| Jonah: (11) And if Allah were to hasten...

Issues Discussed:

It is my strong belief that the beginning of this Sura focuses on mentioning the doubts of those who deny prophethood and the responses to them.

First Doubt: The people were astonished that Allah singled out Muhammad (PBUH) for prophethood. Allah removed this astonishment by saying: {Was it a wonder to mankind that We revealed to a man from among them?} (Jonah: 2). Then, Allah mentioned the proofs for Tawhid (Oneness of God) and the proofs for the resurrection. The essence of the answer is: "I have only brought you the doctrine of Tawhid and affirmation of the Hereafter, and I have proven their truth. Therefore, there is no reason left for astonishment regarding my prophethood."

Second Doubt: The people habitually said: "O Allah, if what Muhammad claims about his message is true, then rain down stones upon us from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment." Allah answered this doubt with the verse under discussion. This explains the coherence of the discourse.

Some scholars mentioned other interpretations regarding the connection:

1. Al-Qadi's View: Since Allah previously mentioned the promise (reward) and the threat (punishment), He followed it up by indicating that both necessitate postponement beyond this worldly life, because their occurrence in this world would prevent the continuation of religious obligations (Taklif).
2. Al-Qaffal's View: Since Allah described the disbelievers as those who do not hope to meet Him, who are content with the life of this world, and who are heedless of Allah's signs, He clarified that part of their heedlessness is that whenever the Messenger warns them, they hasten the punishment out of ignorance and foolishness.

Allah mentioned in many verses that whenever these polytheists are warned of punishment in this world, they hasten that punishment, as they said: {And when they said, "O Allah, if this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or bring us a painful punishment"} (Al-Anfal: 32). Also: {A questioner asked concerning a punishment about to befall} (Al-Ma'arij: 1).

However, when they were warned of the punishment of the Hereafter in this verse (referring to the consequence of their deeds), saying: {Their refuge will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn} (Jonah: 8), they hastened that punishment, asking when it would occur, as Allah stated: {Those who do not believe in it ask for its hastening} (Ash-Shura: 18). In this Sura, after this verse, He says: {And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"} (Al-Anbiya: 38) until His saying: {And you used to hasten it} (Jonah: 51). In Sura Ar-Ra'd, He says: {And they ask you to hasten the evil before the good, while there have already passed away before them exemplary precedents} (Ar-Ra'd: 6).

Allah clarified that there is no benefit for them in hastening the evil upon them, because if Allah were to inflict that punishment, they would die and perish, as their worldly composition cannot bear it, nor is there any good in their immediate demise. Perhaps they might believe afterward, or perhaps a believer might emerge from their loins. This necessitates that Allah should not hasten that evil upon them.

There is a linguistic difficulty in the phrasing of the verse: How is the hastening (ta'jil) by Allah contrasted with their demanding haste (isti'jal)? Logically, the contrast should be between Allah's hastening and Allah's hastening, or their demanding haste and their demanding haste.

The answers are manifold:

1. The Author of Al-Kashshaf's View: The original structure is: "And if Allah were to hasten the evil for people, [He would hasten] their good. However, their demanding haste for good was put in the place of His hastening good for them, indicating the swiftness of His response and His facilitation of their request, as if their demanding haste for good was already a hastening by Him."
2. Some Scholars' View: The reality of saying "I hastened someone" ('ajjaltu fulanan) is "I sought his haste." Similarly, "I hastened the matter" ('ajjaltu al-amr) means "I brought it about quickly," as if seeking haste in it. Isti'jal (demanding haste) is more common and explicit in this meaning. Under this interpretation, the meaning of the verse becomes: "If Allah intended to hasten the evil for the people as they desired the hastening of good for them, He would have decreed their term [of life]." This view avoids deviating from the apparent meaning of the verse.
3. The Third View: Everyone who hastens something ('ajjala) has sought its hastening (talaba ta'jiluhu). If this is the case, everyone who is hastening (mu'ajjil) is also demanding haste (musta'jil). Thus, the structure becomes: "And if Allah were to hasten the evil for the people, [it would be] like their demanding haste for the good." However, Allah described Himself with causing the haste (takwin al-'ajalah) and described them with seeking it (talab), because causing haste is appropriate for Allah, while seeking it is appropriate for them.

Allah termed the punishment as evil (sharr) in this verse because it is harmful and disliked by the one being punished. Similarly, He termed it evil deed (sayyi'ah) in His saying: {And they ask you to hasten the evil before the good} (Ar-Ra'd: 6), and in: {And the recompense of an evil deed is an evil deed like it} (Ash-Shura: 40).

Ibn 'Amir recited: لَقَضَى (laqadā) with a Fathah on the Lam and Qaf, and أَجَلَهُمْ (ajaluhum) in the accusative case (mansub), meaning "Allah decreed their term." This is supported by the recitation of 'Abdullah: لَقَضَى إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلَهُمْ ("Allah decreed their term for them"). The rest of the reciters recited it with a Dammah on the Qaf, a Kasrah on the Dad, and a Fathah on the Ya' (لُقُضِيَ), with أَجَلُهُمْ (ajaluhum) in the nominative case (marfu') as an impersonal passive construction (the Fa'il is omitted).

The hastening of good by these polytheists refers to their supplication to Allah to remove hardships when calamities befell them. Allah recounted this about them in many verses, such as: {Then when distress touches you, to Him you cry out for help} (An-Naml: 53), and: {And when harm touches a person, he calls upon Us} (Jonah: 12).

A questioner might ask: How does the statement {So leave those who do not expect to meet Us} (Jonah: 11) connect to what precedes it, and what is its meaning?

The answer is that the statement {And if Allah were to hasten...} implies a negation of hastening. It is as if the meaning is: "And He does not hasten the evil for them, nor does He decree their term, but rather He leaves them in their transgression, meaning He grants them respite amidst their transgression to establish the proof against them."

Our scholars state that since Allah has decreed them to be astray and wandering blindly, it is impossible for them not to be so. Otherwise, Allah's truthful report would turn into a lie, His knowledge into ignorance, and His decree into falsehood—all of which are impossible. Yet, despite this, He imposes obligations upon them, which is analogous to imposing the obligation to combine two contradictory states.

Verse 12