فَأَذَاقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخِزْىَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ 26
Translations
So Allāh made them taste disgrace in worldly life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
Transliteration
Fa-adhaqahum-ul-lahu al-khizya fil-hayatid-dunya wa la-adhaabu al-aakhirati akbar, law kanu ya'lamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah caused the disbelievers to taste humiliation and disgrace in this worldly life as a consequence of their rejection of His signs and arrogance against His messengers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse establishes the divine pattern of punishment: worldly shame precedes the greater torment of the Hereafter, which serves as a warning and mercy to those with understanding. The conditional phrase 'if only they knew' (law kanu ya'lamun) underscores their willful ignorance and emphasizes that awareness of consequences should have deterred them from transgression.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan context of Surah Az-Zumar, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who rejected Prophet Muhammad and the message of monotheism. The broader surah discusses the consequences of shirk (polytheism) and ingratitude, with this particular verse illustrating how Allah's punishment operates in both the temporal and eternal realms. It reflects the historical pattern of how preceding nations were humiliated before their ultimate destruction.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'The greatest punishment on the Day of Judgment will be for those who make likenesses [of living things]' (Sahih Bukhari 5953). Additionally, the Quran itself states in 3:106 about the humiliation of disbelievers' faces on the Day of Judgment, connecting worldly and eternal disgrace.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that rejecting divine guidance inevitably leads to humiliation and loss in both worlds; a profound reminder that straying from Allah's path has immediate observable consequences in this life, serving as a merciful warning before the greater accountability of the Hereafter. For believers, it reinforces the importance of humble obedience and gratitude toward Allah's guidance.