وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ 46
Translations
And if [as much as] a whiff of the punishment of your Lord should touch them, they would surely say, "O woe to us! Indeed, we have been wrongdoers."
Transliteration
Wa-la-in massathum nafhatun min 'adhabi rabbika layaqulunna ya-wilana innana kunna dhalimin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how disbelievers, when touched by even a slight punishment from their Lord, will cry out in regret, acknowledging their wrongdoing. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that 'nafhatun' (a breath or gentle touch) refers to a minor affliction, yet it compels them to admit their injustice—highlighting how divine punishment awakens conscience, though often too late for true repentance. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes this as evidence of their knowledge of truth all along, which makes their disbelief more culpable.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Anbiya, which discusses various prophets and divine signs. It is part of a broader theme warning the disbelievers of Mecca about the consequences of their rejection of the message, illustrating that punishment serves as a humbling reminder of their deliberate transgression.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to Surah Al-Araf 7:5 and similar warnings. A relevant hadith from Sahih Muslim describes how people will regret their deeds on the Day of Judgment, connecting to the concept of too-late repentance mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that deep within, humans recognize truth and justice, and afflictions often awaken this awareness—yet we should not wait for punishment to acknowledge our wrongs. Rather, we should heed warnings and correct ourselves proactively, as sincere repentance is only accepted before the arrival of inevitable consequences.
Related Ayahs
وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآؤُهُۥ جَهَنَّمُ خَـٰلِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُۥ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُۥ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allāh has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۭ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَا ۖ فَتِلْكَ مَسَـٰكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ۖ وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ
And how many a city have We destroyed that was insolent in its [way of] living, and those are their dwellings which have not been inhabited after them except briefly. And it is We who were the inheritors.
وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَى ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۚ أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ يَرَوْنَهَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًا
And they have already come upon the town which was showered with a rain of evil [i.e., stones]. So have they not seen it? But they are not expecting resurrection.
وَأَتْبَعْنَـٰهُمْ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلْمَقْبُوحِينَ
And We caused to overtake them in this world a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be of the despised.