Tafsir of Yunus 10:50

If you ask: "Why was it not said 'at night' or 'by day'?"

I say: Because the intent is: "If His punishment comes to you at the time of a night raid, catching you while you are heedless and unaware, just as a surprise enemy attacks by night." Bayāt (night raid) is in the sense of tabyīt (the act of raiding by night), just as salām is in the sense of taslīm (greeting). Likewise, the word {نهاراً} (by day) means: "at a time when you are occupied with the vanities of livelihood and earning." Similar to this are the verses: {بياتاً وهم نائمون} (at night while they are sleeping) and {ضحىً وهم يلعبون} (in the forenoon while they are playing).

It is also possible that the meaning is one of astonishment, as if it were said: "What kind of intense terror is it that they are hastening from?" In this interpretation, min (from) must be for clarification (bayāniyya). It is also said that the pronoun in {منه} refers to Allah, the Exalted.

I say: It attaches to ara'aytum (have you considered), for the meaning is: "Inform me, what is it that the criminals hasten from?" The response to the conditional clause is omitted, which is: "You would regret the hastening," or "You would recognize the error in it."

If you ask: "Why was it not said: 'What do you hasten from it?'"

I say: The intent was to indicate the reason for abandoning the hastening, which is their criminality (ijrām). For it is the duty of the criminal to fear punishment for his crimes and to perish in terror at its arrival, even if it is delayed, let alone hastening it.

It is also permissible that {ماذا يستعجل منه المجرمون} is the response to the conditional clause, similar to your saying: "If I come to you, what will you feed me?" In this case, the sentence attaches to ara'aytum.

It is also possible that {أثم إذا ما وقع آمنتم به} is the response to the conditional clause, and {ماذا يستعجل منه المجرمون} is a parenthetical clause. The meaning would be: "If His punishment comes to you, you will believe in it after it has occurred, at a time when belief will not benefit you." The entry of the interrogative particle upon thumma is like its entry upon waw and fa in the verses: {أفأمن أهل القرى} and {أو أمن أهل القرى}.

Meaning: You used to deny it, for their hastening was by way of denial and rejection. It is also read as ālān, by dropping the hamza after the lam and transferring its vowel to the lam.