﴿ وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِمُ ٱلْمَثُلَٰتُ ۗ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍۢ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ ظُلْمِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴾

“And [since, O Prophet, they are bent on denying the truth,] they challenge thee to hasten the coming upon them of evil instead of [hoping for] good although [they ought to know that] the exemplary punishments [which they now deride] have indeed come to pass before their time. Now, behold, thy Sustainer is full of forgiveness unto men despite all their evildoing: but, behold, thy Sustainer is [also] truly severe in retribution!”

The following was revealed regarding their hastening on out of mockery of the chastisement And they would have you hasten on the evil the chastisement rather than the good rather than mercy when there have indeed occurred before them exemplary punishments mathulāt is the plural of mathula similar in pattern to samura pl. samurāt ‘acacia’ that is to say the punishments of disbelievers like them will they not take warning from these? Truly your Lord is forgiving to mankind despite their evil-doing for otherwise He would not have left a single creature on the face of it the earth; and truly your Lord is severe in retribution against those who disobey Him.