The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 574
CH. 29 overtake them AL-'ANKABŪT unexpectedly, PT. 21 يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَ إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَفِرِينَ while they perceive not. 2978 55. They ask thee to hasten on the punishment; but "Hell will certainly encompass the disbelievers. 2978 A يَوْمَ يَخْشُهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ On the day when the. 56 punishment will overwhelm them 2978. Commentary: 9:49; 13:36; 17:9. "6:9. The verse gives a direct answer to the disbelievers' demand for the sign of punishment and says that instead of benefiting by the sign of mercy which has been given to them in the form of the Quran, these ill-fated people persist in their demand for punishment. They will have this Sign and the punishment will come upon them also all of a sudden and from quarters least expected. But they will have to wait for i. e. a fixed and appointed term. The implied reference in the words is to the migration of the أجل مسمى Holy Prophet to Medina and the punishment demanded by the disbelievers is elsewhere expressed in the words, "O Allah! if this indeed be the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from heaven or bring down upon us a grievous punishment" (8:33). The punishment came upon the disbelievers in the form of the Battle of Badr which took place about a year after the Holy Prophet left Mecca. It broke the power of the Quraish and all their prominent leaders were killed. Their was most defeat crushing and unexpected. They could never conceive that their well-armed and fully equipped army would be defeated by a handful of 313 ill- armed Muslims who had come to the field of battle quite unprepared, because they had no idea when they left Medina that they would be meeting a regular and fully armed host. The words, "it will come upon them unexpectedly" may also have a general application, meaning that when Divine punishment is delayed, the disbelievers begin to think that all the warning was but an illusion and a fantasy and consequently they become lulled into a false sense of security and even increase in transgression. It is when they are in this state of complacency that the punishment comes upon them quite unexpectedly and destroys them. 2978A. Commentary: 2488 The punishment referred to in the previous verse is the punishment promised to the disbelievers in this life. The punishment mentioned in this verse is the punishment promised to them in the Hereafter.