Quran Universe
17:10

وَأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا

Waanna allatheena la yuminoona bialakhirati aAAtadna lahum AAathaban aleeman

And that those who do not believe in the Hereafter - We have prepared for them a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. وَأَنَّAnd that
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. لَا(do) not
  4. يُؤۡمِنُونَbelieve
  5. بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِin the Hereafter
  6. أَعۡتَدۡنَاWe have prepared
  7. لَهُمۡfor them
  8. عَذَابًاa punishment
  9. أَلِيمٗاpainful
Al-Isra · 17:10Makkah

Ignoring the Hereafter does not cancel it.

The other half of the Quran's message

The other news
no belief in the Hereafterlife ends here
faces
a painful punishmentalready prepared
Not believing in it
it is not real for mewhat I deny cannot reach me
it is already preparedit does not wait on my belief

The Quran brings two kinds of news. Next to the good news for believers is a warning: those who do not believe in the Hereafter have a painful punishment prepared on the Day of Resurrection. Makkah's leaders mocked the idea of a life after death.

You do not have to deny the Hereafter out loud. You can just live as if it is not coming. Weekends planned, retirement planned, nothing planned for the meeting that is certain. The verse is a gentle shake: plan for that too.

I will think about the Hereafter later, when I am older.

The Hereafter is real whether or not I think about it, so I prepare now.

Try this

Add one deed to your week that you are doing only for the Hereafter.

Related84:24
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 17:9)

Verily, this Qur'an guides to that which is most just and right and gives good news to those who believe, those who do righteous deeds, that they will have a great reward (Paradise)(9)And that those who do not believe in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell)(10)

Praising the Qur'an

Allah praises His noble Book, the Qur'an, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. It directs people to the best and clearest of ways.

وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(gives good news to those who believe,) in it

الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ

(those who do righteous deeds,) in accordance with it, telling them

أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

(that they will have a great reward,) i.e., on the Day of Resurrection. And He tells

وَأَنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ

(those who do not believe in the Hereafter,) that

لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

(for them is a painful torment,) i.e. on the Day of Resurrection. As Allah says:

فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(...then announce to them a painful torment.)[84:24]