Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:37

(Haste) is the seeking of a thing and the pursuit of it before its time. The term "man" refers to the entire human species. Due to his excessive haste and lack of patience, he is rendered as if he were created from the very essence of haste, treating that which is ingrained in his temperament as if it were part of his physical limbs, signifying how inseparable and inherent it is to him.

Abu Amr, Abu Ubaydah, and Qutrub stated: There is a reversal here, and the intended meaning is "Haste was created from man," in the sense that it was made one of his natural traits and temperaments due to its adherence to him. Abdullah read it in this manner, but this reversal is not accepted. Such phrasing is common in their speech when intending hyperbole; they say to one who is constantly playing, "You are made of play." Similar to this is the saying: "And I am indeed among those who, when a ram is struck on its head, the tongue falls from the mouth."

It is said that "man" refers to al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, as the verse was revealed concerning him when he sought the punishment in haste, saying: "O Allah, if this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down..." and so on.

Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Ikrimah, al-Suddi, al-Dahhak, Muqatil, and al-Kalbi said: The intended meaning is Adam, peace be upon him; he wished to stand up before the soul had finished being blown into him and reached his feet. It is said that Allah created him at the end of the day on Friday, and when the soul reached his eyes and tongue—before it reached his lower parts—he said: "O Lord, hasten my creation before the sun sets." This is narrated from Mujahid.

It is also said that it means he was created with speed, without the gradual process used for his descendants, noting this to explain that his creation in such a manner is one of the causes of his haste in all matters. The most evident view is that it refers to the species, even if his creation, peace be upon him, and its implications extend to his children. What was mentioned regarding the reason for revelation does not contradict this, as is clear.

It is said that al-'ajal (the haste) means "mud" in the dialect of Himyar. Abu Ubaydah cited a line of poetry as evidence for this: "The nab' (a tree) in the solid rock is its growth, and the palm tree, its growth is in water and mud (al-'ajal)." This was objected to on the grounds that this meaning has no relevance here.

Al-Tibi said: The intention is to belittle the status of the human species, completing the meaning of the threat in His saying, "I will show you My signs, so do not ask Me to hasten them."

The primary view is the first one. The address is to the disbelieving ones who seek haste. "His signs" refers to His divine punishments, and "showing them" refers to His inflicting them upon them. This showing takes place in the Hereafter, as indicated by what follows, though some say it refers to both this world and the Hereafter. The prohibition against their seeking to hasten Him in bringing them about, despite their souls being naturally inclined toward haste, is intended to restrain them from what their souls desire. This is not "imposing a burden beyond one's capacity," because Allah has given them the means through which they are able to restrain the soul from its impulses; this prohibition essentially returns to a command to practice patience.

Mujahid, Humayd, and Ibn Miqsam read khalaqa al-insana with khalaqa in the active voice and al-insana in the accusative.