Tafsir of At-Tariq 86:17

"So grant the disbelievers respite" — meaning, occupy yourself with [awaiting] retribution against them, and do not invoke destruction upon them; or, be patient and await retribution against them, and do not be hasty. The particle fa (so) signifies that what follows is a consequence of what preceded it, for the notification that Allah the Exalted is personally handling their schemes and will not neglect them necessitates leaving them alone and refraining from confronting their plots.

The explicit noun is used in place of the pronoun to condemn them with the 'father of all vices' and the 'mother of them' [i.e., their disbelief]. It is also said that this is to indicate the reason for the threat contained in the speech.

His saying, the Exalted, "grant them respite" (amhilhum) is a substitute (badal) for "grant respite" (mahhil), as explicitly stated in al-Irshad.

His saying, the Glorified, "a little while" (ruwaydan), is either an infinitive (masdar) emphasizing the meaning of the governing verb, or an adjective for a deleted infinitive [of the same root]—that is, "grant them a respite that is ruwaydan," meaning 'near' (as Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn Abbas) or 'little' (as narrated from Qatada). Ibn al-Mundhir narrated from al-Suddi that he said, "Meaning: grant them respite until I command you to fight." Perhaps this is what is intended by the 'near' or 'little' respite.

Some have chosen the interpretation that it refers to the Day of Resurrection, because what occurred after the command to fight—such as what took place at the Battle of Badr and other military expeditions—did not encompass them all, whereas what will happen on the Day of Resurrection will encompass them. The description of 'near' is based on the principle that everything that is coming is near, and likewise with 'little,' given that for whoever dies, their resurrection has begun. The apparent meaning is what al-Suddi said, for they were afflicted after the command to fight with what they were afflicted with, and the absence of absolute universality [in the previous battles] does not invalidate this.

Originally, as Abu Ubaydah stated, ruwaydan is the diminutive of rawd (with a damma). He cited the verse: "As if she were intoxicated, walking with a ward"—that is, slowly. Abu Hayyan and a group said it is the diminutive of irwad, an infinitive of rawada-yarudu, by truncation. It is a diminutive of belittlement and reduction. In usage, it has two other possibilities: being a verbal noun (like rayda Zaydan, meaning 'give Zayd respite'), or being a state/adverb (like sara al-qawmu ruwaydan, meaning 'the people traveled slowly, without haste').

No one mentioned the possibility of it being a verbal noun here, and Ibn al-Shaykh explicitly stated it does not apply, arguing that all commands are of the same meaning—as if it were said: 'Grant the disbelievers respite, grant them respite, grant them respite.' He argued that the benefit of emphasis is achieved by the second, making the third superfluous. There is scrutiny in this reasoning, for emphasis is sometimes pursued through terms identical in wording and meaning, such as the statement: "Any woman who marries herself off without a guardian, her marriage is void, void, void." There is no difference between sentences and single words in this regard. Yes, it is very contrary to the apparent meaning.

He [Abu Hayyan] permitted it to be a state/adverb—that is, "grant them respite, without being hasty." It is apparent that it is an emphasizing state, as in the saying of the Exalted, "Do not act corruptly in the land as spoilers." Do not neglect this; it is also far-fetched. The apparent meaning of the words of Abu Hayyan and others is that the second command is an emphasis of the first. They said that the difference between the two wordings in structure is to further console the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to bolster his patience. The increase [in wording] indicates a difference, as if each statement is an independent command for patience; thus, it is more emphatic than mere repetition. Ibn Abbas recited mahhilhum with a fatha on the mim and a shadda on the ha, conforming the wording to the first command.