Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:53

How the Idolators asked for the Torment to be hastened on Allah says:

ويستعجلونك بالعذاب ولوﻻ أجل مسمى لجاءهم العذاب

And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. Allah tells us of the ignorance of the idolators and how they asked for the punishment of Allah to be hastened so that it would befall them quickly. This is like the Ayah,

وإذ قالوا اللهم إن كان هذا هو الحق من عندك فٲمطر علينا حجارة من السماء أو ايتنا بعذاب أليم

And when they said: "O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.'' (8:32) And Allah says here:

ويستعجلونك بالعذاب ولوﻻ أجل مسمى لجاءهم العذاب

(And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them). Were it not for the fact that Allah has decreed that the punishment should be delayed until the Day of Resurrection, the torment would have come upon them quickly as they demanded. Then Allah says:

وليٲتينهم بغتة وهم ﻻ يشعرون

يستعجلونك بالعذاب وإن جهنم لمحيطة بالكافرين