Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Yunus -> The Criminals will certainly be avenged -- whether in This World or in the Hereafter

Allah said to His Messenger :

﴿وَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِى نَعِدُهُمْ﴾

(Whether We show you some of what We promise them (the torment),) We shall avenge them in your lifetime so your eye will be delighted.

﴿أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ﴾

(Or We cause you to die -- still unto Us is their return,) Allah will then be the Witness watching over their actions for you. Allah then said,

﴿وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولٌ فَإِذَا جَآءَ رَسُولُهُمْ﴾

(And for every Ummah there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes,) Mujahid said: "This will be on the Day of Resurrection.

﴿قُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ﴾

(the matter will be judged between them with justice,) is similar to the Ayah:

﴿وَأَشْرَقَتِ الاٌّرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا﴾

(And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord (Allah),) ﴿39:69﴾ So every nation will be presented before Allah in the presence of its Messenger and the Book of its deeds. All good and evil deeds will be witnessed upon them. Their guardian angels will be witnesses too. The nations will be brought forth, one by one. Our noble Ummah, while it is the last of the nations, is the first one on the Day of Resurrection to be questioned and judged. This was stated by Allah's Messenger in a Hadith recorded by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Allah's Messenger said:

«نَحْنُ الْآخِرُونَ السَّابِقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، الْمَقْضِيُّ لَهُمْ قَبْلَ الْخَلَائِق»

(We are the last, the first on the Day of Resurrection. We will be judged before the rest of the creatures.) His Ummah attains the honor of precedence only by the honor of its Messenger , may Allah's peace and blesings be upon him forever, until the Day of Judgement.

﴿وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَـذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ - قُل لاَّ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى ضَرًّا وَلاَ نَفْعًا إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ - قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُهُ بَيَاتًا أَوْ نَهَارًا مَّاذَا يَسْتَعْجِلُ مِنْهُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ - أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ ءَامَنْتُمْ بِهِ ءَآلْنَ وَقَدْ كُنتُم بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ - ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ ﴾

(48. And they say: "When will be this promise (the torment or the Day of Resurrection), if you speak the truth'') (49. Say: "I have no power over any harm or profit for myself except what Allah may will. For every Ummah, there is a term appointed; when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).'') (50. Say: "Tell me, if His torment should come to you by night or by day, which portion thereof would the criminals hasten on'') (51. Is it then that when it has actually befallen, you will believe in it What! Now (you believe) And you used (aforetime) to hasten it on!'') (52. Then it will be said to them who wronged themselves: "Taste you the everlasting torment! Are you recompensed (aught) save what you used to earn'')