Time.” And about:

“Do not curse Time, for Allah is Time.”

He replied:

“In pre-Islamic times, people would say, ‘Time is night and day.’ They would say, ‘Night and day have done such-and-such to us.’ So Allah Most High said, ‘It is I who act, not Time.’”

Al-Qādī said:

“Ibrāhīm al-Harbī thus explained that the report is not to be understood according to its apparent meaning, and that it was uttered in response to a particular circumstance. Abū ‘Ubayd mentioned something similar to what we have stated, saying:

‘No Muslim should be ignorant of its meaning, for the proponents of ta‘tīl (theological negation) use it as an argument against Muslims. One of them argued from it, saying, “Do you not see that he says, ‘For Allah is Time’?”’

He said: ‘Its meaning is that the Arabs habitually blamed and cursed Time when calamities befell them, such as death, old age, or destruction. They would say, “The calamities of Time struck them,” “Time wiped them out,” and “Time brought them to their end.” They thus regarded Time as the agent of these things and blamed it for them. So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Do not curse the One who does these things to you or afflicts you with these calamities. For when you curse their agent, your curse falls upon Allah Most High, since He is the One who brings them about, not Time.”’”