إِذًا لَّأَذَقْنَـٰكَ ضِعْفَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ وَضِعْفَ ٱلْمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا 75
Translations
Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.
Transliteration
Idhan la-adhaqnaka dif'af al-hayati wa dif'af al-mamati thumma la tajidu laka 'alayna nasiran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a conditional warning: had the Prophet (peace be upon him) followed the desires of the disbelievers, Allah would have caused him to taste double punishment in this life and double punishment in the afterlife, with no helper against Allah's decree. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this addresses the pressures placed upon the Prophet to compromise his message, emphasizing that deviation from truth brings severe consequences in both worlds, and no one can protect against Allah's punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Isra (a Meccan surah), which discusses the Prophet's Night Journey and subsequent tests of faith. The ayah specifically responds to the Meccan opposition's attempts to persuade the Prophet to abandon his message, reassuring him of Allah's protection while warning of the hypothetical consequences of apostasy—a theme addressing the intense persecution early Muslims faced in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this verse, Surah Al-Isra's context relates to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari about the Prophet's Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj). Additionally, the theme of steadfastness against worldly temptations is reflected in the hadith: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari), emphasizing adherence to divine guidance over worldly pressures.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that compromising religious principles for worldly gain or social acceptance carries severe spiritual consequences, and that true security lies only in steadfast adherence to Allah's guidance. For modern readers, it reinforces that integrity in faith cannot be bartered, and Allah's support for the faithful is unconditional upon their commitment to truth.