The unbelievers by mockery and derision were saying to the prophet:ِ

      ``If what you promise us of God's punishment in return of rejecting you is really true, here we are rejecting you and your Message. When will then the promise come to pass?'' By that, they wanted to show their utmost indifference to the prophet's mission and threats.

      The prophet's reply to them was a three-fold one that:ِ ``I am only a Messenger and my duty is to convey the Message of your Lord to you. Your reward or punishment is none of my business. How do I know when is that coming to pass when I own no power of hurt and profit for myself!? But I am sure that there is a term for every one and for every nation, and when the term comes, man can not retard or advance it for a moment. And that the interval between your death and your resurrection is too short to be counted and reckoned as a time! It may seem as an hour of a day to you! So also, in this short early life of yours when the wrath of God falls upon a man, it comes of a sudden in the night and day causing a panic; when and where they do not expect it at all! This implies that no one is immune of God's punishment as far as he insists on his disbelief and making mischief. And after all, when the punishment of Allah descends upon a man, it leaves no room for repentance and amendment; and he has to taste the eternal chastisement. Inspite of all that they want it to be hastened!?''

      Some of the religion makers of our age (e.g.THE BAHÄEES) are reasoning by the phrase here:ِ (FOR EVERY OMMAT=NATION THERE IS A TERM) and conclude that the religion of Islam too, according to this verse, will have its own term and finally has to give up its place and position to a new religion.

      These people have not enough education to know that the Arabic word ``OMMAT'' does not mean religion! It rather means group of people like nation, or even it means a group of moving creatures like birds of a feather that flock together. By definition ``OMMAT'', is a group of people connected by supposed ties of blood, and generally manifested by community of language religion, custom, culture, and etc.

      So the verse implies that the general law of life and death does not apply only to individuals, but nations and societies too will have their term and end, and the meaning has nothing to do with religion.