Tafsir of Surah An-Naml - Verse 74

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَـذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ

(And they say: "When (will) this promise (be fulfilled), if you are truthful") Allah said, responding to them:

قُلْ

(Say) `O Muhammad,'

عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم بَعْضُ الَّذِى تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

(Perhaps that which you wish to hasten on, may be close behind you.) Ibn `Abbas said, "That which you wish to hasten on has come close to you, or some of it has come close." This was also the view of Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata Al-Khurasani, Qatadah and As-Suddi. This is also what is meant in the Ayat:

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ قُلْ عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا

(And they say: "When will that be" Say: "Perhaps it is near!") (17:51)

يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَـفِرِينَ

(They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers) (29:54).

عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُم

(may be close behind you.) means, it is being hastened for you. This was reported from Mujahid. Then Allah says:

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ

(Verily, your Lord is full of grace for mankind,) meaning, He abundantly bestows His blessings on them even though they wrong themselves, yet despite that they do not give thanks for those blessings, except for a few of them.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(And verily, your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they reveal.) means, He knows what is hidden in their hearts just as He knows what is easily visible.

سَوَآءٌ مِّنْكُمْ مَّنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ

(It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly) (13:10),

يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden) (20: 7),

أَلا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal) (11:5). Then Allah tells us that He is the Knower of the unseen in the heavens and on earth, and that He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, i.e., that which is unseen by His servants and that which they can see. And Allah says:

وَمَا مِنْ غَآئِبَةٍ

(and there is nothing hidden) Ibn `Abbas said, "This means, there is nothing

فِى السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ

(in the heaven and the earth but it is in a Clear Book.) This is like the Ayah,

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّ ذلِكَ فِى كِتَـبٍ إِنَّ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ

(Know you not that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth Verily, it is (all) in the Book. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) (22:70)

بَلِ ادَّارَ‌كَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا ۖ بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ ﴿66﴾

Rather, their knowledge failed in the matter of Hereafter. Rather, they are in doubt about it. Rather, they are blind to it. 27:66.

There are different recitations for the word اِدّٰرَکَ (iddaraka) and their meanings are also different. Those who are interested should refer to different commentaries for the details. It is enough to understand here that some commentators have taken it to mean "completion" and have explained the verse thus: "Their knowledge and understanding will be completed in the Hereafter", because then the truth about every thing shall be laid bare. But knowledge of truth at that time will be of no avail, because they had been contradicting the Hereafter in the world. But some other commentators have taken the word in the meaning of 'having failed' and 'hating been lost'. The sense in this case would be that their knowledge about the Hereafter was lost, and they could not understand what it was.

The words ‘do not grieve’ are not meant to prevent the preacher from grieving. It is, in fact, meant to contradict the impression that Truth is helpless. It means that, in spite of unfavourable conditions, the Truth and supporters of the Truth will finally meet with success. When the adversaries of the preacher of Truth contradict him, they think that they are dealing with a human being. They do not understand that this is tantamount to setting themselves up against God Himself and not merely opposing an ordinary mortal. This state of affairs (i.e. the temporary success of the opponents) continues only till the expiry of the period of human trial. As soon this period is over, God will appear and all these opponents will vanish into thin air. There is no foolishness greater than mistaking the temporary respite during the trial period for unconditional and unlimited liberty to indulge in arrogance.