قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۗ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۚ إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ (49)
(10:49) Tell them: 'I have no power to harm or benefit even myself, except what Allah may will. *57 There is an appointed term for every people; and when the end of their term comes, neither can they put it off for an hour, nor can they bring it an hour before. *58
*57). In response to the unbelievers' query, the Prophet (peace be on him) makes it clear that he had never claimed that he himself would come forth with the judgement mentioned above, or that it lay in his power to afflict people with punishment. There was no point, therefore, in asking him when the final judgement against them would come to pass. The warning of punishment had been given by God rather than by the Messenger. Hence it lay only in God's power to decide when His judgement should come to pass, and in which form God would execute His warning to punish unbelievers.
*58). God does not act in haste in judging a people. He does not summarily punish or reward people the very moment they reject or accept a Messenger's call. Instead, God grants a long respite both to individuals and to nations. He once that term - which has been determined by God with full justice - is over, and the individual or nation concerned does not give up its rebellious attitude, God's judgement is enforced. The time for the enforcement of such judgement can never come a moment before or after the time fixed for it by God.