30. Surah Ar Rum

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ...

30:55 [Ali]. On the Day that the Hour (of reckoning) will be established, the transgressors will swear that they tarried not but an hour:

C3573. Whatever the seeming inequalities may be now-when the good appear to be weak and the strong seem to oppress-will be removed when the balance will be finally redressed.

That will happen in good time,-indeed so quickly that the Transgressors will be taken by Surprise. They were deluded by the fact that what they took to be their triumph or their freedom to do what they liked was only a reprieve, a "Term Appointed", in which they could repent and amend and get Allah's Mercy. Failing this, they will then be up against the Penalties which they thought they had evaded or defied.

...كَذَلِكَ كَانُوا يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾

thus were they used to being deluded!