They impatiently urge you to bring about evil before good,628 while there has already occurred before them similar punishments [to what they demand]. And indeed, your Lord is the possessor of forgiveness for the people despite their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is severe in penalty.
Notes
[628] They said, challenging the Prophet (ﷺ) in ridicule, "Bring on the punishment, if you are truthful," rather than asking for mercy and forgiveness from Allāh.
Verse 6 of Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:6), a Medinan surah, is in juz 13, on page 250 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 6
Al-Mukhtasar
The idolaters ask you, O Messenger, to bring on the punishment and they enquire as to why it is taking so long to come on them before they completely enjoy the favours that Allah has decreed for them. Many such punishments have come before on people like them from the nations who disbelieved. Why do they not take a lesson from them? Your Lord, O Messenger, is one who pardons people despite their wrongdoing. He, therefore, does not rush to take retribution from them giving them a chance to repent to Allah. He is truly severe in punishing those who persist in their denial if they do not repent.
They ask you [O Prophet] to hasten the punishment before the good3, even though there have already been similar punishments before them. But your Lord is indeed forgiving to people despite their wrongdoing, and your Lord is indeed severe in punishment.
Notes
[3] This shows the utter disregard towards the Message.
They ask you to hasten the evil before the good, while (many) exemplary punishments have indeed occurred before them. But verily, your Lord is full of Forgiveness for mankind in spite of their wrong-doing. And verily, your Lord is (also) Severe in punishment.
And they bid thee hasten on the evil rather than the good, when exemplary punishments have indeed occurred before them. But lo! thy Lord is rich in pardon for mankind despite their wrong, and lo! thy Lord is strong in punishment.
They ask thee to hasten on the evil in preference to the good: Yet have come to pass, before them, (many) exemplary punishments! But verily thy Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind for their wrong-doing, and verily thy Lord is (also) strict in punishment.
And they ask you to hasten on the evil before the good, and indeed there have been exemplary punishments before them; and most surely your Lord is the Lord of forgiveness to people, notwithstanding their injustice; and most surely your Lord is severe in requiting (evil).
And they would have you hasten the odious before the fair, and there have already passed away even before them exemplary (punishments). And surely your Lord is indeed The Owner of forgiveness to mankind for all their injustice, and surely your Lord is indeed strict in punishment.
Verse 6 word by word
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَwayastaʿjilūnakaAnd they ask you to hastenع ج ل
Those who do not believe in it are impatient for it, but those who believe are fearful of it and know that it is the truth. Unquestionably, those who dispute concerning the Hour are in extreme error.
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."
And if Allāh were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon it [i.e., the earth] any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allāh has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.
