َ خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ ﴿۴۳﴾ فَذَرْنِي وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۴۴﴾ وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ ﴿۴۵﴾ أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ ﴿۴۶﴾ أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ ﴿۴۷﴾ فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَى وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ ﴿۴۸﴾

﴾43﴿ Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillatunw wa qad kaanoo yud'awna ilassujoodi wa hum saalimoon
﴾44﴿ Fazarnee wa many yukazzibu bihaazal hadeesi sanastad rijuhum min haisu laa ya'lamoon
﴾45﴿ Wa umlee lahum; inna kaidee mateen
﴾46﴿ Am tas'aluhum ajran fahum min maghramin musqaloon
﴾47﴿ Am 'indahumul ghaibu fahum yaktuboon
﴾48﴿ Fasbir lihukmi rabbika wa laa takun kasaahibil hoot; iz naadaa wa huwa makzoom

﴾43﴿ Their eyes will be cast down, and humiliation will cover them, for they were indeed called to prostrate while they were sound and able
﴾44﴿ So leave Me with those who deny this discourse. We shall gradually lead them to destruction in a way they do not perceive
﴾45﴿ And I give them respite; indeed, My grasp is firm
﴾46﴿ Or do you ask them for a reward, so they are burdened with debt
﴾47﴿ Or do they have knowledge of the unseen, so they write it down
﴾48﴿ So be patient with the decree of your Lord, and do not be like the man of the fish (Prophet Yunus) when he cried out while he was in distress

[44,45] This is a consolation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and at the same time a warning to the deniers.
(الْحَدِيثِ) – Refers to the Qur’an, or the content and message that has been mentioned in this surah.
(سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ) – Istidrāj originally means to move someone gradually from one state to another—slowly and step by step. It is often used in the sense of gradual decline—being lowered from a high status to a low one over time.
(وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ) – This means: the gradual advance (istidrāj) they are given is not out of honor, but rather a respite, during which their sins increase further.
[46,47] In this verse, the excuses of the deniers are refuted.
They cannot claim: 1. “We rejected the Qur’an because this Prophet asks for too much reward.” 2. “We also receive revelation from Allah, so we have no need for the Qur’an.”
Both of these claims are false.

The word (الْغَيْبُ) refers to revelation (waḥy), indicating that their rejection of the Qur’an was not based on any divine source.
(فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ) – This suggests: if they truly had revelation from Allah, let them write a book in response to the Qur’an, so that people could distinguish between what is divine and what is fabricated.
[48] This is a message of consolation to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and a command to remain patient.
(لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ) – Ḥukm here can mean: 1. The decree of your Lord, referring to Allah giving respite to the deniers. 2. Or, the command of your Lord to you—meaning to remain firm in preaching and be patient.

(وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ) – This is a prohibition from resembling Yunus (peace be upon him) in hastening judgment and leaving his people without Allah’s permission. He left them based on his own ijtihād, not a command from Allah.