Quran Universe
39:26

فَأَذَاقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخِزۡيَ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Faathaqahumu Allahu alkhizya fee alhayati alddunya walaAAathabu alakhirati akbaru law kanoo yaAAlamoona

So Allah made them taste disgrace in worldly life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

Word by word
  1. فَأَذَاقَهُمُSo Allah made them
  2. ٱللَّهُSo Allah made them
  3. ٱلۡخِزۡيَthe disgrace
  4. فِيin
  5. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِthe life
  6. ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ(of) the world
  7. وَلَعَذَابُand certainly (the) punishment
  8. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ(of) the Hereafter
  9. أَكۡبَرُۚ(is) greater
  10. لَوۡif
  11. كَانُواْthey
  12. يَعۡلَمُونَknew
Az-Zumar · 39:26Makkah

Disgrace here was small next to what comes after.

If they only knew

Two scales of loss
disgracein this life
but greater
the Hereafterthe bigger reckoning
What they missed
this world is the measureshame is the worst
if they only knewthe next life weighs more

Ibn Kathir says the earlier deniers tasted disgrace in this life, and what is promised in the Hereafter is worse. So those addressed, who rejected the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ, should beware.

You are terrified of being embarrassed: caught out at work, exposed in the group chat. You will do almost anything to avoid that shame. Fear the account that lasts more than the one that fades.

Public shame is the worst thing that could happen to me.

Worldly disgrace passes; what I face before Allah is what really matters.

Try this

Tonight, ask yourself which you worry about more: people's opinion or Allah's. Be honest.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 39:24)

Is he then, who will confront with his face the awful torment on the Day of Resurrection? And it will be said to the wrongdoers: "Taste what you used to earn! (24)Those before them denied, and so the torment came on them from directions they perceived not (25)So, Allah made them to taste the disgrace in the present life, but greater is the torment of the Hereafter if they only knew (26)

The Final Destination of the Disbelievers

أَفَمَنْ يَتَّقِي بِوَجْهِهِ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ 

(Is he then, who will confront with his face the awful torment on the Day of Resurrection?) he will be rebuked and he and the evildoers like him will be told:

ذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ

(Taste what you used to earn!) 'Is this like the one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection?' as Allah says:

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

(Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way?)(67:22);

يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ 

(The Day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire (it will be said to them): "Taste you the touch of Hell!")(54:48), and

أَفَمَنْ يُلْقَىٰ فِي النَّارِ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَنْ يَأْتِي آمِنًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ 

(Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection?)(41:40) In each of these Ayat, it was sufficient to refer to one of the two groups.

كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 

(Those before them denied, and so the torment came on them from directions they perceived not.) means, the previous generations who denied the Messengers were destroyed by Allah for their sins. And none had they to protect them from Allah.

فَأَذَاقَهُمُ اللَّهُ الْخِزْيَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ 

(So Allah made them to taste the disgrace in the present life,) means, by means of the punishment and revenge which He sent down upon them, and the rejoicing of the believers for what happened to them. So, let those who are addressed beware, for they have rejected the noblest of the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. And what Allah has promised them of severe punishment in the Hereafter is worse than whatever befell them in this world. Allah says:

وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ 

(but greater is the torment of the Hereafter if they only knew!)