Surah 38. Sad, Ayah 15

Sc., "beyond the term set for it by God".

Cf. xxxvi. 29, n. 3973.

Fawaq: delay, the interval between one milking of a she-camel, and another, either to give her a breathing space or to give her young time to suck,-or perhaps the milker to adjust his fingers. Such interval will be quite short. The derived meaning is that when the inevitable just punishment for sin arrives, it will not tarry, but do its work without delay.