hal yanẓurūna illā an tatiyahumu l-malāikatu aw yatiya amru rabbika kadhālika faʿala alladhīna min qablihim wamā ẓalamahumu l-lahu walākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūna
Translation
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
Verse 33 of Surah An-Nahl (16:33), a Meccan surah, is in juz 14, on page 270 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 33 of Surah An-Nahl
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Tafsir of verse 33
Al-Mukhtasar
Are these denying idolaters waiting for anything but the angel of death and his aides to come to take their souls and strike their faces and their backs, or for Allah’s command to come to eradicate them by means of a punishment in the world? Similar to those idolaters who came before who were destroyed because if their idolatry; so too the idolaters of Makkah may perhaps meet the same fate. Allah did not wrong them when He destroyed them but they wronged their own souls by bringing them to the point of destruction because of their disbelief in Allah.
Are [the disbelievers] waiting for the angels to come to them20 or for the command of your Lord to come21? Those who came before them did the same. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.
Notes
[20] To take their souls while they are unjust to themselves.
[21] To punish them in this worldly life.
Do they (the disbelievers and polytheists) await but that the angels should come to them [to take away their souls (at death)], or there should come the command (i.e. the torment or the Day of Resurrection) of your Lord? Thus did those before them. And Allâh wronged them not, but they used to wrong themselves.
Await they aught say that the angels should come unto them or thy Lord's command should come to pass? Even so did those before them. Allah wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves,
Do the (ungodly) wait until the angels come to them, or there comes the Command of thy Lord (for their doom)? So did those who went before them. But Allah wronged them not: nay, they wronged their own souls.
They do not wait aught but that the angels should come to them or that the commandment of your Lord should come to pass. Thus did those before them; and Allah was not unjust to them, but they were unjust to themselves.
Do they look for anything except that the Angels should come up to them or your Lord's Command should come up? Thus did the ones before them perform; and in no way did Allah do them an injustice, but to themselves they were doing an injustice.
Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allāh" and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], "Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. …
Allāh keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allāh sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allāh does what He wills.
Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, "Wait. Indeed, we [also] are waiting."
And those who associate others with Allāh say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything through other than Him." Thus did those do before them. So is there upon the messengers except [the duty of] clear notification?
And those before them denied, and they [i.e., the people of Makkah] have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they [i.e., the former peoples] denied My messengers, so how [terrible] was My reproach.
And to those who are Jews We have prohibited that which We related to you before. And We did not wrong them [thereby], but they were wronging themselves.
Do they await but that Allāh should come to them in covers of clouds and the angels [as well] and the matter is [then] decided? And to Allāh [all] matters are returned.
And We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you." And they wronged Us not - but they were [only] wronging themselves.
