49 Preface قُل لا أَملِكُ لِنَفسي ضَرًّا وَلا نَفعًا إِلّا ما شاءَ اللَّهُ ۗ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۚ إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُهُم فَلا يَستَأخِرونَ ساعَةً ۖ وَلا يَستَقدِمونَYusuf AliSay: “I have no power1 over any harm or profit to myself except as God willeth. To every People2 is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation).”Cf. 7:188.This repeats 7:34, but the significance is different in the two contexts. Here the reply is to the Unbelievers’ mocking incredulity (seen n. 1439) as to whether there is such a thing as a Hereafter: they suggest to the Prophet of God that if his claim to inspiration from God is true, he should get them punished at once for rejecting him. In 7:34 the reference is to the punishment of iniquity as described in 7:33 : sin is not necessarily punished at once: every People or generation gets a chance; when their term is fulfilled, the final adjustment is made.