Surah 21

Surah 21:37

"The human was created out of haste. I shall show you My signs, so do not ask Me to hasten (them)."
How the Idolators mocked the Prophet Verses 21:36-37
Show Full Scripture Context (21:36-37) — 2 Verses
Verse 36

وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي يَذۡكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمۡ وَهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ هُمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ

When those who disbelieve see you, they take you only in mockery: ‘Is this the one who makes mention of your gods?’ Yet they (become) disbelievers at any mention of the Merciful.

Verse 37

خُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مِنۡ عَجَلٖۚ سَأُوْرِيكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِي فَلَا تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ

The human was created out of haste. I shall show you My signs, so do not ask Me to hasten (them).

Allah tells His Prophet:

Quoted Scripture
"And when those who disbelieved see you,"

meaning, the disbelievers of the Quraysh, such as Abu Jahl and his like.

Quoted Scripture
"they take you not except for mockery"

means, they make fun of you and insult you, saying,

{"Is this the one who talks about your gods?"} meaning, is this the one who insults your gods and ridicules your intelligence? Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious."

meaning, they disbelieve in Allah and yet they mock the Messenger of Allah. As Allah says:

{And when they see you, they treat you only in mockery (saying): "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger? He would have nearly misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were patient and constant in their worship!" And they will know, when they see the torment, who it is that is most astray from the path!} [25:41-42]

{Mati is created of haste.} This is like the Ayah:

{and man is ever hasty} [17:11], in all matters. The reason why the haste of man is mentioned here is that when mention is made of those who mock the Messenger, (the believers) will want to avenge them swiftly, and that so should happen sooner. Allah says,

{Man is created of haste.} because He delays (the punishment) until a time when, once He seizes him, He will never let him go. He delays it, then He hastens it; He waits, then He does not delay any longer. So He says:

Quoted Scripture
"I will show you My Ay at. So ask Me not to hasten (them)."

meaning, ‘My vengeance and My punishment of those who oppose Me and disbelieve in My Messengers.’

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.