An-Nahl • EN-TAFSIR-IBN-ABBAS
﴿ وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةًۭ ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ ﴾
“Now if God were to take men [immediately] to task for all the evil that they do [on earth], He would not leave a single living creature upon its face. However, He grants them respite until a term set [by Him]: but when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.”
(If Allah were to take mankind to task for their wrong-doing) their idolatry, (he would not leave hereon) on the face of the earth (a living creature) a jinn or human being, (but He reprieveth them to an appointed term) He reprieves them to the time of their destruction, (and when their term cometh) when the time of their destruction comes (they cannot put (it) off an hour nor (yet) advance (it)) nor can they be destroyed before their appointed term.