And if We hold back from them the punishment for a limited time, they will surely say,549 "What detains it?" Unquestionably, on the Day it comes to them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Verse 8 of Surah Hud (11:8), a Meccan surah, is in juz 12, on page 222 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 8
Al-Mukhtasar
If I postpone the punishment that the idolaters deserve in this world for a period of a few days, they will attempt to mock the punishment by asking for it to come quickly, by saying, ‘What is it that is holding the punishment back from us?’ Of course, the punishment that they deserve has a fixed time with Allah, and on the day when it comes to them they will not find anyone to avert it from them. Instead, the punishment that they used to poke fun at by asking for it to come quickly will fall upon them and surround them.
If We delay their punishment for a limited time, they will surely say5, “What is holding it back?” Indeed, the day when it comes upon them, it will not be averted from them, and they will be encompassed by what they used to ridicule.
Notes
[5] In ridicule and disbelief.
And if We delay the torment for them till a determined term, they are sure to say, "What keeps it back?" Verily, on the day it reaches them, nothing will turn it away from them, and they will be surrounded by (or fall in) that at which they used to mock!
And if We delay for them the doom until a reckoned time, they will surely say: What withholdeth it? Verily on the day when it cometh unto them, it cannot be averted from them, and that which they derided will surround them.
If We delay the penalty for them for a definite term, they are sure to say, "What keeps it back?" Ah! On the day it (actually) reaches them, nothing will turn it away from them, and they will be completely encircled by that which they used to mock at!
And if We hold back from them the punishment until a stated period of time, they will certainly say: What prevents it? Now surely on the day when it will come to them, it shall not be averted from them and that which they scoffed at shall beset them.
And indeed in case We defer the torment from them till an (already) fixed round, (Literally: already numbered nation) indeed they will definitely say, "What is detaining it?" Verily, the day it will come up to them, it will not be turned about from them, and whatever they used to mock at will redound on them.
Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allāh, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allāh.
And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following."
And when he came to the water [i.e., well] of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women holding back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers.
And when their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they [merely] rejoiced in what they had of knowledge, but they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
And We had certainly established them in such as We have not established you, and We made for them hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]. But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continually] rejecting the signs of Allāh; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
