If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor could they advance it.
If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for what they have committed, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of His servants.
Verbatim: 'if Allah were to punish people for what they have earned He would not leave upon the earth any creature, but He defers them to an appointed term'; 16:61 is among Allah's attributes of forbearance, 35:45 makes the same point closing Fatir.