وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴿۴۷﴾ وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿۴۸﴾ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ﴿۴۹﴾ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿۵۰﴾ وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿۵۱﴾

﴾47﴿ Wa yasta'jiloonaka bil'azaabi wa lany yukhlifal laahu wa'dah; wa inna yawman 'inda Rabbika ka'alfi sanatim mimmaa ta'uddoon
﴾48﴿ Wa ka ayyim min qaryatin amlaitu lahaa wa hiya zaalimatun summa akhaztuhaa wa ilaiyal maseer
﴾49﴿ Qul yaaa ayyuhan naasu innamaaa ana lakum nazeerum mubeen
﴾50﴿ Fallazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum maghfiratunw wa rizqun kareem
﴾51﴿ Wallazeena sa'aw feee Aayaatinaa mu'aajizeena ulaaa ika As-haabul jaheem

﴾47﴿ And they seek to hasten the punishment from you, but Allah never fails in His promise. And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of what you count
﴾48﴿ And how many a town did I give respite while it was committing wrong, then I seized it, and to Me is the [final] return
﴾49﴿ Say, O people, I am only a clear warner to you
﴾50﴿ So those who believe and do righteous deeds by following the tradition, for them is forgiveness and an honorable provision
﴾51﴿ And those who strive against Our signs, seeking to invalidate them, they are the companions of the Fire

[47] This verse is another form of rebuke (zajr)—highlighting that instead of taking heed, the disbelievers hasten punishment out of arrogance.
The phrase “وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ” means Allah will never break His promise. Here, “wa‘d” (promise) refers specifically to the promise of punishment, due to the context of the verse—although the word wa‘d is commonly used for reward, the surrounding words clarify its meaning here.
The phrase “وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا” points to the idea that Allah’s punishment is extremely long and severe, while those who demand it quickly are in fact ignorant and foolish.
“كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ” – The meaning is that what you (humans) take a thousand years to destroy, Allah can do in a single day. The mention of a thousand years is metaphorical, as in Arabic usage, “a thousand” signifies a very large number, often representing the upper limit of ordinary reckoning.
Alternatively, this could refer to the Day of Judgment, as mentioned in hadith—that the poor believers will enter Paradise half a day before the wealthy, and that half-day equals 500 years (as recorded by Ibn Kathīr). Therefore, a full day would equate to 1,000 years.
[48] This verse is also a form of warning (takhwīf).
In the previous verse, “فَكَأَيِّنْ” was used with “فَ” (fa) because it followed a sequence where, after a period of respite (mahlat), punishment immediately came.
Earlier, the promise of punishment was mentioned first, and the granting of delay was mentioned afterward. So when the pattern reversed—by bringing respite first and then punishment—the verse uses “كَأَيِّنْ” again, this time with “وَ” (wa).
This shift in connectors reflects a subtle change in the order and emphasis within the narrative, while maintaining the overall theme of divine warning and consequence.
[49] This verse affirms the truth of Prophethood and also serves as a response to the demand for hastening punishment.
The core message is: “I am only a Messenger”—bringing the message, not controlling the outcome.
The bringing or delaying of punishment is not within my power—that is entirely in the hands of Allah.
[50] This verse is a logical outcome (tafrī‘) of the previous affirmation of Prophethood: that through the Prophet’s message, two distinct groups emerge—
1. The believers, who receive glad tidings of the Hereafter,
2. And those who disbelieve, who face warnings.
The phrase “وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ” (a noble provision) refers exclusively to Paradise, because worldly provision is often accompanied by difficulty, toil, and humiliation, whereas the provision of the Hereafter is pure, honorable, and eternal.
[51] This verse is a warning (takhwīf) directed at the deniers.
The word “مُعَاجِزِينَ” is from the form “mufā‘alah”, indicating mutual effort. There are two possible interpretations:
1. It means that they are trying to overpower or frustrate the Messenger—the people attempt to render the signs (āyāt) ineffective, while the āyāt overpower and expose them, creating a kind of mutual struggle.
2. Or it means they try to prevent others from following the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace)—thus “mu‘ājizīn” refers to those actively obstructing the spread of truth.