Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:37

{خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ}

They used to hasten the punishment of Allah and the signs that would compel them to knowledge and acknowledgment. {And they say, "When will this promise be?"}

He intended to forbid them from this haste and to rebuke them. Thus, He first presented the condemnation of man for his excessive haste, and that he is naturally disposed to it. Then, He forbade and rebuked them, as if He were saying: It is not strange for you to be hasty, for you are molded upon that, and it is your nature and disposition.

• Regarding the interpretation of "Man":
  • Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): He intended Adam (peace be upon him), for when the soul reached his chest—before it had fully permeated him—he wanted to stand up. It is also narrated that when the soul entered his eyes, he looked at the fruits of Paradise, and when it entered his stomach, he craved food.
  • Another view: Allah created him at the end of the day on Friday, before sunset, so He hastened his creation before the sun set.
  • Ibn Abbas (another narration): He intended al-Nadr ibn al-Harith.
  • The apparent meaning: It refers to the human species (the genus).
  • Linguistic note: It is said that al-'ajal means "clay" in the dialect of Himyar. Their poet said: "And the palm trees grow between the water and the clay (al-'ajal)." And Allah knows the authenticity of this.

• The Question: If you ask: Why did He forbid them from haste while saying, {Man was created of haste} and {Man is ever hasty} (Al-Isra: 11)? Is this not a case of imposing a duty that is impossible to fulfill?

• The Answer: I say: This is just as He implanted desire in him and commanded him to overcome it. This is because He gave him the capacity by which he is able to suppress desire and abandon haste.

• Variant Reading: It is also read as: Khuliqa al-insānu min 'ajalin (Man was created from haste).

{If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces nor from their backs, and they will not be helped. Nay, it will come to them suddenly and bewilder them, so they will not be able to avert it, nor will they be reprieved.}