Tafseer of The Morning Star · At-Taariq · 86:17
So allow time for the disbelievers. Leave them awhile.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His word: ( فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ ) "so give the disbelievers respite." The Exalted, whose mention is lofty, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: give, O Muḥammad, the disbelievers (al-kāfirīn) respite and do not hasten against them ( أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا ) "grant them respite for a little while." He says: grant them respite for a short while and give them reprieve until the time which is the moment when the punishment descends upon them.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his word: ( أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا ) "grant them respite for a little while," he says: soon.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا ) "grant them respite for a little while," al-ruwayd: the small amount.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning his word: ( فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا ) "so give the disbelievers respite, grant them respite for a little while," he said: give them respite, and do not hasten against them by abandoning them, until, when He wished to take vengeance upon them, He commanded him (the Prophet) to the jihād against them, the armed fighting (qitāl) against them, and harshness against them.
End of the explanation of Sūrah Wa-al-Samāʾ wa-al-Ṭāriq.
