And if Allāh were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon it [i.e., the earth] any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
If Allah, may He be glorified, were to punish mankind for their injustices and for their rejection of Him, He would not leave on earth a single human being or animal that walks on its surface. But He, may He be glorified, postpones them until a time that is fixed in His knowledge. Then, when that time that is fixed in His knowledge comes, they will not delay it nor will they advance it for even a short while.