation has its appointed term; when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).

And every nation hath its term, and when its term cometh, they cannot put it off an hour nor yet advance (it).

To every people is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation).

And for every nation there is a doom, so when their doom is come they shall not remain behind the least while, nor shall they go before.

And to every nation (there is) a term; so when their term comes, they will not (be able to) postpone (it) by a (single) hour, nor will they put (it) forward.

Verse 34 word by word

  1. وَلِكُلِّ walikulli And for every ك ل ل
  2. أُمَّةٍ ummatin nation أ م م
  3. أَجَلٌ ajalun (is a fixed) term أ ج ل
  4. فَإِذَا fa-idhā So when
  5. جَآءَ jāa comes ج ي أ
  6. أَجَلُهُمْ ajaluhum their term أ ج ل
  7. لَا lā (they can) not
  8. يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ yastakhirūna seek to delay أ خ ر
  9. سَاعَةً sāʿatan an hour س و ع
  10. وَلَا walā and not
  11. يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ yastaqdimūna seek to advance (it) ق د م

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2663d

0 Allah, enable me to derive benefit from my husband, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and from my father Abu Sufyan, and from my brother Mu'awiya. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to her: Verily, you have asked Allah about the durations of life already set, and the steps which you would take, and the sustenances…

اللَّهُمَّ مَتِّعْنِي بِزَوْجِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبِأَبِي أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَبِأَخِي مُعَاوِيَةَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنَّكِ سَأَلْتِ اللَّهَ لآجَالٍ مَضْرُوبَةٍ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 2 other versions

Verses related to verse 34

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Al-Hajj 22:30–31

    ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلرِّجْسَ مِنَ ٱلْأَوْثَٰنِ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ قَوْلَ ٱلزُّورِ …

    That [has been commanded], and whoever honors the sacred ordinances of Allāh - it is best for him in the sight of his Lord. And permitted to you are the grazing livestock, except what is recited to you. So avoid the uncleanliness of idols and avoid false statement, …

  • Yunus 10:69–70

    قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ …

    Say, "Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allāh will not succeed." …

  • Luqman 31:23–24

    وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُۥٓ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ …

    And whoever has disbelieved - let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We will inform them of what they did. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts. …

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • An-Nahl 16:61

    وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

    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].

  • Yunus 10:49

    قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

    Say, "I possess not for myself any harm or benefit except what Allāh should will. For every nation is a [specified] term. When their time has come, then they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it]."

All similar verses of Surah Al-A’raf

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