سورة النحل

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse was revealed when the Quraysh [in order to mock the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and prove him a liar] demanded the punishment from the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding the verse أَتَی أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ [Allah's commandment has come, therefore do not desire to hasten it]: "What is meant is our affair (the affair of Imam Zaman (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance)); Allah has decreed that we should not be hasty concerning it, until He supports him with three armies: with the angels, the believers, and terror [in the hearts of the enemies]. The rising of the Qaim (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) is like the appearance of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). As Allah has said: 'It was just as your Lord brought you forth from your house with the truth, while a party of the believers were averse to it.' (Al-Anfal/5)"

Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance): Ali ibn Mahziyar said: [His Eminence] recited this noble verse: "بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ* أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَیْلاً أَوْ نَهَاراً فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِیداً کَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. Our command comes upon it by night or day, and We cut it down to stubble as though it had not flourished the day before] (Yunus 10:24)." I said: "My master! What is meant by أَمْرُ اللهِ [the command of Allah] in this verse?" He said: "The command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and His hosts — that is us."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The first to pledge allegiance to al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will be Jibra'il (peace be upon him), who will come to him in the form of a white bird and pledge allegiance to him. Then he will place one foot on Bayt Allah al-Haram [the Sacred House of Allah] and the other on Bayt al-Maqdis, and will call out in a loud voice which all people will hear: أَتَی أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ [Allah's commandment has come, therefore do not desire to hasten it].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When Allah wills the rising of al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), Jibra'il (peace be upon him) will come in the form of a white bird and place one of his feet on the Ka'bah and the other on Bayt al-Maqdis, and will call out in his loudest voice: أَتَی أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ [Allah's commandment has come, therefore do not desire to hasten it]. Then al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will appear [in the Ka'bah] and perform two rak'ahs of prayer beside Maqam Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and will then set forth. Three hundred and thirteen of his companions will surround him; among them are those who [on the night leading to the day of the reappearance, in an astonishing manner] leave their beds by night from their homelands and set out towards him. Al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will come forth, having in his hand a stone which he will cast upon the earth, causing everywhere to become verdant.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hisham ibn Salim said: "I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of the verse: أَتَی أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ [Allah's commandment has come, therefore do not desire to hasten it]." He said: "When Allah informs the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) about the time of the occurrence of an event, that its time has come — as in this verse, which says: أَتَی أَمْرُ اللهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ — it means that its time will surely come." And [elsewhere] he said: "When Allah informs that a thing has been done, it is as if it has [already] been done [for His will is His act]."